DFMA is a design methodology that focuses on optimizing a product's design for manufacturing and assembly. It aims to minimize production costs and improve quality by considering manufacturing feasibility during the design phase. Key principles of DFMA include reducing part count, designing for modularity and self-alignment, using standard parts, and simplifying manufacturing processes. A case study shows redesigning a product using DFMA principles can significantly reduce assembly time, part count, manufacturing steps and costs. Overall, DFMA leads to easier and more efficient production.

1. DESIGN FOR
MANUFACTURING
ANDASSEMBLY

2. What is DFMA?
▶ A set of guidelines developed to ensure that a product is designed so that it can
be easily and efficiently manufactured and assembled with a minimum of effort,
time, and cost.
▶ Products designed using DFMAprinciples should have higher quality and
reliability than others.
▶ DFMAalso ensures that the transition from the design phase to the production
phase is as smooth and rapid as possible.

3. Optimal Thinking is the core of all activities.
What is DFMA? (contd)
▶ It is a concurrent engineering team approach.
▶ The best results occur when DFMAis used in the product conceptual stage.
▶ The cross-functional team work towards minimizing the number of components,
manufacturing steps and operations while designing to proven manufacturing
capabilities.

4. Methodology

5. Principles of DFMA
1. Minimize part count
2. Make Parts Multi-Functional
3. Design parts to be self-aligning and self-locating.
4. Use stack assemblies.
5. Ensure the ease of handling of parts from bulk.
6. Eliminate Interfaces.
7. Design parts that cannot be installed incorrectly.
8. Maximize part symmetry if possible or make parts obviously asymmetrical.
9. Use Standard Parts and Hardware
10. Simplify and Optimize the Manufacturing Process
11. Encourage modular assembly

6. 1. Minimize part count
 The final cost of a product is directly proportional to the number of parts.As the
number of parts is reduced, product quality and reliability typically increase
 ASimple Test to Determine if a Part Can Be
Eliminated
•Must the part move relative to other parts in
performing its function?
• Must the part be made of different material?
• Must the part be a separate component?
 If the answer to these three questions is "NO", then the possibility of combining the
part with other parts should be considered.

7. 2. Make Parts Multi-Functional
▶ Multi-functional parts combine several functions into one part and reduce
complexity.

8. 3. Design parts to be self-aligning
and self-locating.
• Self aligning parts can be placed into an exact location
with no adjustment required.
• This makes assembly easier and faster for the
assembly workers.
• Examples of self-locating features include projections,
indentations, chamfers, molded keyways, etc.

9. 4. Use stack assemblies
• Assembly operations should use, not fight, gravity.
• One way to do this is to design parts for stack assembly
(i.e., assembly components from the bottom up).
• Requires less reorientation of the components which
speeds the assembly process.
• Not using gravity generally requires the use of additional
tooling and fixturing.

10. 5. Ensure the ease of handling of parts from bulk
▶ Parts should be designed with
handling in mind.
▶ Components should not get
tangled/nested together when
mixed together in a box or a bin.
▶ Minimize the potential for
becoming tangled or stuck
together.

11. Handling difficulty
size slipperiness
flexibililty
sharpness

12. 6. Eliminate interfaces
▶ Interfaces increase the cost of an assembly.
▶ Each interface doubles the amount of information
required and increases overall assembly time.
▶ Eg : 2 sets of dimensions, 2 sets of tolerances, 2
sets of interface features, assembly labour,
assembly materials, etc.

13. 7. Design parts that cannot be installed incorrectly.
• Use physical obstructions to stop components
being fitted in the wrong place, or the wrong
way round.
• The name for this is “Poka-yoke”.
• Mistake-proofing

14. 8. Maximize part symmetry if possible or make parts
obviously asymmetrical.
• These irregularly-sized and spaced holes force the
worker to figure out which way it fits
• The addition of a flat side or similar feature helps to
achieve correct orientation during manual assembly
(but symmetry would probably be better)
• Make components fit either way round
whenever you can.
• Ideally, parts will have rotational and end-to-end
symmetry.

15. 9. Use Standard Parts and Hardware
▶ Standardization requires increased communication between the design teams.
▶ Reduces the number of tools required for assembly and lowers assembly cost.
▶ In order to facilitate the use of standard parts, the design team should utilize
various resources such as the preferred parts lists, standard parts manuals, vendor
catalogs, trade magazines, etc.

