Design For Manufacturability - Prototype Design
Because Barber-Nichols, Inc. (BNI) is equal part machine shop and equal part engineering firm, Design for Manufacturability (DFM) is more than just a concept; it's a daily reality. BNI has a strong corporate culture of open communication where engineering and manufacturing personnel exchange ideas directly in both formal and informal settings. BNI also incorporates the concepts of Design for Assembly and Design for Cost into its DFM program. Research indicates that 75% of a products cost is established during the design process. BNI utilizes three methods that ensure new products are optimally designed for manufacturability.
First, cross functional design teams play an integral role in the development of new products. These teams will include the client and BNI personnel who specialize in project management, manufacturing, assembly, engineering, sales, and quality control. The cross functional design team's goal is to ensure that:
- Custom Components Can Be Easily Fabricated Using Standard Manufacturing Techniques
- Standard (Off-The-Shelf) Components Are Used Whenever Possible
- The Most Advantageous Tolerances, Materials, & Processes Are Utilized
- The Product is Made From the Least Number of Individual Components
- Multi-Use Components Are Used Whenever Possible
- Designs Are As Simple As Possible
- The Number Of Manufacturing & Assembly Steps Are Held To A Minimum
Second, engineering and project management personnel are encouraged to bring their ideas and questions to the manufacturing floor. A strong corporate culture of open communication allows engineers to seek advice from the specific machinists and assembly personnel who will be building a product. This further decreases the likelihood that difficult-to-machine or difficult-to-assemble designs will be approved for production.
Third, BNI is committed to a continual process of improvement. Since 1966 BNI has conducted project review meetings to analyze empirical data and learn from experience. Individuals involved with project management, engineering, sales, and quality control formally obtain feedback from manufacturing and assembly personnel; computer generated predictions are reconciled against empirical data and test results; and client feedback is analyzed. BNI is acutely aware that a continual process of learning and improvement is one of its greatest strengths.
BNI places a strong emphasis on Design for Manufacturability because designing the cost out of product results in an optimized, lower total cost product that meets the client's requirements and is easier to manufacture. Research indicates that manufacturing cost and time can both be cut significantly and product quality can be optimized when the principals of DFM are effectively utilized for during the prototype development process.
Case Study:
BNI and the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) located at Penn State University are applying Design for Manufacturability principals to the U.S. Navy's Countermeasure Anti-Torpedo (CAT) development project. CAT is a defensive torpedo that will track, actively engage, and disable a threatening torpedo before it can damage or sink a ship. BNI and ARL initially began working together on CAT's advanced propulsion system and gearbox. Shortly thereafter, BNI proposed that the entire torpedo design should be reviewed for manufacturability. Upon approval of this proposal BNI started working with elected officials in Washington D.C. and Congressional Line Items were added to the National Defense Budget to support this effort. The goal is to cut CAT production costs by 20 percent. The U.S. Navy is planning to manufacture CAT for ten years and the additional funds spent on Design for Manufacturability will be fully recouped in the first year.