Design for Excellence consists of applying methods, guidelines, and standards to create better-quality products in the conceptual design phase.
"Design for Excellence" (DFx)
is a systematic approach aimed at increasing product value, focusing on the alignment between product design, Manufacturing and supply chain teams. It should be implemented at the earliest phase of the Design to ensure that products are manufactured at lower cost, error-proof, and with high performance.
In this way, detecting errors, omissions, or non-compliance in the early stages of the design phase allows the work team to adapt to changes more easily since, in the prototype or manufacturing stage, costs can increase.
Key benefits of the DFx approach
● Fewer design changes
● Teamwork between engineering and product design
● Product manufacturing costs can be reduced
● Time to market is improved
● The risk of failure is minimized
● Product quality is maximized
● The product can be easily tested
● Performance is improved
● The quality of deliveries is maximized
● The operating efficiency is higher
In DFx, the ‘X’ is a placeholder for the aspect that is being optimized. Some examples of such methodologies include Design for Manufacturing (DFm – maximizing the ease with which a product is manufactured), Design for Reliability (DFr – avoiding product failure for a certain amount of time), or Design for Logistics (DFl – minimizing logistics costs).
Some key categories to understand the use of Design Engineering Excellence methodology
DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING (DFM)
It is a methodology that aims to maximize the ease with which a product is manufactured. It takes into account factors such as material choice, part count and tolerances, manufacturing technologies and processes, and assembly techniques. Design for Manufacturing helps identify potential production issues and cost savings earlier in the design process, resulting in improved product quality and reduced time to market.
Design for Manufacturing also helps ensure that a product meets all necessary technical requirements, as well as industry standards and customer requirements. By incorporating Design for Manufacturing into the design process from the start, manufacturers can significantly reduce production costs, improve yield rate, increase quality, and make products more competitive. Design for Manufacturing is an integral part of the product development process, helping to ensure that products are manufactured with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
DESIGN FOR TESTABILITY (DFT)
This type of Design has the objective that each Assembly and the final product have maximum test coverage for all physical and functional characteristics. It is applicable to all technologies: electronic assemblies, electrical systems, mechanical designs, communication systems, and software products, among others.
DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY (DFA)
It is a methodology used as part of the Design and integrated development of products and processes, which, based on rules and principles, guide the design team to generate concepts of parts that are easy to manufacture, have economic Manufacturing while maintaining their quality, and at the same time, they are easy to assemble.
That is, this methodology addresses the ability of a product designed to be assembled quickly and correctly to guarantee safety and, when necessary, to be easy to disassemble for reprocessing.
Design for Assembly focuses on the following key objectives, among others:
- A modular and easy to understandable Design.
- Standardized parts, subassemblies, assemblies, assembly operations, and tools.
- Assembly operations with minimization of the number and type of tools.
- Easy to understand Assembly with unambiguous instructions.
- Reduced number of fixings and types of fixing.
DESIGN FOR RELIABILITY (DFR)
It is a process that ensures that a product performs a specified function within a specified environment for its expected useful life.
The DFR is part of an overall quintessential design strategy, often occurring at the design stage prior to physical prototyping.
The complexities of today’s technologies make the DFR very valuable, as it allows you to:
- Product differentiation.
- Reliability guarantee.
- Control costs and preserve profits.
DESIGN FOR SECURITY (DFS)
It consists of implementing the proper security protocols. Otherwise, a product would be vulnerable to hacking, and if an attacker is successful, it could be the end of a great commercial idea.
Today it is important to design a mix of security and supply chains. It is a good idea to use items that contain open-source software.
It is important to note that outdated software systems are more prone to security issues. Since the software is essential to running daily business operations, supply chain security is one of the top responsibilities of companies and their security teams.
DESIGN FOR SUPPLY CHAIN (DFSC)
This strategy seeks to improve the efficiency and flexibility of the Supply Chain from the analysis and modeling of the operations of the chain considering multiple potential changes, with the aim of finding a balance between some aspects that will vary depending on the objectives of the company, among them can be considered: response capacity, sustainability and risk, efficiency, distribution, etc.
It consists of establishing the supply chain of a product, which includes the initial design phase; the selection of components, OEM devices, materials, availability through major distributors; clarity of specifications, evaluation of the availability of substitute components, stock verification, pre-ordering, identifying reliable distributors, discussing pre-production agreements and finally, the product cost, quotes, delivery times, packaging and transportation.
DESIGN FOR COST (DFC)
Cost-based Industrial Design is a methodology used to innovate and develop new products with a clear company strategy and cost objective. For this methodology, cost reduction is the main element in the Design of products and their components.
Some rules for minimizing costs would be the following:
- Carry out low complexity designs, with parts requiring few manufacturing operations.
- Reduce the product’s dimensions as much as possible to reduce material costs since these and processing costs increase disproportionately with the size of the product or part.
- Make designs that can be produced in large batches or mass production. -Minimize tolerance, precision, and finish requirements.
- Articulate design solutions with standardized elements and with low material requirements.
The important thing is to reduce cost without reducing the quality of the product. For this, two basic solutions apply:
- Making investments that improve the technology used.
- Improvement of the use of existing resources.
IN CONCLUSION
Design for Excellence is an effective approach to creating better quality products that are cost-effective, error-proof, and high performing. By implementing Design for Excellence (DFx) principles such as Design for Reliability (DFr), Design for Logistics (DFl) or Design for Manufacturing (DFm), organizations can achieve better results while reducing their risk of failure and improving product quality, operating efficiency and time to market. Design for Excellence’s ultimate goal is to improve a product’s overall value.
Start implementing Design for Manufacturing in your product today and experience the positive impacts on your business!
If you need assistance in Design for Excellence, contact me and I will be happy to provide expert advice. Together, let us create better products that are cost-effective, reliable, and of the highest quality.