Here's how you can navigate conflicts between design specifications and manufacturing limitations.
Engineering design often involves a delicate balance between the ideal and the practical. When you're faced with the challenge of navigating conflicts between design specifications and manufacturing limitations, it's like threading a needle while riding a roller coaster. You've probably been there: a design that looks great on paper but when it comes to making it a reality, you hit a wall. The materials are too expensive, the geometry too complex for your tools, or the design simply can't be manufactured at scale without compromising quality. This is where the true test of your engineering design skills comes into play.
Understanding the manufacturing limitations is crucial in resolving conflicts with design specifications. You should familiarize yourself with the capabilities and constraints of the manufacturing processes available. This includes knowing the tolerances that can be achieved, the materials that can be used, and the cost implications of various manufacturing methods. By having a clear picture of these factors, you can make informed decisions and propose design alterations that align with what's actually possible on the production floor, ensuring a smoother transition from concept to product.
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It requires understanding manufacturing capabilities and constraints. Knowing what’s possible with materials, tolerances, and costs helps designers make practical decisions. Continuous learning and close collaboration between design and manufacturing teams ensure smoother transitions from concept to product, reducing revisions and delays and improving overall product quality
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A person should have good understanding of quality tools in oder to obtain better process capabilities over long term in production.
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The first and foremost thing is to know your manufacturing ability. What can be done in the easiest way and provides value.With this in mind you can design great things.
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For resolving conflicts between design spec and construction/Manufactuuring limitation a detail technical query is required to be prepared for each case. In this TQ all cause of conflicts and site limitation to be clarified then design specification and site construction limitation to be reviewed by engineering team in detail and verified. If the Engineering specifications were strict for this scenarion,You might need to simplify design spec in order to make it more feasible for construction teams otherweise Construction limitation/restrictions should be removed.
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Coordinate closely between design and manufacturing teams, prioritize manufacturability in design, prototype iteratively, analyze cost-effectiveness, and encourage collaborative problem-solving.
Engaging with manufacturers early in the design process can save you a world of trouble down the line. By discussing your design specifications with the people who will be making your product, you can get immediate feedback on any potential manufacturing issues. This proactive approach allows you to adjust your designs to fit manufacturing realities without having to backtrack significantly, which not only saves time but also helps maintain the integrity of your original design vision.
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More than 80% of a product's manufacturing costs are committed during the design phase. Engaging early with manufacturers can help control manufacturing costs. It's easier and less costly to make changes early than it is during the production phase.
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I always start a new project with asking at least 5 separate vendors to... 1) quote me, 2) explain their process, and 3) provide an ETA for a prototype. I do this as soon as I can to have a better ROI for my executive team. I have the same pool vendors and this process doesn't eliminate them entirely from my pool, but further refines my future project goals.
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The sooner you can get a realistic perspective into a design the sooner you understand feasibility and cost of the product which is essential for success and the only way to do this is directly connecting with the people who do this day-in day-out.
Iterative design is a powerful tool for reconciling differences between design specifications and manufacturing constraints. Through a cycle of prototyping, testing, and refining, you can gradually evolve your design to better fit manufacturing capabilities while still meeting your specifications. This process encourages flexibility and creativity, often leading to innovative solutions that satisfy both design and manufacturing requirements.
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YES! The original goal is what needs to be kept in mind. How to get there? That can always be improved upon. Not hundreds of iterations but a few. I've always explained it to my managers and project teams that a failed prototype is just "what not to do." All data is data. You just need to approach all problems with a sense of objective truth.
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Creating a document like DFMEA will help us eliminate the issues we encounter in product designing and manufacturing. DFMEA is a tool by which potential failures are identified, analysed and documented.
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Design feedback should be taken from cross functional team and customer so that we don’t face any risk or issue at later stage of project.
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Receiving DFM reports is a key part of the development of a product, it can either consist of very small assembly recommendations or a huge list of changes needed to make your parts manufacturable. As soon as you start talking with the manufacturer the better, this process could be a continuous back and forth in order to keep your design as close as your original idea, but still possible to build.
Compromise is sometimes inevitable in engineering design, but it should be done wisely. When design specifications clash with manufacturing limitations, assess which aspects of the design are essential for functionality and user experience, and which are more flexible. Prioritize the must-haves and be willing to adjust the rest. This approach allows you to preserve the core of your design while being realistic about manufacturing capabilities.
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In the tooling industry this is a must. How many tools do you need for a specific part? Can it be a progressive (one) tool rather than a transfer or tandem tool (several)? Is the cost savings of one versus the maintenance and fatigue life worth it? In the end the ultimate goal is quality of the product with high revenue. Speed isn't always the answer though. A robust and effective tool is, in my experience, a more cost effective option than a speedy one.
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This goes back to ‘engage early’. Compromise doesn’t have to be negative and with early feedback it can help creativity, not hamper it. So the closer the Engineer and the Designer can be, the better the compromise can be which is actually the sweet-spot for design for manufacture.
Utilizing simulation tools is an effective way to predict and address conflicts between design specifications and manufacturing limitations. By creating virtual models of your product and simulating the manufacturing process, you can identify potential issues before they arise in the real world. This can save significant time and resources, as you can make necessary adjustments to your design early on, ensuring it is both manufacturable and up to specifications.
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I agree with above but you must understand that a organisation should have good back up of testing data to correlate with simulations.
Fostering collaboration between your design team and the manufacturing team is essential for navigating conflicts. Encourage open communication and regular meetings to discuss the progress and challenges of integrating design specifications with manufacturing capabilities. When both teams work together towards a common goal, combining their expertise, you stand a much better chance of finding innovative solutions that satisfy both sides of the equation.
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Collaboration is key, but it’s much easier in theory than in practice because gathering the engineers and designers together regularly can create conflict and sometimes people will avoid this or consider it counterproductive. In reality it’s in these moments that the bare essences of a product can be exposed and from there a good project manager can help designers and engineers find that happy medium which is, in its purest sense, collaboration.
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There must be flow of information from design team to manufacturing team via proper documentation. This information can contain or the critical parameter and process related information. This documentation should be completed before transferring of project from development phase to production phase.
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