Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA) are the integration of product design and process planning into one common activity. The goal is to design a product that is easily and economically manufactured. The importance of designing for manufacturing is underlined by the fact that about 70% of manufacturing costs of a product (cost of materials, processing, and assembly) are determined by design decisions, with production decisions (such as process planning or machine tool selection) responsible for only 20%.
The heart of any design for manufacturing system is a group of design principles or guidelines that are structured to help the designer reduce the cost and difficulty of manufacturing an item. The following is a listing of these rules.
1. Reduce the total number of parts
2. Develop a modular design
3. Use of standard components
4. Design parts to be multi-functional
5. Design parts for multi-use
6. Design for ease of fabrication
7. Avoid separate fasteners
8. Minimize assembly directions
9. Maximize compliance
10. Minimize handling
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