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Design for Manufacturability and Concurrent Engineering

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Design for Manufacturability - How to use concurrent engineering to rapidily develop lost-cost, high quality products for lean production

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Open: Design for Manufacturability and Concurrent Engineering

Chapter 1

Design for Manufacturability............................................ 3
1.1 Manufacturing before DFM ............................................4
1.1.1 What DFM Is Not ................................................5
1.1.2 Comments from Company DFM Surveys .......5
1.2 Myths and Realities of Product Development ........ 6
1.3 Achieving the Lowest Cost ..............................................7
1.3.1 Toyota on When Cost Is Determined ...............7
1.3.2 Ultra- Low- Cost Product Development ............8
1.4 Designing for Low Cost ...................................................9
1.4.1 Design for Cost Approaches ..............................9
1.4.1.1 Cost- Based Pricing ...............................9
1.4.1.2 Price- Based Costing (Target Costing) ...............................................10
1.4.1.3 Cost Targets Should Determine Strategy ................................................11
1.4.2 Cost Metrics and Their Effect on Results .......11
1.4.3 How to Design Very Low Cost Products ........13
1.4.4 Cost Reduction by Change Order ...................14
1.5 Cutting Time- to- Market in Half ..................................16
1.6 Roles and Focus...............................................................18
1.6.1 Human Resources Support for Product Development ......................................................19
1.6.2 Job Rotation ....................................................... 20
1.6.3 Management Role to Support DFM ............... 20
1.6.4 Management Focus ...........................................22
1.6.5 Successful or Counterproductive Metrics for NPD ...............................................................24
1.7 Resistance to DFM ..........................................................25
1.8 Arbitrary Decisions ........................................................25
1.9 DFM and Design Time ..................................................29
1.10 Engineering Change Orders .........................................29
1.11 Do It Right the First Time ............................................ 30
1.12 Strategy to Do It Right the First Time ........................ 30
1.13 Company Benefits of DFM ............................................32
1.14 Personal Benefits of DFM ..............................................33
1.15 Conclusions .................................................................... 34
Notes ...........................................................................................35

