Product design for manual assembly

DFA tool: To reduce manufacturing and assembly costs.

Effectively analyses the ease of assembly, Quick results simple and
easy to use.
Free association of ideas, comparison of alternative designs,
identification of assembly problem areas, evaluation of solutions
logically,

Ideas, reasoning and decisions made during the design process

become useful for future reference.

Database for assembly times and cost factors for various design
situations and production conditions.

The ease of assembly depends on manual or general purpose

automation or special purpose automation.
Manual assembly: Handling, insertion and fastening

Guide lines for part handling:

Design parts with end to end symmetry and rotational

symmetry about the axis of insertion
Provide features that will prevent jamming of parts stacked in
bulk
Avoid features that allow tangling of parts

Guide lines for part insertion and fastening:

Provide chamfers to guide insertion of two mating parts

Generous clearance should be provided
Where ever possible avoid holding down of parts
Use pyramid assembly, progressive
Manual insertion and fastening consist of a finite variety of basic
assembly tasks.
Peg in hole, screw, weld, rivet, press fit.

Factors effecting handling times.

Part symmetry, Part thickness and size, Part weight
Parts requiring two hands: Heavy, Very precise, large, flexible, part
does not posses holding features
Combination of factors
Parts that severely nestle or tangle: Small, vision obscured, high
temp.
Chamfer on insertion operations: peg into a hole, part with a hole
onto peg.
Chamfer on peg is better, curved chamfers are better.
Insertion time depends on length, diameter ,chamfer and clearance.
Avoid jams and disc assembly problems: length and clearance
Holding down time: clearance, grip size and insertion length
 Further Design guidelines
Avoid connections
Design so that access for assembly operations is not
restricted.
Avoid adjustments
Use kinematic design principles

Design parts to prevent nesting. Nesting is when parts that are

tacked on top of one another clamp to one another, for example,
cups and coffee lids.
Design parts with orienting features to make alignment easier.
To determine whether it is possible to combine neighboring parts:
•Must the parts move relative to each other?
•Must the parts be electrically or thermally insulated?
•Must the parts be made of different material?
•Does combing the parts interfere with assembly of other parts?
•Will servicing be adversely affected?
If the answer to all questions is “NO”, you should find a way to
combine the parts.
During the assembly of the product, generally a part is required only
when;
1.A kinematic motion of the part is required.
2.A different material is required.
3.Assembly of other parts would otherwise be prevented.
If non of these statements are true, then the parts do not need to
be separate entities and may be combined.
 Design for Assembly Principles
• Minimize part count
• Design parts with self-locating features
• Design parts with self-fastening features
• Minimize reorientation of parts during assembly
• Design parts for retrieval, handling, & insertion
• Emphasize ‘Top-Down’ assemblies
• Standardize parts…minimum use of fasteners.
• Encourage modular design
• Design for a base part to locate other components
• Design for component symmetry for insertion
 DFA Process
Step 1 Product Information: functional requirements
Functional analysis
Identify parts that can be standardized
Determine part count efficiencies
Step 2 Determine your practical part count

Step 3 Identify quality (mistake proofing) opportunities

Step 4 Identify handling (grasp & orientation) opportunities

Step 5 Identify insertion (locate & secure) opportunities

Step 6 Identify opportunities to reduce secondary operations

Step 7 Analyze data for new design

Benchmark when possible

DFA Analysis Worksheet
 Step One

Product Information: functional requirements

Functional analysis
Identify parts that can be standardized
Determine part count efficiencies
 Considerations/Assumptions
• The first part is essential (base part)

• Non-essential parts:
– Fasteners
– Spacers, washers, O-rings
– Connectors, leads

• Do not include liquids as parts

(e.g.. glue, gasket sealant,)
 Part Identification
• List parts in the order
of assembly
• Assign/record part
number
So take it apart!
 Count Parts and Interfaces
• List number of parts
(Np)
• List number of
interfaces (Ni)
 Determine if Parts Can be Standardized

• Can the current parts

be standardized?:
• Should they be?
• (Only put a “Y” if
both answers are
yes…)
 Theoretical Part Count Efficiency
Theoretical Part
Count Efficiency
=

Theoretical Min. No. Parts

Total Number of Parts * 100

Theoretical Part 1
Count Efficiency 10 = * 100

Theoretical Part
Count Efficiency = 10%

Rule of Thumb – Part Goal

Count Efficiency Goal >
60%
DFA Complexity Factor – Definition
• Assessing complexity of a product design
• Two Factors
• Np – Number of parts
• Ni – Number of part-to-part interfaces

– Multiply the two and take the square root of the

total S Np x S Ni

– This is known as the DFA Complexity Factor

 DFA Complexity Factor – Target
Part 3 DCF = S Np x S Ni
Part 2

DCFt = S Npt x S Nit

Part 1
Part 4
DCFt = 5 x 8 = 6.32
Part 5

• Smaller is better (Minimize Np and Ni)

