I was asked to prepare a presentation about Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and share number of DFM tips for the SFA Summit.
The content of the presentation is the same as below:
I touched on numerous DFM tips spanning several topics which I summarize below:
1. Make sure you do your homework
Who knows how the product will be used, and what is very important? You. So, you need to document that. And you need to make that as tight and specific as possible, as it will be the specifications you hold the manufacturer to.
Who knows what the design should look like? You, or a designer you brief and you appoint. Start to do some of the design work, and get that in a CAD software package. Pick the key materials and components.
Who will know how your product is supposed to work? You, or your engineers, after you do a first ‘proof of concept’ prototype that might look bad but that will confirm your key assumptions.
2. Don’t over-complicate your product
Think of the features of your product’s version 1, but also of version 2 and version 3. Don’t try to realize your full dream in version 1.
A more complicated product will take longer to bring to market. The product development will be more expensive (and will come with a higher unit cost). It will come with much higher risks that things go wrong, too.
Many dreams died because their creators didn’t want to simplify and adopt a step-by-step approach. Avoid this issue.
3. Increase your chances that manufacturers will take you seriously
This is, of course, directly linked to point 1. If you do all that I mentioned above, you are in relatively good shape.
But it also means ‘don’t contact manufacturers too early in your project’. They might get excited when you show your million Youtube views and the great comments from a celebrity who loves your idea, but their excitement may wane as you spend another 6 months fine-tuning your design.
4. You can ask a manufacturer for feedback on your design, but there are many well-known ‘do’s and dont’s’ that you should know of
I kept the usual DFM ‘rules’ for section 7 of my presentation because not following them is common… but is not the highest source of new product development failures.
I cover Design for Manufacturing, Design for Quality, Design to Cost, and Design for Distribution.
******
Do you have any DFM tips to share that you’ve picked up over the years when launching new products? Comment and let us know!
You may also like to read:
- Common DFM Improvements On Plastic Injection Molded Parts
- What Common Improvements Can DFM Make To Die Cast Parts?
Are you planning to launch a new product soon?
Our in-house R&D department and manufacturing specialists can help you make sense of the work you need to do to get your product idea to market quickly and within a reasonable budget. Get in touch with us to discuss your project and we’ll let you know how we can help manufacture it in China!