Chapter 2

Concurrent Engineering .................................................. 37
2.1 Resources .........................................................................37
2.1.1 Front- Loading at Toyota ...................................41
2.2 Ensuring Resource Availability ....................................41
2.2.1 Prioritization ..................................................... 42
2.2.2 Prioritizing Product Portfolios ....................... 42
2.2.3 Prioritizing Product Development Projects ... 43
2.2.4 Prioritization at Leading Companies ............ 43
2.2.4.1 Prioritization at Apple ...................... 43
2.2.4.2 Product Development Prioritization at HP .......................... 44
2.2.4.3 Prioritization at Toyota .................... 44
2.2.4.4 Product Prioritization for Truck Bodies ................................................. 44
2.2.5 Prioritizing Resources for Custom Orders, Low- Volume Builds, Legacy Products, and Spare Parts ............................... 44
2.2.6 Develop Acceptance Criteria for Unusual Orders ................................................................. 46
2.2.7 Make Customizations and Configurations More Efficient ........................ 46
2.2.8 The Package Deal ...............................................47
2.2.9 Rationalize Products ........................................ 48
2.2.10 Maximize Design Efficiency of Existing Resources ............................................................50
2.2.11 Avoid Product Development Failures .............52
2.2.12 Avoid Supply Chain Distractions ....................52
2.2.13 Optimize Product Development Project Scheduling ..........................................................53
2.2.14 Ensure Availability of Manufacturing Engineers ............................................................53
2.2.15 Correct Critical Resource Shortages .............. 54
2.2.16 Invest in Product Development Resources .... 54
2.2.16.1 R&D Investment at Medtronic .........55
2.2.16.2 R&D Investment at General Electric and Siemens ..........................55
2.2.16.3 R&D Investment at Apple .................55
2.2.16.4 R&D Investment at Samsung ...........55
2.3 Product Portfolio Planning .......................................... 56
2.4 Parallel and Future Projects ..........................................57
2.5 Designing Products as a Team ......................................59
2.5.1 The Problems with Phases, Gates,
Reviews, and Periodic Meetings ......................59
2.5.2 Huddles .............................................................. 60
2.5.3 Building Many Models and Doing Early Experiments .......................................................61
2.5.4 Manufacturing Participation ...........................61
2.5.5 Role of Procurement .........................................62
2.5.6 Team Composition ............................................63
2.5.7 Team Continuity ............................................... 64
2.5.8 Part- Time Participation ................................... 64
2.5.9 Using Outside Expertise .................................. 64
2.5.10 The Value of Diversity .......................................65
2.5.11 Encouraging Honest Feedback ........................65
2.6 Vendor Partnerships .......................................................65
2.6.1 The Value of Vendor/Partnerships ..................65
2.6.2 Vendor/Partnerships Lead to Lower Net Cost ..................................................................... 66
2.6.3 Vendor Partner Selection .................................67
2.6.4 Working with Vendor Partners ...................... 68
2.7 The Team Leader .............................................................69
2.7.1 The Team Leader at Toyota ..............................70
2.7.2 The Team Leader at Motorola ..........................71
2.7.3 Team Leaders and Sponsors at Motorola .......71
2.8 Co- Location .....................................................................71
2.8.1 Effect of Onshoring on Concurrent Engineering ........................................................72
2.8.2 The Project Room (The “Great Room” or Obeya) .................................................................72
2.9 Team Membership and Roles ........................................73
2.9.1 Manufacturing and Service .............................74
2.9.2 Tooling Engineers ..............................................74
2.9.3 Purchasing and Vendors ...................................74
2.9.4 Marketing ...........................................................75
2.9.5 Customers ...........................................................75
2.9.6 Industrial Designers ..........................................76
2.9.7 Quality and Test.................................................77
2.9.8 Finance ................................................................77
2.9.9 Regulatory Compliance ....................................77
2.9.10 Factory Workers ................................................78
2.9.11 Specialized Talent ..............................................78
2.9.12 Other Projects ....................................................78
2.10 Outsourcing Engineering ..............................................79
2.10.1 Which Engineering Could Be Outsourced? ....81
2.11 Product Definition ..........................................................82
2.11.1 Understanding Customer Needs .....................82
2.11.2 Writing Product Requirements .......................83
2.11.3 Consequences of Poor Product Definition ... 84
2.11.4 Customer Input ................................................. 84
2.11.5 Quality Function Deployment ....................... 86
2.11.6 How QFD Works ...............................................87
Notes ...........................................................................................89

