Manufacturability

• Manufacturability of a product or system indicates the ease with which it can be manufactured reproducibly.
• Basic properties influencing manufacturability
Ø Strength → how much load can be sustained
Ø Hardness → resistance to scratching
Ø Toughness → absorbed energy until fracture
Ø Resilience → absorbed (elastic) energy until yield point
Ø Viscosity → Resistance offered by the fluid during flow
Ø Viscoelasticity → when a material has both viscous and
elastic components
Ø Oxidation → tendency for forming oxides
Ø Others: melting point, crystallinity, flammability etc.

Indentation tests
for hardness
 Strength vs Toughness

Strength vs
toughness

Service temperature of various materials

 Materials vs. Manufacturing Processes

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Sand casting
Die casting
Investment casting
Low-pressure casting
Forging
Extrusion
Sheet forming
Powder methods
Electro-machining
Shaping Conventional machining
Injection molding
Blow molding
Compression molding
Rotational molding
Thermo-forming
Polymer-casting
Resin transfer molding
Filament winding
Lay-up methods
Vacuum bag

Adhesives
Joining Welding (metals)
Joining (polymers)
Fasteners

Precision machining
Finishing Grinding
Lapping
Polishing
Metal Ceramic Polymer Foam Composite
 Shape of Component vs. Manufacturing Processes

Sand casting
Die casting
Investment casting
Metal shaping Low-pressure casting
Forging
Extrusion
Sheet forming
Ceramic Powder methods
shaping Electro-machining
Conventional machining
Injection molding
Blow molding
Polymer shaping Compression molding
Rotational molding
Thermo-forming
Polymer-casting
Resin transfer molding
Composite Filament winding
shaping Lay-up methods
Vacuum bag

Metal Ceramic Polymer Composite

 Design for Manufacturability
• Design for manufacturability: Design optimization to improve manufacturability (thus reduce cost)
• Five principles of DFM
• Process: Selecting the right manufacturing process (e.g. casting or forging? Which one is more cost effective for
the given part size/ material?
• Design: After deciding on the manufacturing process, design of the part is optimized. Some important features: Freestanding parts

uniform wall thickness, good transition from thick to thin parts, smooth surfaces (or rough, if needed), design
feasibility with the given process (e.g. no freestanding structures in the case of casting) Twisted
parts
• Material: Selecting the right material among available choices (keeping cost and manufacturing compatibility in
mind). E.g, if 2 alloys have similar properties/ cost, their weight and durability can be considered.
• Operating conditions: Material may have high melting point but only in inert environments. Decide the material
according to the operating environment.

• Compliance: Compliance with manufacturing tolerances, other quality norms (e.g six sigma)
• Generally followed practices for a good DFM:
• Reducing the number of parts in a product, use standardize parts, leave room for easy
future modifications, create an optimum assembly line, minimize re-orientation of parts
during manufacturing, etc.