Introduction
Developing a “manufacturable” product is critical to realising the product with low costs and high quality, hence acceptable by the final customer - user. Design for Manufacturability and Assembly (DFM/A) requirements must be defined and addressed cross-functionally (by the same functional representatives who are responsible for product development) early in the product development cycle during the concept development phase. Thereafter the effort to adopt the best DFM/A practises for the given product must continue in then later development phases and be fully deployed (both at suppliers and at own factories) by the time that the product is to be launched.
DFM/A is one of the key cross-functional NPD efforts in pursuing a manufacturable, cost-optimised and quality-wise customer approved design.
DFM/A is not just a tool; it is a process of continuous maturing of the mindset that connects design best practises, product architecture, supply chain capabilities and own manufacturing in one logical flow of value-adding decisions based on the most sensible trade-offs to fulfil the manufacturability, safety, cost, quality and reliability of the product.
Companies who conscientiously invest in DFM/A capabilities’ development see this as vehicle for a long-term commercial success and have the ability to maintain a strong customer focus.
Pre-requisites for the training
- Understanding of the organisational desire/need for the training ensures correct positioning of the training in the client organisation with a clear purpose
- Who is the key decision-maker/buyer of the training – what are his/her expectations? Calibration of expectations is a mutual trust-building process between the trainer and the decision-maker (and the rest of the client organisation)
- Timing/planning/calendar fitment (trainer + stakeholders + trainees) to take place as early as possible to avoid the last-minute changes
- Training content, materials, duration and delivery style to be confirmed and agreed with the client’s decision-maker(s) prior to training and based on busienss needs
- On-line survey to understand prior knowledge of trainees will give important feedback to the trainer prior to the delivery
- Expectation setting by a virtual meeting, typically one week ahead of the first session, to get all together and to ensure well prepared Kick-off
- Preparation – client to explain and document their business environment: products, customers, suppliers, manufacturing technologies & practises, design challenges, x-functional team working practises, NPD framework, quality standard, operational KPIs etc.
- For in-person delivery: required a large enough training room with usual presentation facilities, large free wall spaces, natural ventilation and lighting, if at all possible, plus a few break-out rooms. Ideally close to the production facility so an easy “Gemba” visit is possible.
- Training delivery hours to coincide with normal office hours at the client’s
- Senior client stakeholder to ideally be present during the introductions at day 1 and deliver his “motivational” speech; equally to be present during the final hours of the training on day 3 to receive a summary of the captured learnings from the participants.
Approach
This practical, hands-on workshop is three days in duration to cover all materials in full plus enable efficient captured learnings. It includes ~ 250 examples of good and bad design for manufacturability and assembly practices (subject to the number of the client’s relevant manufacturing technologies this will be scaled). Exercises are used throughout the course to ensure constant engagement, reflections and reinforce understanding of the DFM/A principles ideally applied to the client’s cases. The workshop concludes with an exercise to analyse own company’s assemblies to introduce a practical DFM/A analysis methodology. The exercise requires some prior work and preparation to customize it to the client’s products and processes.
This training workshop is conducted onsite for individual clients and customized to the nature of the client’s products and production processes with client examples to illustrate the various DFM/A principles.
Objectives
This three-day workshop provides product development personnel (R&D, in-house quality, supplier quality, manufacturing technology, procurement, product management etc) - with an understanding of design for manufacturability/assembly (DFM/A) principles, tools, process and methodology. The workshop includes exercises to develop practical DFM/A skills and experience and includes useful tools such as a design for assembly assessment methodology. The third day will be taking the DFM/A knowledge developed during the workshop and applying it to analysing an existing or a new product or assembly brought in from the participant’s company, provided that conditions for that are met – primarily vicinity to the production facility, and guided tour of the same.
Key learning points
- Establish required management understanding and commitment to deliver the DFM/A
- Define the DFM/A process and document it based on the established experience with best DFM/A practices.
- We can define roles and responsibilities at the customer and at the suppliers and help estimate needed resources to support a more comprehensive DFM/A implementation.
Teaching Methodology
- DFM/A is a tailored, and scalable training (full three days)
- Tailoring to the client’s needs is the key for maximising the impact – the more examples come from the client, the learning impact and practicality of the delivery will be maximised
- Plenty of examples from a variety of industries ensures transfer of established best practises
- Frequent group exercises plus discussions ensure engagement
- Examples from the client product portfolio highly desired as per the above
- Small breakout room teamwork with sharing in plenum with reflections fostering team-captured learnings. The trainer will encourage captured learnings in plenum at the end of each module. All documented learnings will remain the client’s property
Implementation Methodology
Design for Manufacturability and Assembly facilitation can be provided to a product team as it progresses with the product and manufacturing concepts. The trainer can facilitate the application of DFM/A; provide specific DFM/A feedback; and facilitate consideration of design, material and process alternatives. He can help applying the DFM/A analysis methodology to determine where the highest payoff from improving the manufacturability is.
The trainer can continue working with the client organization to structure its own involvement in the program based on DFM/A, provide DFM/A training to all manufacturing/assembly sites, and work with the key suppliers to establish the DFM/A supplier specific program.
Memo: The workshop is scalable and tailored to the needs of the client organisation. In doing so the trainer will consider the following:
- Size of the training group (maximum recommended is 20 participants per session)
- Experience, seniority and functional job description of the participants (prior knowledge of the subject). An online survey is usually conducted prior to the training.