Chapter 3

Designing the Product ..................................................... 95
3.1 Design Strategy .............................................................. 96
3.1.1 Designing around Standard Parts .................. 96
3.1.1.1 Sheet Metal ......................................... 96
3.1.1.2 Bar Stock .............................................97
3.1.2 Consolidation .....................................................97
3.1.3 Off- the- Shelf Parts .............................................97
3.1.4 Proven Processing .............................................98
3.1.5 Proven Designs, Parts, and Modules ..............98
3.1.6 Arbitrary Decisions ...........................................98
3.1.7 Overconstraints ................................................ 99
3.1.8 Tolerances .......................................................... 99
3.1.9 Minimizing Tolerance Demands ................... 99
3.1.10 System Integration .......................................... 100
3.1.11 Optimizing All Design Strategies ................ 100
3.1.12 Design Strategy for Electrical Systems .........101
3.1.13 Electrical Connections: Best to Worst ..........101
3.1.14 Optimizing Use of Flex Layers ......................103
3.1.15 Voltage Standardization .................................103
3.1.16 DFM for Printed Circuit Boards ...................104
3.2 Importance of Thorough Up- Front Work .................105
3.2.1 Thorough Up- Front Work at Toyota .............107
3.2.2 Thorough Up- Front Work at Motorola ........108
3.2.3 Thorough Up- Front Work at IDEO ..............108
3.2.4 Avoid Compromising Up- Front Work .........108
3.2.4.1 Slow Processes for Sales and
Contracts ...........................................108
3.2.4.2 Rushing NPD for Long- Lead- Time Parts .........................................108
3.2.4.3 Rushing NPD for Early Evaluation Units ...............................109
3.2.5 Early Evaluation Units ....................................109
3.3 Optimizing Architecture and System Design ..........110
3.3.1 Generic Product Definition ............................110
3.3.2 Team Composition and Availability .............110
3.3.3 Product Development Approach ...................111
3.3.4 Lessons Learned...............................................111
3.3.4.1 Categories of Lessons Learned .......111
3.3.4.2 Methodologies for Lessons Learned ..............................................111
3.3.5 Raising and Resolving Issues Early ...............112
3.3.5.1 Project Issues ....................................113
3.3.5.2 Team Issues .......................................113
3.3.5.3 Mitigating Risk .................................114
3.3.5.4 New Technologies ............................114
3.3.5.5 Techniques to Resolve Issues Early ...114
3.3.5.6 Contingency Plans ...........................115
3.3.5.7 Achieving Concurrence before Proceeding ........................................115
3.3.6 Manual Tasks ...................................................115
3.3.7 Skill and Judgment ..........................................116
3.3.8 Technical or Functional Challenges .............117
3.3.9 Commercialization ..........................................118
3.3.10 Manufacturable Science .................................119
3.3.11 Concept/ Architecture Design Optimization ....................................................119
3.3.12 Optimizing the Use of CAD in the Concept/ Architecture Phase ......................... 120
3.3.13 Concept Simplification ...................................121
3.3.14 Manufacturing and Supply Chain Strategies .......................................................... 122
3.4 Part Design Strategies ................................................. 123
3.5 Design for Everything (DFX)..................................... 126
3.5.1 Function ........................................................... 126
3.5.2 Cost ................................................................... 126
3.5.3 Delivery .............................................................127
3.5.4 Quality and Reliability ....................................127
3.5.5 Ease of Assembly .............................................127
3.5.6 Ability to Test .................................................. 128
3.5.7 Ease of Service and Repair ............................ 128
3.5.8 Supply Chain Management ........................... 128
3.5.9 Shipping and Distribution..............................129
3.5.10 Packaging ..........................................................129
3.5.11 Human Factors ................................................129
3.5.12 Appearance and Style .....................................130
3.5.13 Safety .................................................................130
3.5.14 Customers’ Needs ............................................130
3.5.15 Breadth of Product Line .................................130
3.5.16 Product Customization ...................................131
3.5.17 Time- to- Market ...............................................131
3.5.18 Expansion and Upgrading .............................131
3.5.19 Future Designs .................................................132
3.5.20 Environmental Considerations .....................132
3.5.20.1 Product Pollution .............................132
3.5.20.2 Processing Pollution ........................132
3.5.20.3 Ease of Recycling Products .............133
3.5.21 Summary ..........................................................133
3.6 Creative Product Development .................................. 134
3.6.1 Generating Creative Ideas ............................. 134
3.6.2 Generating Ideas at Leading Companies .....135
3.6.3 Encouraging innovation at Medtronic .........136
3.6.4 Nine Keys to Creativity ...................................136
3.6.5 Creativity in a Team ........................................137
3.6.6 The Ups and Downs of Creativity .................138
3.7 Brainstorming ...............................................................139
3.8 Half- Cost Product Development ................................140
3.8.1 Prerequisites for Half- Cost Development ....140
3.8.1.1 Total Cost ..........................................140
3.8.1.2 Rationalization .................................140
3.8.2 Designing Half- Cost Products ......................141
Notes .........................................................................................142

Chapter 4

Designing for Lean and Build- to- Order ....................... 147
4.1 Lean Production ...........................................................147
4.1.1 Flow Manufacturing .......................................148
4.1.2 Prerequisites .....................................................149
4.2 Build- to- Order ..............................................................149
4.2.1 Supply Chain Simplification ..........................150
4.2.2 Kanban Automatic Part Resupply .................150
4.3 Mass Customization .....................................................152
4.4 Developing Products for Lean, Build- to- Order, and Mass Customization .............................................153
4.5 Portfolio Planning for Lean, Build- to- Order, and Mass Customization .................................................... 154
4.6 Designing Products for Lean, Build- to- Order, and Mass Customization ............................................ 154
4.6.1 Designing around Standard Parts .................155
4.6.2 Designing to Reduce Raw Material Variety ...156
4.6.3 Designing around Readily Available
Parts and Materials .........................................156
4.6.4 Designing for No Setup ..................................157
4.6.5 Parametric CAD ..............................................158
4.6.6 Designing for CNC ..........................................159
4.6.7 Grouping Parts .................................................159
4.6.8 Understanding CNC .......................................159
4.6.9 Eliminating CNC setup ..................................160
4.6.10 Developing Synergistic Families of Products ............................................................160
4.6.11 Strategy for Designing Product Families .....161
4.6.12 Designing Products in Synergistic Product Families ..............................................161
4.7 Modular Design ............................................................163
4.7.1 Pros and Cons of Modular Design ................163
4.7.2 Modular Design Principles ............................165
4.8 Offshoring and Manufacturability .............................166
4.8.1 Offshoring’s Effect on Product Development ....................................................166
4.8.2 Offshoring’s Effect on Lean Production and Quality .......................................................167
4.8.3 Offshoring Decisions.......................................167
4.8.4 Bottom Line on Offshoring ............................168
4.9 The Value of Lean Build- to- Order and Mass Customization ...............................................................169
4.9.1 Cost Advantages of BTO&MC ......................170
4.9.2 Responsive Advantages of BTO&MC ...........171
4.9.3 Customer Satisfaction from BTO&MC ........172
4.9.4 Competitive Advantages of BTO&MC .........173
4.9.5 Bottom Line Advantages of BTO&MC ........174
Notes ..........................................................................................174

