DFMA: SHOULD COSTING
DFMA: PRODUCT SIMPLIFICATION
GHSP. DFMA transformation across the enterprise
Enterprise journey to embed DFMA, governance, rollout tactics, and the impact on innovation, lead time, and quality.
BOOTHROYD DEWHURST, Inc.
DFMA Case Studies
Enterprise Deployment & Change Management
Business systems product. $3M annual savings from one redesign
- -42% parts
- -60% cycle time
- -31% WIP
- -53% service calls
A large multinational manufacturer used DFMA on a flagship business/financial systems product to cut parts, cycle time, and WIP—projecting more than $3M in annual savings from a single machine.
Endress+Hauser. Next steps toward excellence
How a center-led model matures DFMA practice after initial wins. Embedding methods across functions and products.
Concurrent engineering with DFMA. Path to innovation
Five cross-functional teams used DFMA to accelerate decisions and simplify designs. Showing how concurrent engineering pairs with DFMA practice.
Dell EMC. From pilot to program
How a global tech organization scaled DFMA across teams. With measurable effects on time and cost.
Should-Costing & Supplier Economics (DFM)
NCR Voyix POS terminal. 85% fewer parts. $1.1M labor savings
- -85% parts
- -75% assembly time
- -44% labor cost ($1.1M)
- -65% suppliers
DFMA should-cost analysis guided a full redesign of NCR Voyix’s 2760 POS terminal, slashing part count, assembly time, suppliers, and manufacturing labor cost.
IGT electronic box. 40% total cost savings
- -30% part cost
- -50% labor & assembly time
- -40% total cost
International Game Technology used DFMA to redesign a critical electronic box in its gaming machines, cutting part costs and assembly time for a 40% total cost reduction.
Using DFM to understand PCB assembly costs
Breaking down PCB assembly cost drivers to improve supplier negotiations and design choices.
ROI for DFMA in the low-volume. High-mix shop
Real-world ROI patterns for DFMA in LV/HV environments and supplier negotiations. What to track and how to act.
Supplier costing in a low-volume med-device environment
Practical approaches to supplier costing when volumes are low and mix is high. Tying DFMA to sourcing and negotiations.
ITT Valve. 76.6% total cost reduction
- -76.6% total cost
Systematic DFMA analysis cut material and assembly costs while improving throughput and DFA Index.
Southco medical hinge. 53% cost reduction
- -53% cost
DFMA enabled custom. High-mix product teams to cut parts and assembly effort while meeting cost targets.
Automotive & Off-Highway
Tractor cooling package. −58 parts. −18% assembly minutes
- -58 parts
- -18% assembly minutes
- +DFA Index
Concept-phase DFMA reduced parts from 352 to 294 and improved DFA Index. Delivering assembly-time and cost benefits early in design.
Re-design of vehicle front support structure
At BAIC, a cost and quality risk bumper assembly was re-engineered with DFMA ahead of a model refresh. Addressing fasteners, interfaces, and manufacturability.
John Deere. Harvesting savings with DFMA
A new Tier 3 engine prompted cost-effective redesign choices guided by DFMA.
Automotive seating. Continuous VA/VE with DFA
Baseline DFA analyses and on-site workshops helped a seating group iteratively remove assembly inefficiencies under tight timelines.
Truck instrument panel. Assembly and environmental gains
Replacing a complex steel assembly with two structural moldings cut assembly operations and part count. Simplifying end-of-life recycling.
Raymond. Forklift hydraulic cylinders
Significant part-count reductions while maintaining quality and reliability across the 7400 Reach-Fork family.
Medical & Life Sciences
Zimmer Biomet. Navigating a cost reduction of design
Lessons from a major medical OEM on structuring DFMA for cost reduction. Cross-functional execution, change management, and measurable design simplification.
Blood-gas analyzer. DFMA for the next generation
Self-aligning features, material reviews, and fewer components. Kicked off by a benchmark DFA. Drove cost and quality improvements.
IDEXX. Simplifying a veterinary device
With early cost and assembly data, engineers avoided BOM reuse by default and made profit-driven decisions earlier.
MDS SCIEX. Design for opportunity with DFA
DFMA enabled a hybrid mass spectrometer to hit a narrow market window with simpler assemblies and faster builds.
