Design for Manufacturability

With so many high volume, low cost producers to choose from, picking the right metal stamping company for your next project can be difficult. Many metal stamping companies produce parts meeting ISO 9001 quality standards and offer a wide range of presses and secondary operations. At Talan Products, we differentiate ourselves from our competitors by taking our commitment to customers a step further and assist them in Design for Manufacturability (DFM).

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) describes the process of designing or engineering a part in order to optimize the production process and reduce manufacturing costs. DFM allows potential problems to be fixed in the design phase, which is the least expensive place to address them. The design of your part can have an enormous effect on the cost of manufacturing. In fact, decisions made in the design phase can account for up to 70% of the final cost of a part. Other factors that may affect the manufacturability of stamped metal parts include raw material selections, dimensional tolerances, and secondary processing such as finishing.

DFM may start with the use of design tools such as computer aided design (CAD) to evaluate design alternatives, but the process is actually much more involved. Design for Manufacturability requires the optimization of a given product design within the production environment, and includes suppliers, material optimization, material handling systems, packaging, manufacturing processes, labor force capabilities and distribution/logistics systems. The end result of DFM is a part that maximizes cost savings while improving quality, safety, time-to-market, and overall customer satisfaction.

In an increasingly competitive landscape where cost is one of the primary factors driving vendor selection, it makes sense to consider Design for Manufacturability. Most customer RFQ’s arrive at Talan products with an attached drawing reflecting basic part geometry. If the customer brings both a drawing and a willingness to explore changes in part design, thickness, manufacturing process, and material selection, then DFM can play a significant role in lowering production costs. Are you ready to learn more about how Design for Manufacturability can lower production costs, shorten product development time, and ensure a smooth transition from design concept to finished part? Submit your drawing using the contact form on the right, and ask how DFM can improve your design concept today!