Chapter 5

Standardization .............................................................. 177
5.1 Part Proliferation ..........................................................179
5.2 The Cost of Part Proliferation .....................................179
5.3 Why Part Proliferation Happens ................................180
5.4 Results of Part Proliferation ........................................183
5.5 Part Standardization Strategy .....................................183
5.5.1 New Products ...................................................183
5.5.2 Existing Products ............................................184
5.6 Early Standardization Steps ........................................184
5.6.1 List Existing Parts ...........................................184
5.6.2 Clean Up Database Nomenclature ................185
5.6.3 Eliminate Approved but Unused Parts.........185
5.6.4 Eliminate Parts Not Used Recently ..............185
5.6.5 Eliminate Duplicate Parts ..............................185
5.6.6 Prioritize Opportunities .................................186
5.7 Zero- Based Approach ..................................................187
5.8 Standard Part List Generation ....................................188
5.9 Part Standardization Results ......................................193
5.10 Raw Materials Standardization ..................................194
5.11 Standardization of Expensive Parts ...........................197
5.12 Consolidation of Inflexible Parts ................................199
5.12.1 Custom Silicon Consolidation .......................201
5.12.2 VLSI/ ASIC Consolidation ..............................201
5.12.3 Consolidated Power Supply at Hewlett- Packard ............................................. 203
5.13 Tool Standardization ................................................... 203
5.14 Feature Standardization ............................................. 204
5.15 Process Standardization ............................................. 205
5.16 Encouraging Standardization .................................... 205
5.17 Reusing Designs, Parts, and Modules ...................... 208
5.17.1 Obstacles to Reusable Engineering .............. 209
5.17.2 Reuse Studies ................................................... 209
5.18 Off- the- Shelf Parts ........................................................210
5.18.1 Optimizing the Utilization of Off- the- Shelf Parts .........................................................210
5.18.2 When to Use Off- the- Shelf Parts...................211
5.18.3 Finding Off- the- Shelf Parts ............................212
5.19 New Role of Procurement ............................................213
5.19.1 How to Search for Off- the- Shelf Parts ..........213
5.19.2 Maximizing Availability and Minimizing Lead Times .................................215
5.20 Standardization Implementation ...............................216
Notes ..........................................................................................218

