Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA)

 

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA)

Introduction

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) is a design methodology that focuses on ease of manufacture and efficiency of assembly. By simplifying the design of the product it is possible to manufacture and assemble it more efficiently, in less time and at less cost. design for manufacturing

Traditionally, DfMA has been applied to fields such as automotive and consumer product design, both of which require the efficient production of high-quality products in large numbers. More recently, construction contractors have begun to adopt DfMA for off-site prefabrication of construction components such as concrete floor slabs, structural columns and beams.

DFMA combines two methods – Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA):

Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

DFM includes design for ease of manufacturing of product component parts. It is concerned with selecting the most cost-effective materials and processes to be used in production and minimizing the complexity of manufacturing operations.

Design for Assembly (DFA)

DFA features design for ease of product assembly. It is concerned with reducing the cost of product assembly and reducing the number of assembly operations.

Both DFM and DFA seek to minimize material, overhead and labor costs.

DfMA principles

In a similar approach to lean manufacturing, applying DfMA enables the identification, quantification and elimination of waste or inefficiencies in product manufacturing and assembly. It can also be used as a benchmarking tool to study competitors' products.

DfMA's main principles are:

Reduce the number of components: thereby reducing assembly and ordering costs, reducing work in process and simplifying automation.

Design for ease of part-manufacturing: The geometry of parts is simplified and unnecessary features are avoided.

Part tolerances: The part must be designed within the process capability.

Clarity: Components should be designed so they can be assembled in only one way.

Minimize the use of flexible components: Parts made of rubber, gaskets, cables, etc., should be limited as maintenance and assembly are generally more difficult.

Design for ease of assembly: for example, use of snap-fits and adhesive bonding rather than threaded fasteners such as nuts and bolts. If possible, the product should be designed with the original component to quickly and accurately locate other components.

Eliminate or reduce required adjustments: Designing adjustments to a product means there are more opportunities for out-of-adjust conditions.

Benefits of DfMA

Some of the main advantages of DfMA are:

the speed

One of DfMA's primary advantages in construction is the significantly reduced program on site through the use of prefabricated elements.

Low assembly cost

By using fewer parts, reducing the amount of labor required and reducing the number of unique parts, DfMA can significantly reduce assembly costs.

High quality and sustainability

A highly automated approach increases quality and efficiency at every step.

There may be less waste generation during the construction phase, greater efficiency in site logistics and reduction in vehicle movements to transport materials to the site.

Shorter assembly time

DFMA minimizes assembly time by utilizing standard assembly practices such as vertical assembly and self-assembling parts. DFMA ensures that the transition from the design phase to the manufacturing phase is as smooth and quick as possible.

Increased reliability

DFMA increases reliability by reducing the number of parts, thereby reducing the likelihood of failure.

safety

By removing construction activities from the site and placing them in a controlled factory environment there is the potential for a significant positive impact on safety.