Review of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly

This paper presents a review on Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) from the construction perspective. It defines the concept and process of DfMA, factors influencing its adoption, barriers, benefits, opportunities, and avenues for future research.

REVIEW OF
“DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY”
YOUR NAME
Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD4222, Australia
The aim of this paper is to present a review on design for manufacturing and assembly. It defines the concept and process
of DfMA. DfMA is reviewed from the construction perspective and the factors that influence the adoption of DfMA are
stated. The barriers, benefits and opportunities are also discussed. In the end the avenues for future research are provided.
The conclusion and recommendations are also presented.
Keywords: Design for Manufacturing and
Assembly, DfMA, DfMA technologies, DfM and
DfA
1. Introduction
1.1. Overview
Design for manufacturing and assembly is a
technique for minimizing the cost of the product
through improving the design. The methodologies that
are includes in it are: design for manufacturing and
design for assembly. The main principles of this
technique are simplification and reduction in the
number of operations of manufacturing, minimization of
part count, creating modular assemblies, standardizing
materials and parts and designing the efficient joining.
1.2. Overview
DfMA technique is used in different industries such
as aerospace industry, automobile industry, shipbuilding
industry, construction industry. Design for
manufacturing and design for assembly methods are
used highly in order enhance the productivity and
performance.
2. The Literature Review
2.1. Concept and process of DfMA
DfMA method provides methodical procedures for
the purpose of improving and evaluating the product
design for assembly and manufacturing. The aim is to
offer manufacturing input at design process’s
conceptualization stage in organized and logical
manner. Two approaches are involved in DfMA: design
for manufacturing and design for assembly. DfM
mainly involves minimizing part counts and utilizing
part-form models. Then, DfA practice involves making
methods and attachment directions simpler. It also
involves application of complexity models and
attachment time 1.
2.2. DfMA in context to construction perspectives
In construction, there are diverse perspectives on
DfMA. Firstly, in value engineering (VE), the DfMA
technique is considered as a methodical procedure
which can add value to production and construction
process through standardizing components and also
through reducing the variability in design. The second
perspective is associated with development of
evaluation method. Actual achievement of DfMA
methods is that it has the ability to give measurements
of assemblability. This facilitates objective criteria to
implement in team-based situation. With DfMA design
rules, enhanced assemblability can be attained. Lastly,
DfMA is associated with prefabrication and it is
possible to apply different game changing technologies
2.
2.3. Factors influencing the adoption of DfMA
There are different factors that influence the
adoption of DfMA. The factors influencing are industry,
government, stakeholder, client, contractor, integration
of project team, design factors, monotonous design
because of standardization, changes to design process,
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performance-driven factors, project-specific factor, site
constraints and storage, transportation considerations,
and use of BIM. Due to these factors, the construction
industry is adopting DfMA technology 2.
3. Opportunities
DfMA is helping the different industries and people
in designing and reducing the operations of
manufacturing. It facilitates in saving the cost and
completing the construction in lesser time. It can impact
the construction industry positively 3.
4. Benefits
The main benefits of DfMA are 4:
1. It can reduce the cost of construction
2. The assembly is easier with the help of this
technique.\
3. It can help in delivering the construction project of
high quality on time
4. The labor requirement is less through the
implementation of this technique
5. Barriers
 The lack of the skills in the managers and inability
to use the technology
 Site constraints and government are barriers for
adoption of DfMA.
6. Avenues for research
The themes for the future research that are
identified include: other perspectives on DfMA concept,
multi variant analysis for DfMA adoption and design
process in DfMA
7. Conclusions and recommendations
DfMA is an effective technique that can improve
designs and reduce cost. It is adopted by different
industries. It follows organized and systematic process.
This technique involves the standardization of
components in the process of construction. It helps in
enhancing assemblability. There are different factors
that support the adoption of DfMA in the construction
industry. It is recommended that the implementation of
DfMA can help construction industry hence it is
important to establish the understanding so that this
technique can help efficiently and effective in the
construction
References
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[1] Azli Nawawi, Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA): introduction to Boothroyd Dewhurst Software.
Malaysia: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 2014.
[2] Shang Gao, Sui Pheng Low, and Kisnaa Nair, "Design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA): a
preliminary study of factors influencing its adoption in Singapore," Architectural Engineering and Design
Management, pp. 1-18, 2018.
[3] RA Boss. (2016) Linkedin.com. [Online]. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dfma-design-manufacture-
assembly-can-methodology-used-romains
[4] A. M.E. Bayoumi, "Design for manufacture and assembly (dfma): concepts, benefits and applications," in
Proceedings of the Seventh Cairo University International MDP Conference, Cairo, 2000, pp. 501-509.
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