“Without DfM it’s just an idea!”

This was a comment from one of the delegates on a recent “Design for Manufacturability” course I delivered for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

I’d never heard someone express it so starkly before, but it struck me how true it was.

 Without considering the issues of parts manufacture, assembly, sourcing and so on, can the intention of the planners ever be truly realised?

 ❓  can the items be made? at all?  at the required rate?  to the target cost?

 ❓  can the parts be assembled easily and consistently by the operators every time without excessive training and specialised tools?

❓  can existing equipment and tools be used, or will additional equipment be needed?

❓  can the variants expected by the customer be made without excessive reliance on forecasting and huge stocks of parts “just in case”?

❓  even more important, are planners, designers, manufacturing engineers, procurement, production and others working well together to ensure that the optimum design solution is reached that gets the best design to market in the shortest possible time and the lowest possible cost?

To fully realise the intent of the organisation for a new product, all these aspects and more must be considered.

Or the final product will be the result of an unnecessary series of compromises . . .

🕝 . . . delivered late

💷 . . . over budget

📉 . . . with sub–standard quality

Agree?