Chapter 6

Minimizing Total Cost by Design ................................. 221
6.1 How Not to Lower Cost .............................................. 222
6.1.1 Why Cost Is Hard to Remove after Design ... 222
6.1.2 Cost- Cutting Doesn’t Work .......................... 224
6.2 Cost Measurements ..................................................... 224
6.2.1 Usual Definition of Cost ................................ 224
6.2.2 Selling Price Breakdown ................................ 225
6.2.3 Selling Price Breakdown for an Outsourced Company .................................... 226
6.2.4 Overhead Cost Minimization Strategy ....... 227
6.3 Strategy to Cut Total Cost in Half ............................. 228
6.4 Minimizing Cost through Design ............................. 229
6.5 Minimizing Overhead Costs ...................................... 230
6.6 Minimizing Product Development Expenses ...........231
6.6.1 Product Portfolio Planning ............................231
6.6.2 Multifunctional Design Teams ......................231
6.6.3 Methodical Product Definition .....................232
6.6.4 Total Cost Decision Making ..........................232
6.6.5 Design Efficiency .............................................232
6.6.6 Off- the- Shelf Parts ...........................................233
6.6.7 Product Life Extensions ..................................233
6.6.8 Debugging Costs..............................................233
6.6.9 Test Cost............................................................233
6.6.10 Product Development Expenses ................... 234
6.6.11 More Efficient Development Costs Less ...... 234
6.6.12 Product Development Risk ........................... 234
6.7 Cost Savings of Off- the- Shelf Parts ........................... 234
6.8 Minimizing Engineering Change Order Costs ........235
6.9 Minimizing Cost of Quality........................................235
6.10 Rational Selection of Lowest Cost Supplier ..............237
6.11 Low Bidding ................................................................. 238
6.11.1 Cost Reduction Illusion ..................................239
6.11.2 Cost of Bidding ............................................... 240
6.11.3 Pressuring Suppliers for Lower Cost ............241
6.11.4 The Value of Relationships for Cost Reduction ......................................................... 242
6.11.5 Cheap Parts: Save Now, Pay Later ................ 243
6.11.6 Reduce Total Cost Instead of Focusing on Cheap Parts ................................................ 244
6.11.7 Value of High- Quality Parts ......................... 244
6.12 Maximizing Factory Efficiency .................................. 245
6.13 Lowering Overhead Costs with Flexibility .............. 245
6.14 Minimizing Customization/ Configuration Costs .. 246
6.15 Minimizing the Cost of Variety ................................ 247
6.15.1 Work- in- Process Inventory ........................... 247
6.15.2 Floor Space ...................................................... 248
6.15.3 Internal Logistics ............................................ 248
6.15.4 Utilization ........................................................ 248
6.15.5 Setup Costs ...................................................... 249
6.15.6 Flexibility ......................................................... 249
6.15.7 Kitting Costs ................................................... 250
6.16 Minimizing Materials Management Costs .............. 250
6.17 Minimizing Marketing Costs .................................... 250
6.18 Minimizing Sales/ Distribution Costs ........................251
6.19 Minimizing Supply Chain Costs ................................251
6.20 Minimizing Life Cycle Costs ......................................251
6.20.1 Reliability Costs ...............................................252
6.20.2 Field Logistics Costs ........................................252
6.21 Saving Cost with Build- to- Order ...............................252
6.21.1 Factory Finished Goods Inventory ...............252
6.21.2 Dealer Finished Goods Inventory .................253
6.21.3 Supply Chain Inventory ..................................253
6.21.4 Interest Expense .............................................. 254
6.21.5 Write- Offs ........................................................ 254
6.21.6 New Technology Introduction...................... 254
6.21.7 MRP Expenses ................................................ 254
6.22 Effect of Counterproductive Cost Reduction .......... 254
Notes .........................................................................................255

Chapter 7

Total Cost ........................................................................ 259
7.1 Value of Total Cost ...................................................... 260
7.1.1 Value of Prioritization and Portfolio Planning ........................................................... 260
7.1.2 Value of Product Development ......................261
7.1.3 Value of Resource Availability and Efficiency ...........................................................261
7.1.4 Value of Knowing the Real Profitability ......261
7.1.5 Value of Quantifying All Overhead Costs ... 262
7.1.6 Value of Supply Chain Management ........... 262
7.2 Quantifying Overhead Costs ..................................... 262
7.2.1 Distortions in Product Costing .................... 263
7.2.2 Cross- Subsidies ............................................... 263
7.2.3 Relevant Decision Making ............................ 264
7.2.4 Cost Management........................................... 265
7.2.5 Downward Spirals .......................................... 265
7.3 Resistance to Total Cost Accounting ........................ 266
7.4 Total Cost Thinking .................................................... 266
7.5 Implementing Total Cost Accounting ...................... 268
7.6 Cost Drivers .................................................................. 269
7.6.1 Tektronix Portable Instruments Division ....270
7.6.2 HP Roseville Network Division (RND) .......271
7.6.3 HP Boise Surface Mount Center ...................271
7.7 Tracking Product Development Expenses ................272
7.8 “abc”: The Low- Hanging- Fruit Approach .................273
7.8.1 Estimates ...........................................................274
7.8.2 Implementing “abc” ........................................274
7.9 Implementation Efforts ................................................275
7.10 Typical Results of Total Cost Implementations ........276
Notes ........................................................................................ 277

