Design for X (DfX, DFX) or Design for Excellence where "X" is a variable that can have many different values.
Design for Manufacturing
Design for Injection Molding
Design for Assembly
Design for Additive Manufacturing
Design for Cost (reduced)
Design for Machining
Design for Weight (reduced)
Design for Reliability
Design for Safety
...etc, etc
The value for X describes a specific trait at each phase of a product's lifecycle.
For example, we might focus on reducing cost by consolidating components and reducing labor. Consolidating components can have a negative effect of decreased system repair-ability.
For difficult-to-repair devices, some companies will mandate that the device is brought in to provide 'authorized' repair service. This guarantees that the device will be repaired correctly.
They can make proprietary tools that are not for sale. They can keep any repair documentation closed to public.
I can understand when someone purchases a device (be it a tractor or a computer) and they want to provide their own service.
But it's a Catch-22: making devices support third-party repair can drive down reliability and increase size and cost!
These decisions are usually at odds with the real customer needs.
This topic is hot right now with R2R laws passing in UK, EU, as well as 14 states here in the US.
Understanding the end customer goals is critical to designing products that meet customer expectations.
We must know up front that repair-ability is high priority, and we can then define the necessary co
st, weight, size, and reliability tradeoffs that will be necessary to achieve it.
Make it a great week! I'd love to visit about any device design projects that you have going.
Signup here to get this newsletter in your inbox:
Comentários