Design for Manufacturability (DFM) is the practice of matching product design requirements to manufacturing capabilities, processes and work flow during the design and engineering phases of development.

It is well recognized that most manufacturing cost is 'built in' during the design process.  In other words, the choices made by the initial designer have a profound effect on the final cost of the product.  Those choices might be intentional, or they might not.

When applying DFM, one attempts to drive cost out of the design.  Basic approaches include eliminating materials, labor or time from product manufacture and assembly.  It also ties into designing the product to accommodate shop floor processes such as those used in Lean Manufacturing.

As with all such systems, the principles of DFM are simply stated.  The application of Design for Manufacturability to embedded systems, however, is both interesting and challenging.  There are many possible improvements beyond the starting points listed above.

DFM is an intuitive (some might say obvious) aspect of good engineering design practice.  However, business and schedule pressures often conspire to prevent engineers from including manufacturing concerns in their design considerations.  In other cases, design staff are simply not aware of the impact their decisions have on the company as a whole.

With our sound knowledge of DFM principles, we can put you on the path towards finding what DFM means for you.  Contact us today to start the journey.