Chapter 8

DFM Guidelines For Product Design ........................... 281
8.1 Design for Assembly .....................................................281
8.1.1 Combining Parts ............................................ 282
8.2 Assembly Design Guidelines...................................... 283
8.3 Fastening Guidelines ................................................... 288
8.4 Assembly Motion Guidelines ..................................... 290
8.5 Test Stragedy and Guidelines ..................................... 292
8.6 Testing in Quality versus Building in Quality ........ 294
8.6.1 Testing in Quality with Diagnostic Tests .... 294
8.6.2 Building in Quality to Eliminate
Diagnostic Tests ...............................................295
8.7 Design for Repair and Maintenance ..........................295
8.8 Repair Design Guidelines ............................................295
8.9 Design for Service and Repair ................................... 299
8.10 Maintenance ..................................................................301
8.11 Maintenance Measurements .......................................301
8.11.1 Mean Time to Repair ......................................301
8.11.2 Availability ...................................................... 302
8.12 Designing for Maintenance Guidelines .................... 302
Notes ........................................................................................ 304

Chapter 9 DFM Guidelines for Part Design .................................. 305
9.1 Part Design Guidelines ............................................... 306
9.2 DFM for Fabricated Parts ........................................... 309
9.3 DFM for Castings and Molded Parts .........................315
9.3.1 DFM Strategies for Castings ..........................315
9.3.2 DFM Strategies for Plastics ............................316
9.4 DFM for Sheet Metal ....................................................317
9.5 DFM for Welding ..........................................................319
9.5.1 Understanding Limitations and Complications ..................................................319
9.5.2 Optimize Weldment Strategy for Manufacturability .......................................... 320
9.5.3 Adhere to Design Guidelines ........................ 320
9.5.4 Work with Vendors/ Partners ........................ 320
9.5.5 Print 3D Models ...............................................321
9.5.6 Learn How to Weld .........................................321
9.5.7 Minimize Skill Demands ...............................321
9.5.8 Thoroughly Explore Non- Welding Alternatives ......................................................321
9.6 DFM for Large Parts.....................................................321
9.6.1 The Main Problem with Large Parts .............321
9.6.2 Other Costs ......................................................322
9.6.3 Residual Stresses ..............................................322
9.6.4 Loss of Strength ...............................................322
9.6.5 Strategy .............................................................323
9.6.6 Approach ..........................................................323
9.6.7 Procedure ..........................................................323
9.6.8 Results .............................................................. 324
Notes ..........................................................................................325

Chapter 10

Design for Quality .......................................................... 329
10.1 Quality Design Guidelines ..........................................330
10.2 Tolerances ......................................................................334
10.2.1 Excessively Tight Tolerances ..........................334
10.2.2 Worst- Case Tolerancing .................................335
10.2.3 Tolerance Strategy ...........................................335
10.2.4 Block Tolerances ..............................................336
10.2.5 Taguchi Method™ for Robust Design .........336
10.3 Cumulative Effects on Product Quality ....................337
10.3.1 Example ............................................................338
10.3.2 Effect of Part Count and Quality on Product Quality ...............................................339
10.3.3 Predictive Quality Model .............................. 340
10.3.4 Quality Strategies for Products..................... 340
10.4 Reliability Design Guidelines .................................... 341
10.5 Measurement of Reliability ........................................ 344
10.6 Reliability Phases ......................................................... 345
10.6.1 Infant Mortality Phase ................................... 345
10.6.2 Wearout Phase ................................................ 346
10.7 Poka- Yoke (Mistake- Proofing) .................................. 346
10.8 Poka- Yoke Principles ................................................... 347
10.8.1 How to Ensure Poka-Yoke by Design .......... 347
10.8.2 Solutions to Error Prevention after Design ... 349
10.9 Strategy to Design in Quality .................................... 349
10.10 Customer Satisfaction ..................................................351
Notes ..........................................................................................351