16. 10. Simplify and Optimize the Manufacturing Process
▶ Simplification and optimization of the manufacturing process reduces recurring
direct and overhead costs.
▶ Using processes that are easily controllable.
▶ Avoiding, where possible, processes that are difficult to control (i.e., welding,
brazing, etc.).
▶ Performing like operations simultaneously.

17. 11. Encourage modular assembly
▶ Modularize multiple parts into single sub-assemblies
▶ Simplifies assembly operations and make problem
identification easier by reducing the number of parts.
▶ Modular assembly also simplifies inventory and
improves maintenance and serviceability.
▶ By designing parts as separate, self-contained modules,
disassembly time is reduced, fewer tools are required,
and overall repair time is reduced.

18. Introduction to assembly
▶ Product of a complex design process.
▶ Designers can have a major influence on the cost and quality of an assembly.
▶ The assembly task also involves…
 Storing
 Handling
 Positioning
 Joining
 Adjusting
 Securing
 Inspection

19. Design for Assembly (DFA)
This forms a significant part of Design for Manufacture (DFM) – sometimes
considered together as DFMA.
Simplifies the product structure since the total number of parts in a product is a key
indicator of design quality.
Optimizes manual as well as automated assemblies.

20. Introduction to DFM
▶ DFM is the method of design for ease of manufacturing of the collection of parts.
▶ Minimizes complexity of manufacturing operations.
▶ Like DFA,DFM also shortens the product development cycle time.
▶ It is concerned with reducing overall part production cost.
▶ It seeks to utilize standards to reduce the costs.

21. Major DFM objectives
1) Estimate the mfg. costs
2) Reduce the costs of components
3) Reduce the costs of assembly
4) Reduce the costs of supporting production
5) Consider the impact of DFM decisions on other factors.

22. Estimating manufacturing costs.

23. Why use DFMA?
▶ Encourages dialogue between designers and the manufacturing engineers. This means that
teamwork is encouraged and the benefits of simultaneous or concurrent engineering can be
achieved.
▶ LowerAssembly Cost and Time
▶ Increased Reliability
▶ Shorter Total Time-To-Market
Since products developed using DFMAmake the quickest and smoothest transition into the production phase,
the time for a product to go from conception to the consumer (total time-to market) is reduced.
Another reason why careful consideration of manufacture and assembly should be considered early in the
design cycle is because it is now widely accepted that over 70% of final product costs are determined during
design.

24. Reasons for not implementing DFMA
▶ No Time
▶ Not Invented Here
▶ The Ugly Baby Syndrome
▶ Low V
olume
▶ DFMALeads to Products ThatAre More Difficult to Service
▶ I Refuse to Use DFMA

26. Results of Design for Assembly (DFA) Analysis for the Motor Drive Assembly Proposed Design

27. Results of Design for Assembly (DFA) Analysis for the Motor Drive Assembly Redesign

28. ▶ The second step in an analysis is Design for Manufacture (DFM).
▶ By using DFM, early cost estimates for the parts are obtained for both the
original design and the new design in order to make trade-off decisions.
▶ During this process the best materials and processes to be used for the various
parts are considered.

29. Comparison of Parts Cost for the Motor Drive Assembly Proposed Design and Redesign
(purchased motor and sensor subassemblies not included)

30. ▶ This is an indication that it is important not only to know the total estimated
manufacturing cost of an item but, more importantly, to know the cost of
providing the various features.
▶ This case study is typical in the sense that although DFAmeans design for
assembly, the results of improving assemblability usually manifest themselves
in significant reductions in part manufacturing costs.

31. Other example
• Original design of a reticle assembly for a
thermal gunsight in a US tank, made by
Texas Instruments, Inc.
• There are a large number of fasteners.
24 parts
• Redesigned thermal gunsight
reticle: simpler to assemble, and
less to go wrong!
Only 8 parts

32. Measuring Improvement
Original Redesign Improvement
Assembly time (h) 2.15 0.33 84.7%
Number of different parts 24 8 66.7%
Total number of parts 47 12 74.5%
Total number of operations 58 13 77.6%
Metal fabrication time (h) 12.63 3.65 71.1%
Weight (lb) 0.48 0.26 45.8%

33. THANK YOU!!