Common Design for Manufacturing (DfM) Mistakes
When completing the design and development stage of advanced electronic devices, businesses often encounter several Design for Manufacture (DFM) challenges. These challenges arise due to the complex interaction between design, engineering, and manufacturing processes. Here are some common DFM challenges that product companies may face:
Component Selection and Availability
Choosing components that are readily available (or available to suit your go-to-market strategy), cost-effective, and suitable for medium to large scale production can be a challenge. Components with long lead times or limited availability can disrupt production timelines and increase costs.
Solution: Understand suppliers’ components and identify suitable lead times and availability. Maintain a diverse list of approved components to mitigate supply chain risks. Consider second sourcing for critical components and tailor a solution for optimized supply chain.
Complexity of Assembly
Working in an industry where high complexity, high compliance and high reliability is part and parcel with advanced electronics, however, complexity in design can lead to difficulties in assembling and testing the product. Equally, components that are hard to access, intricate layouts, and complex interconnections can hinder efficient manufacturing processes. These issues commonly occur if complexity is handled in a piecemeal fashion.
Solution: Look at complexity in a wholistic way and without compromising functionality. Utilize modular designs that facilitate assembly and disassembly. Employ design reviews and collaboration between design and manufacturing teams to ensure product iterations provide total optimization across design, assembly, test, time-to-market and ultimately price.
Material Compatibility
Ensuring that chosen materials are compatible with the manufacturing processes and assembly techniques is crucial. Incompatible materials can lead to defects, poor quality, and increased manufacturing costs.
Solution: Involve material experts early in the design phase to ensure compatibility with manufacturing processes. Choose materials with a proven track record in similar applications. Test materials under manufacturing conditions to identify any issues.
Thermal Management
Like many challenges in electronics design, managing heat dissipation is crucial, especially in advanced electronic devices with high-performance components. Inadequate thermal design can lead to overheating, reduced performance, and decreased product lifespan.
Solution: Incorporate effective heat sinks, thermal pads, and airflow paths into the design. Perform thermal simulations to identify potential hotspots and optimize cooling solutions. Conduct real-world thermal testing to validate the design’s effectiveness.
Miniaturization
While compact designs are often desired, they can make assembly, testing, and maintenance challenging. Miniaturization can lead to increased difficulty in soldering, handling small components, and troubleshooting.
Solution: Carefully balance miniaturization with manufacturability. Avoid excessive miniaturization that could complicate assembly and handling. Use automated assembly techniques to handle small components.
Tolerances and Variability
Tight tolerances are often necessary for precise functionality, but they can also increase manufacturing complexity and costs. Balancing the need for tight tolerances with the realities of mass production is a challenge.
Solution: Collaborate closely with manufacturing partners to determine achievable tolerances. Use statistical analysis to account for manufacturing variability. Incorporate tolerance stack-up analyses to ensure components fit together as intended.
Testing and Quality Control
Developing effective testing methodologies to ensure product quality is essential. Ensuring that the product can be tested efficiently at various stages of manufacturing without slowing down the process can be complex.
Solution: Implement in-process testing and quality checks at various stages of manufacturing. Develop automated test systems for repetitive and critical tests. Use Design of Experiments (DOE) to identify optimal testing methods.
Scalability
Designs that work well for prototyping might not necessarily scale up smoothly for mass production. Ensuring that the design can be easily scaled while maintaining consistency and quality is a significant challenge.
Solution: Design for scalability from the outset by using standardized components and modular designs. Prototype and test at various scales to identify potential bottlenecks. Engage manufacturing partners early to discuss scaling plans.
Design Changes
Late-stage design changes can disrupt manufacturing plans and increase costs. Balancing the need for iterative design improvements with the imperative of keeping production on track is challenging.
Solution: Implement a structured change management process. Conduct thorough design reviews before finalizing the design to minimize the need for changes later. Clearly define and communicate the impact of design changes on manufacturing.
Regulatory Compliance
Meeting regulatory standards and certifications is essential for many electronic devices. Ensuring that the design aligns with these requirements from the outset can prevent costly redesigns and delays.
Solution: Stay informed about relevant regulations and standards from the beginning of the design process. Work with design and manufacturers who are regulatory experts to ensure compliance at each stage. Incorporate design features that facilitate testing and certification.
Supply Chain Management
Coordinating with suppliers and managing the supply chain effectively is critical. Disruptions in the supply chain can lead to delays and increased costs.
Solution: Develop strong relationships with suppliers and maintain open communication. Diversify your supplier base to mitigate risks. Implement contingency plans for potential supply chain disruptions.
Cost Optimization
Balancing performance, features, and cost can be difficult. Striking the right balance between delivering a high-quality product and keeping manufacturing costs in check is an ongoing challenge.
Solution: Conduct thorough cost analyses during the design phase. Identify areas where cost savings can be achieved without compromising quality. Explore alternative materials and manufacturing processes that offer cost advantages.
Successfully addressing these DFM challenges requires a collaborative approach between corporate, design, engineering, and manufacturing teams. Whether managing some of these challenges internally or when engaging third parties, effective communication, careful planning, thorough prototyping, and continuous iteration are key strategies to overcome these obstacles and ensure a smooth transition from design to production.
Get in touch
Combining the latest engineering and manufacturing methodologies with over 30 years’ experience, Synergetics can help your business design and produce electronic products that are produced efficiently and perform reliably.
If you’d like to discuss your current product strategy and how DFM can improve your time to market, get in touch with us today:
andrea.martin@emsynergetics.com – Director, Business Development