Chapter 11

Implementing DFM ........................................................ 355
11.1 Change .......................................................................... 356
11.1.1 Change at Leading Companies ......................359
11.2 Preliminary Investigations ......................................... 360
11.2.1 Conduct Surveys ............................................. 360
11.2.2 Estimate Improvements from DFM ..............361
11.2.3 Get Management Buy- In ............................... 362
11.3 DFM Training .............................................................. 362
11.3.1 Need for DFM Training ................................. 362
11.3.2 Don’t Do DFM Training “On the Cheap” ... 363
11.3.3 Customize Training to Products .................. 363
11.3.4 Trainer Qualifications .................................... 364
11.3.5 DFM Training Agenda .................................. 364
11.3.6 “What Happens Next?” .................................. 366
11.3.7 Training Attendance ...................................... 367
11.4 DFM Task Force ........................................................... 368
11.5 Stop Counterproductive Policies ............................... 369
11.6 Company Implementation ..........................................371
11.6.1 Optimize NPD Teams .....................................371
11.6.2 Optimize NPD Infrastructure .......................372
11.6.3 Incorporating DFM into the NPD Process ...373
11.7 Team Implementation ..................................................374
11.7.1 Importance for Challenging Projects ...........375
11.7.2 Microclimates ..................................................375
11.7.3 Ensuring Success for the First Team Concurrent Engineering Project ...................375
11.8 Individual Implementation .........................................376
11.9 DFM for Students and Job Seekers .............................378
11.10 Key DFM Tasks, Results, and Tools .......................... 380
11.11 Conclusion .................................................................... 380
Notes ......................................................................................... 382

Appendix A:

Product Line Rationalization ...................................... 385
A.1 Pareto’s Law for Product Lines .................................. 385
A.1.1 Focus ................................................................ 386
A.1.2 Competitive Challenges without Rationalizing ................................................... 386
A.2 How Rationalization Can Triple Profits! .................. 387
A.3 Cost Savings from Rationalization............................ 390
A.3.1 Short- Term Cash Savings .............................. 390
A.3.2 Investments ..................................................... 390
A.4 Shifting Focus to the Most Profitable Products ........391
A.5 Rationalization Strategies ............................................393
A.5.1 What Is More Important: Volume or Profit? ................................................................393
A.5.2 Profitable Growth ........................................... 394
A.5.3 Rationalization Prerequisite—Eliminating Duplicate Products ......................................... 394
A.6 The Rationalization Procedure .................................. 394
A.7 Total Cost Implications ............................................... 396
A.7.1 Margin Trap .................................................... 397
A.7.2 Seldom- Built Products ................................... 397
A.7.3 Obsolescence Costs ........................................ 397
A.8 Overcoming Inhibitions, Fears, and Resistance ...... 398
A.8.1 Competitive Scenarios ................................... 400
A.8.2 Role Playing ......................................................401
A.8.3 Rationalization Synergy with Other Improvement Programs ................................. 402
A.9 Implementation and Corporate Strategy ................. 402
A.9.1 Approach for Mass Production .................... 402
A.9.2 Approach for Mass Customization and Build- to- Order ................................................ 403
A.9.3 Implementation Steps .................................... 403
A.10 How Rationalization Improves Quality ................... 406
A.11 Value of Rationalization ............................................. 406
Notes ......................................................................................... 408

Appendix B:

Summary of Guidelines................................................ 411
B.1 Assembly Guidelines from Chapter 8 ........................411
B.2 Fastening Guidelines from Chapter 8 ........................411
B.3 Assembly Motion Guidelines from Chapter 8 ..........412
B.4 Test Guidelines from Chapter 8 ..................................412
B.5 Repair Guidelines from Chapter 8 .............................413
B.6 Maintenance Guidelines from Chapter 8 ..................413
B.7 Part Design Guidelines from Chapter 9 ....................414
B.8 DFM for Fabricated Parts from Chapter 9 ................414
B.9 DFM Strategies for Castings from Chapter 9 ...........415
B.10 DFM Strategies for Plastics from Chapter 9 .............415
B.11 DFM for Sheet Metal from Chapter 9 ........................416
B.12 Quality Guidelines from Chapter 10 .........................416
B.13 Reliability Guidelines from Chapter 10 .....................416

Appendix C: Feedback Forms ............................................................ 419

Appendix D: Resources ...................................................................... 425