Electronics & Industrial Tech
Business systems machine. $3M/year savings
- -42% parts
- -60% manufacturing cycle time
- -31% WIP
- -53% service calls
A multinational manufacturer applied DFMA to a complex business and financial systems machine, cutting parts, cycle time, and WIP, with projected annual savings of more than $3M from a single product.
Laptop platform. 72% faster assembly with concurrent costing
- -72% total assembly time
- -70% hours per unit
- -63% unit test time
- -75% PWB assembly time
A concurrent engineering team used DFMA to redesign a modular laptop platform, dramatically cutting assembly, test, and PWB times while improving serviceability and flexibility.
Computer mouse. 48% fewer parts. 65% less assembly time
- -48% mechanical parts (31→16)
- -65% assembly time (17→6 min)
- -40% material cost
DFMA simplified a commodity computer mouse into a screwless, stackable assembly, cutting parts, assembly operations, and material cost while making repair and automation easier.
Firefighter flashlight. −67% parts. −60% assembly time
- -67% parts (30→10)
- -60% assembly time
- -69% manufacturing processes (16→5)
A major manufacturer used DFMA to redesign a rugged firefighter flashlight, reducing parts, processes, and assembly time while improving consistency and serviceability.
Firehose reel. −54% parts. −50% total cost
- -54% parts (59→27)
- -54% assembly operations (106→49)
- -50% assembly time
- -50% total cost
DFMA guided a full firehose reel redesign to meet updated standards, halving parts, assembly time, and total costs while simplifying mounting and assembly.
Motorola DS9208 scanner. DFA-driven cost savings
Applying DFMA at concept helped the team meet cost targets and deliver on time and on budget.
Motorola Solutions. DFA benchmarking across a portfolio
Handheld readers, mobile radios, and kiosks benchmarked with DFA to cut parts and assembly time in redesign cycles.
Nortel. Dramatically lower product costs
DFMA-led redesigns delivered about $700,800 annual savings on an OC-3 shelf and about $3.45M on a redesigned filler pack.
Consumer Appliances & Packaging
Whirlpool Sweden. 29% fewer parts. 26% faster assembly
- -29% parts
- -26% assembly time
Cross-functional teams trained in DFA delivered immediate returns via hands-on analyses.
Electrolux “Chameleon”. Cool, stylish, and efficient
Using DFE with Boothroyd Dewhurst to simulate end-of-life disassembly and environmental impact informed a better display design.
Access Business Group. Water filters and coffee maker
DFMA improved designs for water filtration and a coffee maker. Cutting parts and assembly time.
Aerospace & Defense
Product affordability via enterprise DFMA
Tying DFMA into lean, TCO, VAVE, and supply chain to meet affordability goals on major programs.
Fighter aircraft structures. −81% parts. −78% total cost
- -81% part count
- -59% weight
- -78% total cost
Integrated product development teams used DFMA and Six Sigma to re-engineer key fighter aircraft structures, dramatically cutting parts, weight, and total cost.
Military tank electronic box. 50% cost reduction
- -49% assembly steps
- -58% parts
- -50% overall cost
A defense OEM applied concurrent engineering and DFMA to an electronic box in a tank program, simplifying the design and cutting steps, part count, and total cost in half.
Helicopter crew station. Up to 74% cost reduction
- -74% cost
DFA analysis across several areas yielded large reductions in part count, install time, weight, and overall cost.
Strategy & Sourcing
There and back again. China
Hard-won insights on moving work to China and back. Cost, risk, and capability lessons that inform DFMA trade-offs.
DFMA overview. History, design story, and negotiation ROI
- $361k annual cost avoidance
Nick Dewhurst’s executive presentation covers DFMA history, the three main uses of DFMA, and a plastic clip case where DFMA drove $361k annual cost avoidance in supplier negotiations.
| Discover | Learn | BDI Info | Follow Us |
| Software | Studies | About BDI |
|
| Solutions | Webinars | Contact |
|
| Training | News | Directions |
|
| Services | Papers | Agents | |
| Support | Forum | Partners |
DFMA and Concurrent Costing are registered trademarks of Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc.
© Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement.