When QSI Corporation, now Beijer Electronics, decided to redesign a small human-machine interface (HMI) terminal, a team headed up by design engineer Bill Devenish sought to develop a simpler product to help the company become more profitable.
They used Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) software to compress development cycles and identify ways to lower material and assembly costs while improving reliability and serviceability.
DFMA Design Process Comparison
DFMA used upfront in the engineering process reduces the design development cycle by 40%.
Traditionally, the materials for the housing and structural components were made from formed sheet metal and machined aluminum. The original terminal included 31 fasteners of 13 different types. (…)
