In more than 40 years since our founding, we have partnered with hundreds of companies and startups in bringing innovative products to the market
The transition from idea, to prototype, to finished product and subsequent mass production is neither simple nor fast, especially for those who are at their first launch. That's why we use the best practices of Design for Excellence (DfX), supported by a typically Swiss-Made attention to quality, which makes us one of the most distinguished partners, in the international arena, for the development of new electronics products.
In this article we will look at the key components of Design for Excellence:
DfM — Design for Manufacturing
Design for Manufacturing is a series of processes to analyze the circuitry and design/layout of your PCB. It also includes the footprint analysis with the corresponding designator that you have indicated in your BOM (Bill of Material). Your BOM should be clear and defined, in order to speed up this process and help the engineers in the DfM of your device. Hemargroup is of course available in case you are not able to compose the BOM yourself. If passed correctly, this step allows you to have a production-ready product that won't have any problems or delays during assembly. DfM alone reduces a product's time to market by 50% and its cost by 25%.
DfC/DfP — Design for Cost & Design for Procurement
The economic management of components is not an easy job, for those without experience in the industry. Price volatility, the economies of scale that large companies like Hemargroup can achieve, the component crisis we are experiencing as a result of Covid-19...in short, there are many factors to consider when reasoning about component supply. The Design for Procurement / Design for Cost is therefore of fundamental importance, both to analyze the correct components for the functionality of your product, and to optimize the cost, choosing perhaps among thousands of alternatives equally performing but cheaper or easier to supply. The DfP/DfC is therefore strategic, not only when there is a crisis of components, but also in the management of obsolescence. Hemargroup offers a vast assortment of components already in stock, as well as excellent obsolescence management.
DfT — Design for Testing or Testability
Before launching any product, a series of tests must be carried out to confirm its correct functioning and compliance with any regulations defined by institutions. However, testing a product, especially if it is already assembled, is not an easy job and can often increase the overall costs of production. This is where Design for Testing/Testability comes to the rescue: an analysis of the PCB layout and of the finished product, which leads to the development of specific tools for product testing. A correct DfT reduces costs and production time, as well as reducing the number of post-sale product failures.
DfA — Design for Assembly
Cables, screws, enclosures, levers, molds: assembling a finished product requires a large number of components and considerable attention. Design for Assembly (or DfA) aims to make your product easy to assemble. This is not only a purely aesthetic issue, but also an economic one: a product that is easy to assemble can be easily built by a machine or, if it requires manual labor, will optimize production time, thus reducing labor costs. In addition, a product that is easy to assemble will also be easy to disassemble in case of repairs. An advantage not to be underestimated, for optimizing returns and malfunctions.
We hope this brief checklist has been helpful to you. In addition to these steps, Hemargroup is committed to respecting and maintaining the excellence of the Swiss-Made brand, adding another level of expertise to our electronic device engineering and manufacturing services.
If you need advice or would like to bring a new product to market, please contact us:
