Design for Manufacturing and

Assembly (DFMA)
Lecture

Dr Siddharth Suhas Kulkarni CEng MIMechE SFHEA

Assembly Categories
- Manual Assembly
- Automatic Assembly using special purpose
machines
- Automatic assembly using robots
Comparison of Assembly Methods
Issues with assembly

Symmetry
Symmetry - end to end
Rolled thread Chamfer
Insertion
Header point
point point
(after thread
(approximate
rolling, the point
form as
approximates to
rolled)
a chamfer

Dog Cone Oval

point point point
Tangling

Open ended spring Closed ended spring that will

that will tangle tangle only under pressure

Nesting of springs

Increase wire size or

Nesting of springs Open up pitch to
decrease pitch avoid locking angles
Nesting

Increase angle
Add flares or ribs
“Locking”
angle

Decrease angle
Design to facilitate alignment

Modifications can aid alignment of holes when assemble to their mating components
 Retainer
Plate (steel) 2 required Plate (steel)
2 required 2 required

Bearing
Shaft (steel)
Design to
(Nylon)
2 required reduce the
number of
One-piece fan
& shaft
parts
Fan (Nylon
(Nylon)

Old New
(8 Parts) (3 Parts)
11
Functional Analysis

‘A’ Parts – Parts that are essential to the operation of the assembly

‘B’ parts – parts not critical to the product function

Design Efficiency = Number of ‘A’ parts

Total number of parts

To determine ‘A’ or ‘B’ parts

Ask Three questions:-

1. Does this part move relative to all parts that have already
been analysed – does it need to?

2. Is this part made of a different material to all other parts

already analysed – does it need to be?

3. Is this part separate to allow for its in service adjustment

or replacement – does it need to be

If all answers are ‘Yes’ – ‘A’ part (functional

If any answers are ‘No’ – ‘B’ part (non-functional)

Identification of
Functional Parts
Headlamp Trim Assembly
Design for Manual Assembly
1. Eliminate the need for decision making by the assembly worker

2. Ensure accessibility and visibility

3. Eliminate the need for assembly tools

4. Minimise the variety of parts

5. Minimise the number of parts

6. Avoid or minimise reorienting parts during assembly

7. Ensure ease of handling parts from bulk stock

8. Maximise symmetry
Design for Automatic
Assembly

1. Reduce the number of different components

2. Use self aligning and self locking features

3. Avoid fastening by screws

4. Use largest or most rigid part of the assembly as a base

5. Use standard components and materials

6. Eliminate the possibility of tangling or nesting

7. Avoid fragile, flexible or abrasive parts

8. Avoid reorienting the assembly

9. Design for automatic feeding

10. Try to design parts with a low centre of gravity

TABLE 1 : Manual Handling
Analysis

SIZE AND WEIGHT OF PART

- Note ‘A’ rating.

- Proceed to Handling Difficulties table
 Handling Difficulties

- Note ‘B’ rating.

- Proceed to Part Orientation table
 ORIENTATION OF THE PART

END TO END ORIENTATION ALONG THE AXIS OF INSERTION

ROTATIONAL ORIENTATION ALONG THE AXIS OF INSERTION

MECHANICAL FITTING INDEX = A B C D

TABLE 1 : Automatic Feeding Analysis
- General feeding problems
PARTS NOT SUITABLE FOR MECHANCIAL ORIENTATION
(IF MORE THAN ONE PROPERTY IS PRESENT, SELECT THE LARGEST VALUE GIVEN)
 PARTS WHICH MAY BE MECHANCIALLY ORIENTATED

If component has none Add values from this

of the above properties section to those
Go Direct to Table 3 obtained in Table 3
TABLE 3 : Automatic Feeding
Analysis

B END TO END
ORIENTATION External features Internal features only Non-geometric or
End to End Can be fed in a slot
orientation not supported by it’s larger than 0.5mm features too small for
required head mechanical orientation

Key :
L/i slenderness ratio
LT Laser tooling (optical)
MT Mech tooling
C ROTATIONAL/SIDE TO SIDE ORIENTATION

FEEDING INDEX A + B + C
=
TABLE 4 : Gripping
Analysis - GRIPPING PROCESSES
 FITTING PROCESSES

A Part Placing Part Fastening

Process Process

TABLE 5 : Fitting Analysis -

B C

F Is there
D E Resistance to
Insertion?
KEY -
Bracket – manual
No bracket - auto

FITTING INDEX = A + B + C + D + E + F
Non Assembly Process -

NON ASSEMBLY PROCESS

NON-ASSEMBLY INDEX
Key -
Bracket – manual
No bracket - auto
Assembly Analysis

Manual Handling Automatic Feeding

Table 1 Table 2 & Table 3
Handling Ratio = Σ Handling Auto Feeding Ratio = Σ Feeding Scores
Scores Σ ‘A’ Parts
Σ‘A’ Parts
Target <2.5
Target < 2.5

Gripping Analysis
Table 4

Fitting Analysis
Table 5
Fitting Ratio = Σ (Gripping + Fitting + Non Assembly scores)
Σ ‘A’ Parts
Target <2.5
 Which are A parts?
Worked example -
Which are B parts?
What is the design efficiency?
Headlamp trim assembly

1. Does this part move relative to all parts that have already been analysed – does it need to?
2. Is this part made of a different material to all other parts already analysed – does it need to be?
3. Is this part separate to allow for its in service adjustment or replacement – does it need to be
If all answers are ‘Yes’ – ‘A’ part (functional
If any answers are ‘No’ – ‘B’ part (non-functional)
Body – A part
Insert - B Part
R/Washer – B Part
S/Washer - B Part
Screw – A part
Knob – B Part

Design Efficiency –

Number of ' A' Parts 2

= = = 33%
Total part count 6
End