It can be useful to know the difference between Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA). Design for Assembly (DFA) focuses on designing a product so that it can be easily assembled and disassembled (DFD). This approach focuses on principles such as minimizing the total number of parts, ensuring that parts are easy to insert, and limiting assembly requirements to simple, repeatable movements.
The focus at DFM is on individual parts with the goal of reducing or eliminating complex or unnecessary features that would make production difficult. DFA is focused on reducing and standardizing parts and (sub) assemblies. The goal is to reduce assembly time and costs.
DFM and DFA are both important at an early stage of product design. The primary goal of both methods is to make a product and the associated process as efficient as possible.
Definition DFM
Design for Manufacturing is a method to effectively and efficiently produce parts that, after assembly, form a complete product.
Definition DFA
Design for Assembly is a design method for a product with the ease of assembly with fewer parts in the product.
Definition DFD
Design for Disassembly is a design process that allows products, parts and materials to be easily recovered for reuse.