Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DfMA)
Having first-hand experience of working within a manufacturing environment we understand what needs to be considered during the design, the preparation of manufacturing data packs and transfer of a product to volume manufacture.
We have detailed knowledge of best practice manufacturing process capability and assure that the design is optimised to avoid any unnecessary process steps / operations, set-ups, tooling or inspection stages. We can also help with prototyping, identifying suitable manufacturers for production, sourcing of components and in-coming quality control.
Ideally we seek to engage manufacturing at an early stage in the development process to ensure that all needs are both understood and met, through:
- Maximising usage of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) methodologies to minimize part assembly times/costs
- Identification of process capability strengths and weaknesses
- Consideration to existing preferred parts and customer Approved Vendor Lists
- Requirements with respect to detailed manufacturing / inspection documentation
- Structuring product coding and documentation to suit assembly requirements and sequencing
- assisting with resolving supplier quality issues and providing support to production staff during the New Product Introduction (NPI) process.
Our time spent in the manufacturing sector means that we have a network of Contract Manufacturers, suppliers and service providers that we can recommend if our clients if required.