Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) Technique Applicable for Cost Reduction -A Review

In the manufacturing process, a design is the first step where most of the important decisions are made which affect the final cost of the product. The main emphasis is given to obtain an optimum design solution for an existing product. It has been already proven fact that a large percentage of the product cost is due to the complex manufacturing and assembly process. DFMA can be used as an early cost estimation technique. And there are no boundaries to the application of the DFMA principles. One can use DFMA throughout any type of organization/enterprise/industry. It can also be used in case of multidisciplinary tasks, supply chain management, activities based on manufacturing and assembly or the architectural design choices of any product development and manufacturing. This paper reviews on Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) principles and its applications for early cost estimation and reduction techniques.