- Business environment and its complexity (product complexity measured by the number of parts, geometry, current design process & capabilities, material types, manufacturing technologies, assembly technologies, measurement systems, working conditions, costs (material and overhead), supply chain structure, ways of working during NPD projects etc.)
- Measurable Kpi indicating the need for training (for example excessive warranty cost, high ppm, low OEE or FTT or any other operational/financial performance indicator)
- Key stakeholders' expectations as the measures of success
TRAINING CONTENT: THREE DAY DFM/A TRAINING (IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL)
- DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURABILITY/ ASSEMBLY (DFM/A)
- DFM/A Introduction
- Design Impact on Cost
- DFM/A Fallacies vs. Reality
- DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY
- Principles of Design for Assembly
- Simplify Product Architecture
- Modularity and Structure with Architecture
- Partitioning, Collocation, and Orientation Effect on Interconnections
- Modular Design vs. Integral Design
- Simplicity – Minimize Part Count
- Minimize Parts Exercise
- Standardization – Minimize Part Variety
- Standardization Approach and Method
- Mistake-Proof Assembly – The Six Mistake-Proofing Principles and the Relative Benefit
- Elimination Principle and Examples
- Replacement Principle and Examples
- Prevention Principle and Examples
- Facilitation Principle and Examples
- Detection Principle and Examples
- Mitigation Principle and Examples
- Mistake-Proofing Approach and Methodology
- Mistake-Proofing Exercise – Identify Mistake-Proofing Opportunities
- Assembly Process Framework
- Design for Parts Feeding & Handling
- Design for Part Orientation
- Considering and Applying Symmetry vs. Asymmetry
- Measuring Symmetry – Alpha, Beta and Combined Symmetry
- Design for Location and Insertion
- Minimize Flexible Parts
- DFA Considerations with Gaskets, Interconnections, & Connectors
- Axes of Assembly, Reorientation & Blind Assembly
- Top Down, Uni-Axis Assembly
- Self-Fixturing vs. Production Fixtures
- Joining & Fastening Guidelines
- Integral Attachment (Self-Fastening & Snap-Fit Assembly) Guidelines
- Threaded Fastener Considerations & Guidelines
- Adhesive Joining Guidelines
- Welding Guidelines
- Other Fastening Methods and Guidelines
- Finishing, Adjustment & Calibration
- DFA Considerations to Facilitate Test and Inspection
- Applying DFA to Packaging – The Final Assembly Step
- Case Studies and Benefits – Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics, Mechanical Machinery
- Design for Assembly Analysis Exercise
- DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURABILITY
- DFM Framework
- Material and Process Evaluation
- Material and Process Evaluation Exercise
- Raw Material Standardization
- General DFM Guidelines
- Machining Guidelines and Examples
- Manufacturability Analysis Exercise
- Sheet Metal and Stamping Guidelines and Examples
- Injection Molding Guidelines and Examples
- Casting Guidelines and Examples
- Minimize Finishing Requirements
- PROCESS CAPABILITY AND TOLERANCES
- What is Process Capability
- Variation and Specifications
- Parameter and Tolerance Objectives
- Statistical Process Capability
- Normal Distribution
- Capabilities Indices – Cp and Cpk
- Capability Index Exercises
- Six Sigma Capability and Defects per Million
- Effect of Tolerances
- Tolerance Analysis
- Worst Case
- Root Sum of Squares (RSS)
- Tolerance Optimization
- DFM/A AND THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
- DFM/A Process Steps
- During Concept Development Phase
- During Design Phase
- During Validation and Pilot Phase
- During Production Launch Phase
- Early Manufacturing Involvement
- DFM/A Collaboration Tools and Methods
- Role of Solids and Assembly Models in DFM/A Evaluation
- How to Effectively Consider Design Alternatives to Address DFM/A Issues
- Product Cost Models to Estimate Costs & Evaluate Design Alternatives
- Early Supplier Involvement
- Developing DFM/A Guidelines
- Formal DFM/A Analysis & Assessment
- DFM/A Manual and Software Tools
- Conducting Design Reviews to Address DFM/A
- Capturing Issues with Build Reports
- Closing the Loop with a Final Production Review
- DFM/A Performance Measurement & Metrics
- DFM/A PROCESS
- 10 Steps to DFM/A
- DFM/A Survey Results
- Sources of Further Information
- Questions and Discussion
- ROBUST DESIGN
- What is robust design?
- Three leg chair vs. 4 leg chair
- Design redundancy concept – explain with selected examples (pin hole, Lego brick, car seat etc.)
- Design complexity & design maturity vs. robust design
- Robust design and DFMA – failure prevention and cost impact
- Robust design and impact on warranty
- Total customer value chain and the cost build up – how robust design can influence cost
- Robust design for tooling
- 3P WORKSHOP AND DFM/A
- “3P” concept – Product & Process preparation introduction
- How can we design a product, supply chain and the production process to meet the customer requirements, maximize profit, built in quality and be on time with the launch?
- Key pre-requisites for 3P, required preparation and the team mindset
- Key outputs and benefits
- How 3P fits to an NPD process/project (timing/phase and deliverables)?
- What are the key steps in 3P?
- 3P self-repeats during the development phases
- Warm-up exercise: part count reduction
- Product functions and how can they be met by the design
- Creative brainstorming – “7 ways”
- Design for manufacturing rules: creativity vs. DFM rules
- Aesthetic design
- Pugh matrix – best design concept
- Manufacturing process simulation
- Lean principles applied to production process
- Iterative product design – manufacturing process design loops
- Reporting – key outputs and benefits of the 3P w/s