DFMA Case Study: Network Connector Redesign

Challenge

The electrical connector in question was, at its height, a product with considerable global reach. It was used in computer network installations and thousands of consumer electronics products worldwide.

Market expansion increased competition, putting pressure on the connector manufacturer. The existing design was inflexible. Modifications that would have helped the connector break into new markets would be prohibitively expensive. The manufacturer considered abandoning the connector, but then chose to modify the design using DFMA software.

Methods

The design team iteratively improved the connector by applying DFMA techniques such as the Total Cost Concept, which defines product cost based on three variables: piece-part cost (material costs), conversion cost (tooling and process costs), and assembly cost.

To streamline the redesign, the team decided to measure four DFMA metrics known to correlate strongly with costs:

• The number of tools required (related to conversion and assembly)
• The complexity of the tools (for instance, the cost and effort required for maintenance)
• The number of movements required (which reflects the overall complexity)
• The material volumes (for instance, dollars that go toward shipped products versus scrapped materials)

The team analyzed design alternatives using DFMA guidelines for both manual, labor-intensive assembly and high-speed automatic assembly, recognizing that their customer base was diverse and would have varying resources and abilities.

The original design had many metal and plastic components that required numerous fasteners. The redesign focused on making all components plastic, using snap-fits to eliminate fasteners and reducing assembly steps.

The team optimized component designs and assembly processes. They achieved proper symmetry in the plastic housing and reduced the number of motions required, making assembly easier.

Results: How did DFMA software lower costs for the computer network connector?

Using DFMA software to redesign the electrical connector yielded significant improvements:

• A reduction in part count of 30%
• Tool complexity reduction of 70%
• An impressive assembly time reduction of 90%
• A total cost savings of 60%

The final design also met the team’s cost target, helping keep the connector profitable well past its expected obsolescence date.

The new version of the product featured a flexible design that enabled the manufacturer to produce different variations and custom versions. This kept the connector fresh and relevant across a variety of different markets.