Design for Manufacturing

Abstract

At this time of writing, the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) indicated that the UK Manufacturing has hit a 28-month low. As output, new orders and employment have declined; the UK manufacturing sector fell back into contraction to its lowest level since June 2009. It is a sign of low market confidence and uncertainty. In the report, the most worrying aspect is that new orders have nosedived most since March 2009 and output is now sustained through a backlog of work. The traditional manufacturing industries that have kept the UK economy buoyant is facing bleak times and the fact that the Eurozone is also in a crisis. Despite these troubled times, the UK Government hopes that precision engineering and high-value manufacturing sector will create jobs and help tackle record youth unemployment. One such industry is the aviation sector where design for manufacturing has been used as a good industry practice so that products can be manufactured more easily without sacrificing safety. Fundamentally, this can be achieved through two principles: reducing the number of assembly operations by part reduction; or by making the assembly operation easier to perform. This has been something of a holy grail to manufacturing industries where part reduction, cutting the use of fasteners and light-weight materials are favourable for cost savings.