Manufacturability means how easy or difficult it is to manufacture a part or product. The principle of manufacturability should be kept in mind throughout the entire design process, as it brings cost savings and speeds up the product's market entry.
Manufacturability means designing a product in such a way that its manufacturing is as efficient, cost-effective, and smooth as possible.
Manufacturability is part of the Design for Manufacturing (DFM) principle. It pays special attention to the selection of materials and manufacturing methods. According to the DMF principle, the designer aims to minimize the number of parts in the product and uses as many standard parts and components as possible. Additionally, the product can be tested during manufacturing, which improves quality.
Assemblability, or Design for Assembly (DFA), is closely related to manufacturability. The idea behind assemblability is to optimize the product assembly process.
When both manufacturability and assemblability are considered in product design, the overall cost of the product can be kept under control, assembly proceeds swiftly, and the possibility of manufacturing errors decreases.
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Manufacturability is incorporated in product design in the following ways:
Basic principles of manufacturability include minimizing the number of parts, modular design, smart material choices and standard components. The fewer different components used in a product, the less time and effort is spent on procuring or manufacturing each component and assembling the product. Materials should be cost-effective and readily available.
The product is designed so that the throughput time is as short as possible, and the manufacturing costs are as low as possible. These requirements relate, for example, to the need for special tooling during manufacturing and the requirements set for machinable parts in terms of tolerances and surface quality. Strict tolerances and a particularly smooth surface quality set their own prerequisites for quality assurance during manufacturing, which may have surprising effects on manufacturing costs.
The assembly must be smooth. Smoothness is affected not only by the number of components but also by, for example, how many different assembly angles the product requires and what kind of fasteners it has. Additionally, it can be considered whether the product should be able to be assembled, for example, with the help of a collaborative robot (cobot).
Quality assurance is done already during the manufacturing process. In-process quality assurance is performed using manual measurement tools. The previously mentioned strict tolerances increase production costs, as verifying them requires the use of measuring machines, and their use slows down the production process.
When manufacturability is part of the product design process, it brings several significant benefits to the customer. Manufacturability impacts the entire life cycle of the product, its cost structure, and the timeline for bringing the product to market.
It is generally thought that up to 80% of a product's manufacturing costs are determined in the design phase. By considering manufacturability early in the design, significant cost savings can be achieved.
Material choices can bring cost savings. For example, if you want to manufacture a shaft with a diameter of 40 mm, it needs to be machined from a 50 mm round bar. If the shaft's diameter is changed to 38 mm, it can be manufactured from a 40 mm bar.
The above is an example of reducing material waste, which can be influenced by part design. It is also definitely advantageous for the customer if the designer can discuss available raw materials and components with sourcing experts, as their price may vary significantly depending on the current market situation
The choice of manufacturing methods also affects the final price of the part. Choosing the most cost-effective manufacturing method requires a dialogue between the mechanical designer and the method designer.
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The time invested in designing for manufacturability is often saved many times over in the production phase. The price of machinable pieces is made up of four factors: setup time, machining time, material costs, and possibly time spent on measurements, i.e., quality assurance. A skilled designer keeps these in mind while working on drawings.
When products are designed to be manufactured as straightforwardly as possible, standard parts and materials can be used, simplifying the supply chain. This likely shortens delivery times and improves delivery reliability, which enhances the entire production process.
Design flaws can lead to the realization at the start of production that the desired material is not available or its processing takes more time than expected and is therefore more expensive than anticipated. Also, product assembly may take longer than expected if components are not designed with assemblability in mind.
Considering manufacturability also improves product quality. When a product is designed carefully from the start, possibly with the help of simulations, errors that would otherwise be noticed only during part machining, product assembly, or, in the worst case, during final testing, can be eliminated in the design phase.
Considering the manufacturability principles of modularity, expandability, and standard components in the design phase ensures products are easier to modify and update in the future. This approach avoids the need for major changes that would incur significant additional costs. It also means a more flexible production process and the possibility to scale production to larger volumes
Manufacturability can also help reduce the environmental impacts during production: less material waste, lower energy consumption, and less waste generated during production. This is cost-effective and increasingly important responsible action that meets the demand for more sustainable manufacturing.
If manufacturability is only examined after the product has been fully designed, production requirements may force the designer to make last-minute changes. This may delay the start of production and lead the designer to make hasty decisions and compromises.
Therefore, it's important to carefully choose a design and manufacturing partner to ensure that manufacturability is considered in product design. With Mectalent, you get both design and manufacturing services under one roof, which is a definite advantage for our customers.
When product design and manufacturing are physically under the same roof, it's easy for our designers to discuss with our manufacturing experts and find the best and most cost-effective design solutions that also work in production. Additionally, our sourcing engineers are always up-to-date on the availability and prices of components and raw materials, which helps designers in their material and component choices.
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