Symbol Puts It All Together (Faster) with DFMA

Design for Manufacture and Assembly software helps the company to reduce assembly costs and times. At Symbol Technologies, the products are all about information. Headquartered in Holtsville, New York, the company creates mobile and fixed devices that capture information, manage it in small and large computers, and communicate it over networks throughout the business enterprise. (Full story)

Good Designs Brewing at Access Business Group

DFMA Software Perks Up Design of Water Filters and Kahve Coffee Maker. Access Business Group (Ada, Michigan) develops, manufactures, and distributes a comprehensive range of durable goods, including patented water treatment and air filtration systems, and an award-winning coffee maker. Access has emerged as a leader in water filtration products, using special carbon and ultraviolet (UV) light technology for optimal health and taste benefits. (Full story)

DESIGN FOR OPPORTUNITY WITH DFA

Design analysis software helps instrument builder develop a new product in time to capture a healthy share of the market Whenever a window of opportunity opens for introducing a new scientific instrument, MDS SCIEX (Concord, Ontario) leaps through it confidently. Such was the case a few years ago when the opportunity arose to develop a hybrid mass spectrometer combining time-of-flight technology with conventional quadrupole designs. (Full story)

DELL Builds a Framework for Success

Design for Assembly and Design for Service drive the design of Dell Corporation’s Optiframe^® Computer Chassis.  The redesign saved Dell an estimated $15 million dollars in reduced direct labor costs.  The company saved millions more by increasing throughput and thus postponing facility relocations that otherwise would have been required to boost manufacturing capability. (Full story)

LEAN CUISINE Whirlpool Sweden puts DFA to work to cut parts by 29 percent and assembly time by 26 percent.

Training is a valuable investment, but companies don’t expect immediate profits from the training sessions themselves. At Whirlpool Sweden in Norrköping, though, this was exactly the case as they trained cross-functional teams of in-plant personnel to perform design for assembly (DFA) analysis.(Full story)

COOL, STYLISH AND GREEN

In designing a new cooling display cabinet for delicatessens and supermarkets, AB Electrolux, faced a complex challenge. The company wanted to create a product that was cost-effective, satisfied expectations for appearance and performance, while meeting stringent targets for environmental friendliness. They used DFE software, developed jointly with Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc. to simulate the disassembly and environmental impact of products at end of life. Thus was born the Chameleon, a new “green” cooling display for Electrolux (Full story)

NORTEL ENGINEERS dramatically lower product costs

A Nortel design team utilized DFMA to redesign two products in the company’s broadband portfolio. The redesign of the OC-3 Express shelf mechanics resulted in expected savings to Nortel of $700,800 annually.The annual expected cost savings to Nortel for the redesigned filler pack are estimated to be $3.45 million. (Full story)

REDESIGN OF AEROSPACE PROJECT cuts costs up to 74%

A DFMA engineering team redesigned several areas of a helicopter crew station using DFA analysis, and recorded significant savings in part count, fabrication and installation time, weight and overall cost. Implementation strategies as well as results are described. (Full story)

On-going effort in AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR for cost reductions aided by DFA

Despite time pressures, this VA/VE group has committed to continuous review of automotive seating products. They use a baseline DFA analysis with on-site workshops to facilitate team contributions to the reduction of assembly inefficiencies. A dramatic redesign is illustrated. (Full story)

NEW GENERATION OF MEDICAL TEST EQUIPMENT benefits from DFMA input

In this upgrade of a blood-gas analyzer, DFMA analysis was used to pinpoint areas where significant cost and quality improvements could be found. Those included a review of material uses, more self-aligning features and fewer overall components. A benchmark DFA analysis was the kickoff point for a successful product development effort. (Full story)

DESIGN STUDY OF TRUCK INTRUMENT PANEL
identifies assembly and environmental impact savings

A comprehensive look at a truck instrument panel redesign was reported on at the annual meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers. The critical change, the use of two large structural moldings to eliminate a complex steel assembly, resulted in cost savings in the dramatic reduction of assembly operations and number of parts. The new design also offered innovative savings in material recycling through simplified disassembly opportunities. (Full story)