Do You Want a Faster Market Time? The Benefits of DfX
The synchronization of a product’s design team with its production and supply chain teams is not a high priority in traditional engineering approaches. The DfX approach may bring together a wide range of people, skills, and resources to solve a customer’s design challenge. Before production begins, it is possible to develop a dialogue between the client and design teams. In the early stages of design, it is a process that includes a lot of cooperation between all stakeholders.
Engineers frequently use this phrase to refer to a design aim or target statement. The key to success in the design process is the “x” that is critical. The letter “x” stands for quality, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and assembly.
We can simulate construction, evaluate the footprint, and see what the pieces look like by including DfX as early as feasible in the product development process. Traditional engineering design and design using DfX have substantial differences in their techniques.
Both new and mature goods have the potential to solve an issue at the same time. Right now, there are a few things in the works. In mature goods, defects, new parts, or re-designing a PCB might arise, and DfX can help with these challenges. It collects product feedback from customers.
The following could be included in a template for DfX methods:
- Different phases of a product’s lifecycle are targeted by goal-specific design methods. Product design specs, supply chain, and testability are the areas of focus.
- Lean design processes are used to eliminate waste.
- Problems and needs identified.
- Identifying and analyzing potential solutions
- To make things more efficient and faster
Throughout a product’s life cycle, the DfX team establishes long-term collaborative relationships with customers to ensure that products are produced with high yields and at the lowest possible cost. A talented group of DfX engineers includes test, PCB, and mechanical engineers.
The following are the most often examined and reviewed areas:
- Finishes for PCB Fabrication
- Soldering, before and after assembly review
- Physical test access, coverage analysis
- Component life cycle evaluation, RoHS compliance
- Supplies, assembly, serviceability, and metal fabrication
DfX’s Top Perks
- Cost reductions
- Rapid market entry
- Reduced product risk
- Better quality
- Enhanced testability
- Productivity gains
- Satisfaction boosted (improved delivery)
- Enhanced operational efficiency
DfX – If introduced too late, there may be difficulties.
A design’s ability to be tested effectively may be compromised if it is too far along to make alterations. Product design can be easily improved in the future if the appropriate DfX strategy is taken.
Early Product Design Influence
Product design and production go hand in hand. Early product design can affect the cost, quality, and product development cycle. It creates the largest “value-added” which is why it is important that product cost management begins with the onset of product design.
The four main factors that affect product costs include the following: Design, Material, Labour, and Management. 75% of the cost of a product is actually determined by the first two factors.
The cost of development is only one part of the overall product development costs. The actual cost lies in design, which accounts for just 5% of the overall product development costs.
Product design is what determines 75% of the product cost. In other words, product design is the single most important factor in determining product costs.
Design is 75%, Materials is 15%, Labour is 5% and Management is 5%.
Omitting early DfX reviews can cost your project and organization high costs. Some organizations have experienced a cost-benefit analysis that demonstrates that the benefits of a well-conceived, early review outweigh the cost.
Other hidden costs can include time to market delay, validation testing, re-qualification, management of new builds, and obsolete materials.
Product design plays an integral role in determining the yield, cost, and quality of a product. Defects are a natural part of manufacturing, however, they are most often eliminated before the end product is sold to the customer.
By having a vital component review and other checks in place, we can prevent major delays due to issues in the manufacturing process. In addition, a properly planned and executed critical component review can save time and money.
Application of the DFMA Process Throughout the Product Development Cycle
Design for Manufacture is the most common practice when it comes to design. DFM is the more widely used term among engineers in the field. DfX has come along recently with the rise in testability and testing solutions. Properly planned DFM and assembly enable companies to build quality products in less time with lower production costs.
In the design for manufacturability, questions are raised and issues addressed, so there are no surprises at the end. It could be considered a second design phase for the manufacturers.
DFM compliments DFA (Design for Assembly). The two together allow a product design to be manufactured efficiently as well as easily assembled. A manufacturer can detect flaws and eliminate waste and manufacturing inefficiency within a product design. The methodology allows for new and improved products to be offered in a shorter amount of time.
DFM extends to testability, design for quality, and repairability.
Testability features added to the product design allow you to find faults more quickly. For example, production level tests are valuable and efficient in testing printed circuit boards for resistance, capacitance, and sometimes inductance between two points on the circuit board.
In the design review, physical and electrical testability reviews of CAD and schematics are performed. Recommendations are based on individual board technology.
Quality testing and procedures are essential when choosing a reliable PCB assembly manufacturer for your electronics design.
The Importance Of Designing Your Supply Chain Management In A Manner That Maximizes Efficiency
Designing a product and developing a supply chain at the same time is very different. Careful planning is required for this to be accomplished. If you put more focus on your supply chain earlier, it will save you time later on.
A collaborative effort with supply chain engineers can result in improved product quality and efficiency. This will save you time and money in the long run.
Design for supply chain techniques is the method used to plan for the product’s supply chain before it’s manufactured. This ensures that the product can survive unforeseen circumstances like those that arise after use.
The average company spends 10% of its sales and marketing budgets on innovation. There is a better ratio between 20% and 30%. There are many levels of product integration, and most companies are aware of at least one. Using industry-wide standards can help streamline processes and avoid duplication, which can reduce costs and increase profitability.
Every day, there are new products being designed and new innovations being introduced into the marketplace. Unfortunately, many products aren’t made for the needs of consumers, and many of those available on the market may be overpriced or underperforming.
Long-term plans should be developed for the growth of your business. If you don’t have plans for the future of your company, then it’s likely that you’re leaving opportunities on the table. While you may not be able to change the current climate of your business right now, you can certainly plan for the long term.
Quality Is An Important Element To Keep In Mind When Designing Any Product
One of the essential factors in a product’s success is the design of the product. To put that into perspective, design is responsible for 80 percent of the total cost of a new product.
A product’s level of perfection is measured by its quality. It’s a way to gauge a product’s overall quality, including its performance, dependability, and consistency.
According to the Pareto principle, 80 percent of the effects of an event arise from 20 percent of the causes.
The design process accounts for 80% of product quality issues, while manufacturing and assembly are responsible for the remaining 20%. The design process can be improved by using Design for Quality principles.
Analysis Tools Can Be Used To Improve The Design Of Your Products
It takes a team of designers to create a product that will appeal to the target audience.
Analysis tools can be used to assess and streamline design considerations. In this section, we’ll look at some tools for cutting down on the number of design changes. A printed circuit board analysis can be performed with the help of a meta graphics tool. The complete PCB manufacturing process can be integrated into a single, easy-to-use platform.
Vergent Products provides an added layer of protection for clients that want seamless product transitions. We can now examine and make changes to the data of our customers. In the software, a virtual PCB may be created. Using this technology, we can inspect the components from the manufacturer and identify any potential issues before the assembly process begins.
Analyzed data revealed that the components were too close to the pin. A minimum of 3mm copper-to-copper clearance is required for automated soldering.
Reflow soldering was able to avoid the loss of solder. Plug and capped ports should be taken into consideration by the manufacturer. The plugged vias procedure necessitates the use of a solder mask.
Mask plugging is used in the assembly process to keep solder from escaping from surface mount pads. With the incorporation of DFM into the design phase, it is possible to reduce overall product cost and NPI.
In conclusion
If you want a seamless manufacturing process and a high-quality product, you need to think about all of these factors before you begin production. Early consideration of product requirements can help to keep costs and schedules on track.
When you design for excellence, you can rest assured that your goods will be reliable, tested, and ready for market sooner rather than later, regardless of the unknowns that will always exist. Ultimately, it all comes down to making your customer happy and content.