• Let Npt = Theoretical Minimum Number of parts
– from the Functional Analysis
– Npt = 5
• Let Nit = Theoretical minimum number of part to part interfaces
– Nit = 2(Npt-1)
– Nit = 2(5-1) = 8
 Determine Relative Part Cost Levels
• Subjective estimate only
• Low/Medium/High
relative to other parts
in the assembly and/or
product line
 Cost Breakdown
• Media paper 21.4%
• Centertube 3.6%
• Endplates (2) 3.0%
• Plastisol 2.6%
• Inner Seal 4.0%
• Spring 0.9%
• Shell 31.4%
• Nutplate 21.0%
• Retainer 4.8%
• Loctite 0.3%
• End Seal 7.0%
 Step Two

Determine Practical Minimum Part Count

 Determine Practical Minimum Part Count

• Team assessment of
practical changes
• Tradeoffs between part
cost and assembly cost
 Idea Classification
Implementation
Long
Term

Medium
Term

Short
Term

Low Medium High

Risk
 Fastener Cost

• Select the screwing

most
inexpensive
riveting
fastening
method
required plastic bending

snap fit
General Design Principles
Self-fastening features
 General Design Principles
Symmetry eliminates reorientation

Asymmetric Part Symmetry of a part

makes assembly easier
 Step
Three

Identify quality (mistake proofing) opportunities

 Mistake Proofing Issues

• Cannot assemble wrong

part
• Cannot omit part
• Cannot assemble part
wrong way around.

symmetrical parts

asymmetrical parts
 Step Four

Identify handling (grasp and orientation) opportunities

 Quantitative criteria

• Handling Time: based on assembly process and

complexity of parts
– How many hands are required?
– Is any grasping assistance needed?
– What is the effect of part symmetry on assembly?
– Is the part easy to align/position?
 Handling Difficulty
• Size
• Thickness
• Weight
• Fragility
• Flexibility
• Slipperiness
• Stickiness
• Necessity for using 1) two hands, 2) optical
magnification or 3) mechanical assistance
 Handling Difficulty

size slipperiness

sharpness flexibility
Eliminate Tangling/Nesting
 Step Five

Identify insertion (locate & secure) opportunities

 Quantitative criteria
• Insertion time: based on difficulty required for
each component insertion
– Is the part secured immediately upon insertion?
– Is it necessary to hold down part to maintain location?
– What type of fastening process is used? (mechanical,
thermal, other?)
– Is the part easy to align/position?
 Insertion Issues
• Provide self-aligning and self locating parts
 Insertion Issues
• Ensure parts do not need to be held in position
 Insertion Issues
• Parts are easy to insert.
• Provide adequate access and visibility
 Insertion Issues
• Provide adequate access and visibility
 Step Six

Identify opportunities to reduce secondary operations

 Eliminate Secondary Operations
• Re-orientation (assemble in Z axis)
• Screwing, drilling, twisting, riveting, bending,
crimping.

Rivet
 Eliminate Secondary Operations

• Welding, soldering, gluing.

• Painting, lubricating, applying liquid or gas.
• Testing, measuring, adjusting.
 Assembly Metrics

Error = Sum all Y’s in Error Columns

Proofing Theoretical Min. No. Parts

Handling = Sum all Y’s in Handling Columns

Index Theoretical Min. No. Parts

Insertion = Sum all Y’s in Insertion Columns

Index Theoretical Min. No. Parts

2nd Op. = Sum all Y’s in 2nd Op. Columns

Index Theoretical Min. No. Parts
 Analyze All Metrics
First consider:
Reduce part count and type Part Count Efficiency
and DFA Complexity Factor

Then think about:

Error Proofing Error Index
Then think about:
Ease of handling Handling Index
Ease of insertion Insertion Index
Eliminate secondary ops. 2nd Op. Index

Set Target Values for These Measures

 Step
Seven

Analyze data for new design

Minimize part count by incorporating multiple functions into single
parts. Several parts could be fabricated by using different
manufacturing processes (sheet metal forming, injection molding).
Modularize multiple parts into single sub-assemblies.
Design to allow assembly in open spaces, not confined spaces
Do not bury important components
Parts should easily indicate orientation for insertion.
Parts should have self-locking features so that the precise alignment
during assembly is not required, or provide marks (indentation) to
make orientation easier.
Standardize parts to reduce variety.
Design parts so they do not tangle or stick to each other.
Distinguish different parts that are shaped similarly, or hard to
distinguish, by non-geometric means, such as color coding
Provide alignment features on the assembly so parts are easily
oriented.
 Design the mating parts for easy insertion.
Provide allowance on each part to compensate for variation in
part dimensions.

Case 1

Case 2
Design the first part large and wide to be stable and then
assemble the smaller parts on top of it sequentially.

Case1

Case 2
If you cannot assemble parts from the top down exclusively, then
minimize the number of insertion direction.
Never require the assembly to be turned over.

Case 1

Case 2
Joining parts can be done with fasteners (screws, nuts and bolts,
rivets), snap fits, welds or adhesives .