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Technical Paper

Keys to Successfully Implementing Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) Techniques to an Existing Production Program

1998-09-28
985595
Frequently, new design efforts have successfully used DFMA techniques in order to yield designs that are simpler and faster to assemble, easier to maintain, and less costly than designs that utilized the previous philosophy of several small parts being mechanically fastened together. However, a substantial difference exists between using DFMA on a new program, such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet or the Joint Strike Fighter, and using DFMA on an existing production program such as the F-1 5 Eagle or the C-17 Globemaster III. Generally, design efforts on a new program would be funded under that particular program's development costs. However, for an existing program where the program life is limited, it becomes more challenging to implement DFMA techniques to new redesigns since the return on investment (ROI) and break-even point are directly proportional to the expected life cycle savings and implementation costs.
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