Design for Manufacturability: Reduce Costs and Enhance Quality

Manufacturing is complex, involving a wide range of technologies, materials and design philosophies, all aiming to produce the best product possible — and do so efficiently.

This is easier said than done, as every product involves planning, prototyping and production before being sent into the world. Communication issues and unforeseen limitations can lead to operational bloat and lower-quality products. Design for manufacturability (DFM) was designed to resolve common issues and empower manufacturers to create higher-quality products while minimizing costs. 

Explore how DFM works, its uses and how it can be improved over time to better meet your needs.

Core Principles of Design for Manufacturability

Design for manufacturability follows basic tenets to optimize processes and cut costs. The five DFM principles are as follows:

1. Simplification: DFM designs should be as simple as possible without compromising functionality. This means using fewer components wherever possible, which can cut down on total assembly time and complexity. A simplified design can even save money spent on parts and materials, and it often makes repairs easier as well, which can improve the customer experience late into a product’s life.
2. Standardization: Once the design has been simplified, the parts and processes used to assemble them should be codified and standardized across the assembly line. Standardization reduces the cost of assembly by ensuring all parts are uniform and take the same time to assemble. Standardization also ensures that the assembly process is accessible and replicable.
3. Material selection: Using the right materials can transform the assembly process. The material your product is made of should be cost-effective, easy to acquire and functional within the product’s environment. For instance, the chassis of a car must withstand high wind speeds and crumple under the force of impacts. If the material excels in all of these areas, it will reduce costs and lead to quality improvement.
4. Assembly optimization: Once the ideal material has been chosen, it’s time to optimize the assembly process as much as possible. You can do this by cutting down on the total number of steps, reducing the need for specialized tools and designing the product so that it can be assembled only by following proper protocols. Assembly optimization can lead directly to more efficient and more cost-effective production.
5. Quality control integration: All product designs should make assessing their quality and performance easy. You can do this by including error-proofing design elements, easily usable test mechanisms and self-diagnosis tools in the design. While these features may add components to the design, they will significantly reduce the odds of malfunction and defect. 

These five principles can help your business streamline manufacturing processes, lower costs and cut production times. Your business can apply this thinking to achieve sustainable growth and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction with greater product consistency and reliability.

Applying DFM Strategies in Metal Fabrication

The principles of design manufacturability can positively influence metal fabrication processes and streamline production. Metal is vital to diverse industries, from energy to construction to agriculture, making it a key player within the global economy. 

Each type of metal part can benefit from the application of DFM principles. Here’s how:

• Sheet metal designs can simplify the laser cutting process by embracing closed shapes, contours and spaced perforations, which laser cutters are more compatible with.
• Bending and forming practices can be standardized to minimize the risk of failures in compact metallic components.
• Selecting the proper metal for the job can facilitate both laser cutting and the application the sheet metal is used.
• A thoughtful design that is welding-friendly can optimize the assembly process and lead to stronger joints in metals at a range of sizes.
• Laser cutters integrate quality control by using safety interlocks — an error-proofing element that shuts off the laser under specific circumstances — to protect the operator from the laser and ensure a quality cut. 

These design elements lead to both higher-quality metal components and a reduced cost of fabrication. They also protect those facilitating the assembly process as well as those using the final product.

Balancing Cost Reduction and Performance Requirements

At the heart of DFM are two ideals — cost reduction and performance — and finding the perfect balance between the two can bring tremendous benefits to your business. 

Achieving these goals often requires unconventional thinking. For instance, you might conceive of ways to repurpose materials to minimize waste or run a cost-benefit analysis to determine which features to prioritize and which to leave out in a design. Thinking outside the box in these ways can result in dramatic manufacturing cost reductions without compromising the product’s performance.

Engaging Manufacturing Partners Early

Putting the DFM philosophy into practice requires collaboration. While designers wield tremendous influence within the paradigm, they still require the insight and support of manufacturers. That support often leads directly to engineering optimization and can even result in the integration of other design philosophies, including design for reliability (DFR) and design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA).

Some of the best ways to enhance these partnerships include:

• Building effective designer-manufacturer relationships prior to designing the product.
• Leveraging communication tools, such as Figma and Autodesk Fusion, to enhance design feedback.
• Identifying manufacturing challenges through shared review processes.
• Collaborating with manufacturers and leveraging their expertise during the design phase.

Measuring DFM Success

Once DFM principles have been applied, begin measuring the outcomes to determine how effective your application of the principles has been. Oftentimes, these measurements reveal opportunities for further improvement. For instance, you might look for:

• Any noticeable reductions in cost as a result of newer, simplified designs.
• Overall quality improvement, whether as a result of decreased defects or increased performance.
• Product efficiency gains as a result of standardized parts acquisition and production processes.

Tracking each of these areas may reveal that a newer, more robust material is needed or that the simplified assembly process lacks clarity. From there, you can adjust your approach and start reaping the benefits of systematic DFM processes.

Partner With PBZ Manufacturing for Full-Service Metal Manufacturing

PBZ is your one-stop shop for all things metal manufacturing. We leverage everything from state-of-the-art 3D tube laser cutters to MIG and TIG welding techniques to ensure that the job gets done to your exact specifications. 

We also offer robust finishing services that can take care of everything from powdering to assembly. With our resourceful manufacturing in your corner, you can take on anything from agriculture to architecture.

Are you ready to get started with the experts at PBZ Manufacturing? Get a quote today! Our Rapid Reply policy means you’ll hear back from us within just 4 hours of requesting a quote.

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