Design Concepts or Change - Designing for Manufacturing

This stage is not only the first, but it is the most important part of the process by a long shot. If your design looks great, has all the features your Customer wants and your 3D modeling shows that it fits into your widget properly, that is great for you. This does not mean that it will be as open and shut for your manufacturing environment, nor does this ensure that your suppliers will have the ability to meet these requirements.

Once the concept is there, and you have determined that fit, form and function exist that meets Customer needs, now the real work begins - designing for manufacturability. The best case scenario is an open forum with a combination of your design team, actual assembly or manufacturing associates and key suppliers with expertise in making your concept a reality.
Your design team has done the up front leg work and you have a working model. 3D modeling software or better yet, samples, of the actual part is what is needed for your manufacturing group to determine how this will work in the 'real world'. Spending the needed time listening and adapting your plan to ensure that the actual users can handle the part with relative ease is the ideal design. Once this group has poked and prodded over you latest creation and you have run the modeling tests and hopefully new samples can be made, it is time for the experts to come in.

Once you realize how great a resource your suppliers are in all aspects of your production environment, the sooner you can start reaping the benefits of their expertise. Usually their help comes to you pro bono, as the upfront care you take now is a great benefit to everyone in the long run - especially if everyone feels they are a part of the process.
The key elements of getting supplier input during design are highlighted with:

• fresh eyes approach to the project
• comparing what you feel is 'manufacturable' to what the supplier feels is achievable
  
• getting realistic expectations of what the supplied product will be based on your demands
• the exercise is not to bow to the supplier's will, however they will present data (hopefully) to support their input. With this input you can determine/calculate what the results will be once production starts.
• create an element of predictability for all groups and from this have pre-determined plans of action when nonconformance rears its ugly head
  
• creating a sense of Community across the plains of the manufacturing environments

The best preparation for this stage is a series of checklists, a strong DFMEA process, an open relationship with your manufacturing team and a mutual respect and open relationship with the suppliers.
I realize this is painting with a broad stroke, but in all reality every widget is the same aerospace to clothing apparel. These steps will help get you to your destination faster and cheaper, and in the end that is what everyone wants and needs.

Best of luck and take care,
jay