Design for X (DFX)

Design for Excellence (aka Design for X, DFX) is a systematic approach that is used to achieve a targeted objective. X represents targeted objectives or characteristics of the product or process, accordingly. Additionally, DFX comes under the topic of DFSS, which requires a cross-functional team approach involving stakeholders.

In order to stay successful in the marketplace, companies need to meet customer expectations. Continuous feedback mechanisms should inform efforts to understand and solve these demands.

Typical Design for X (DFX) considerations:

• cost
• quality
• reliability
• recyclability

Types of Design for X (DFX)

Design for Assembly

Design for assembly deals with steps for improving the manufacturing process to make a good product with reduced manufacturing costs. We can optimize product design to achieve this goal.

Potential DFA factors:

• materials
• tooling
• environment
• testing
• tolerances

Design for Cost and Design to Cost (DTC)

However, low cost cannot be managed into a product. Consequently, we must engineer it into a product. This can be challenging when a company has a fixed design cost yet still has to meet customer expectations.

Cost design as well as DTC consists of several life cycles cost controlling techniques. Designing for cost works on engineering principles, but DTC is more related to management requirements.

DTC uses value analysis (aka Design to Value) to quantify the value that is delivered to the customer. Additionally, teams should consider redesigning and reworking costs.

Design for Testing/Testability (DFT)

Testing is a major part of ensuring that products have predetermined quality standards demanded by the customers. In this stage, the team has to design steps that are required for validating the product in order to ensure that it doesn’t have any defects and it is properly functioning.

Design for Maintainability

Maintainability is how easily a product can be maintained. Here, the design team gives attention to reducing maintenance costs. i.e., preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance.

Design for Robustness

Robustness is the ability of the system to reduce variations while delivering defined outputs. The chief considerations here are structural and environmental.

Design for Manufacturability (DFM)

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) encompasses the capability to test and ship a product. It is an engineering and design methodology that emphasizes the optimization of product designs to improve manufacturing and assembly efficiency. The objective of DFM is to develop products that are not only functional and cost-effective but also easy to produce. This approach entails early consideration of manufacturing processes, materials, and assembly methods during the design phase to streamline production and minimize manufacturing costs. DFM involves simplifying the manufacturing process by reducing the number of parts and operations required to produce a product.

Design for Supply Chain (DFSC)

The target here is to design a system with high supply chain efficiency, less inventory cost, and less or zero waste. Furthermore, you should consider error detection in the design step.

Design for Safety

Every team should, without a doubt, focus on these important design aspects. Not only do strict safety regulations and requirements mandate safety standards, employee engagement demands it.

DFS helps to bring illness & injuries to a minimum while maintaining productivity. Common techniques could be as simple as adequate usage of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Helpful Links

• https://re.public.polimi.it/bitstream/1131…%20-%202018.pdf
• https://re.public.polimi.it/retrieve/handle/11311/1060926/303702/Ebikake%2c%20Sassanelli%2c%20Terzi%20-%202018.pdf