Design for Manufacturing

Although this step is considered from the very beginning of the design process, special emphasis is put into the quality control and labor reduction efforts. Test procedures are written, detailed engineering drawings are made to aid manufacturing, and special procedures for tracking key performance criteria are created. Special test jigs are designed to reduce labor and improve quality. For low volume products, manual procedures are created. For very high volume production, automated test stands are created to keep assembly labor at a minimum.

The benefit to this step is a controlled manufacturing environment, essential for ISO9000. As more information for the field is gathered, the procedures can be updated, establishing consistent performance and a continuous improvement framework.