D.1 Books Cited ................................................................... 425
D.2 Companion Book for Matching Improvements in Operations ................................................................ 425
D.2.1 Book Description ............................................ 425
D.2.2 Which Companies Need This ....................... 426
D.3 Websites ........................................................................ 427
D.4 DFM Seminar ............................................................... 428
D.5 Seminar on BTO & Mass Customization ................. 429
D.6 Workshops Facilitated by Dr. Anderson .................. 430
D.6.1 Product- Specific Workshop .......................... 430
D.6.2 Commercialization Workshop ..................... 430
D.6.3 DFM Replacements of Large Weldments and Castings .................................................... 430
D.6.4 Standardization Workshop ........................... 430
D.6.5 Product Line Rationalization Workshop .....431
D.7 Design Studies and Consulting ..................................431
D.7.1 Half- Cost Design Studies ...............................431
D.7.2 Design Studies on Mechanisms .....................431
D.7.3 Design Studies on Large Part Conversions ..................................................... 432
D.7.4 Consulting ....................................................... 432

This book shows companies how to design products that are manufacturable the first time and enables companies to quickly develop low- cost, high- quality products that satisfy customer needs by design.

It might seem obvious enough to ask: why would anyone do otherwise? Many companies think that because elements of the opening sentence are in the corporate goals and mission statements, this will automatically happen by decree. Therefore, why would any company need a book on design for manufacturability? Unfortunately, there are many reasons why products are not automatically designed for manufacturability.

Engineers are generally not taught DFM (design for manufacturability) or concurrent engineering in college. The focus is usually on designing for functionality. Further, they are typically trained to design parts, not products or systems. Many design courses don't even talk about how the parts are to be manufactured. And engineering students rarely follow their designs to completion to obtain feedback on their manufacturability.

Similarly, powerful computer- aided design (CAD) tools help engineers design parts, not products. Sure, CAD tools can assemble parts into products for analysis, but that does not generate the most creative product design, the simplest concepts, or the most optimized product architecture. Because engineering training and tools are more adept at part design, engineers and managers tend to skip the critical concept/ architecture phase and “get right to work” designing parts. This behavior is reinforced by far too many managers, who want to see “visible progress,” which may mean a quickly constructed breadboard which, after it “works,” is drawn up and sent into production.

Product development management usually stresses schedule and cost, which, if not measured right, may further reinforce all the above suboptimal behavior. Pressuring engineers to complete tasks on schedule is really telling them to just throw it over the wall on time. In reality, the most important measure of schedule is the time at which the product has ramped up to stable production and is satisfying all the customers who want to buy it.

Similarly, cost metrics usually emphasize just part cost, assembly cost, and development budget, which are usually a small percentage of the only cost metric that matters—the selling price. Overemphasizing only these costs, just because they are the only ones measured, encourages engineers to specify cheap parts, cut corners, omit features, move assembly to low- labor- rate countries, and perform other shortsighted actions that make the product less desirable and ultimately more expensive on a total cost basis.

In addition, too often engineering education and computer tools emphasize individual efforts instead of teamwork. Further, college deadlines may be loose and, if not, the traditional college all- nighter might just compensate for procrastination. Traditional homework assignments issue all the data needed—not too much, not too little—and there is a single answer. Often, students don't even have to get the answer right, as long as they have the right approach. However, real life adds many constraints beyond functionality, such as cost, quality, and time to market. And the designers have to do all of this quickly and efficiently. Further, the designs have to be manufacturable. Very few individuals, especially right out of college, have enough experience to pull this off alone.

Fortunately, companies can compensate with multifunctional teams that have enough specialties to successfully address all the goals and constraints. Teamwork may never have been taught to or practiced by many engineers or managers, but their companies need multifunctional teams that can work together to design products for manufacturability.

One goal of this book is to present many improvements to current engineering practices, education, tools, and management. It shows the importance of thoroughly optimizing the concept/ architecture phase, designing products as systems—not just collections of parts—and how multifunctional teams can accomplish this quickly. This book contains more than a hundred design guidelines to help development teams design manufacturable products. It shows how to design for Lean Production and build- to- order and to design in quality and reliability. The book has a big picture perspective that emphasizes designing for the lowest total cost and time to production when volume, quality, and productivity targets have been reached.

If engineers practice the principles of this book, they will be able to spend a higher proportion of their time doing fun, productive design work and less on change orders and firefighting.