Design and manufacture

This section explores and explains the range of materials and the manufacturing processes and techniques commonly associated with, and utilized by, product design.

Working with manufacturers

As a young designer it can be a daunting prospect attempting to see a concept through to manufacture and market. In order to see their products on the shelves, designers need to understand the whole design process and not just focus on abstract “design concepts.”

The process of designing and manufacturing works most effectively when there are clear channels of communication. Designers need to understand the manufacturing processes of each factory; it is good to ask questions and identify possible design opportunities, while manufacturers need to be open to innovation and allow designers to explore new ways of using their facilities and expertise. By forging working relationships with manufacturers and design engineers, designers can work together to bring products to market. When the inevitable problems crop up, they are best solved collectively as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Integrating design and manufacture

Manufacturing involves the transformation of raw materials from their initial form into finished components that are then assembled into functional products. This is achieved by a variety of processes, each designed to perform a specific function in the process. Designers are faced with a dauntingly wide range of manufacturing methods, materials, and assembly processes to choose from, and need to identify potential industrial partners to collaborate with.

In the past, designers were often forced into conflict with engineers due to the practice of handing a design over to be “engineered.” This outmoded approach resulted in inefficiencies, and contemporary design and manufacturing practice now involves engineers in the design process as early as possible, with designers and engineers sharing data and ideas in what is termed concurrent design for manufacture and assembly.

Design for manufacture and assembly, commonly referred to as DFMA, aims to reduce component and assembly costs as well as streamline development cycles, and its ultimate aim is to develop higher-quality products. A feature of a “good design” for manufacture and assembly is that products and their constituent components use an optimum choice of materials and processes, and meet their required purpose, at minimum cost, and with regard for quality and reliability requirements.

The appropriate selection of materials and manufacturing processes are interdependent, with the final choice of manufacturing process influencing the selection of materials, and vice versa. Selecting the optimum manufacturing processes and materials for a new product depends on the quantity of products to be produced and commercial timescales. As such, it is necessary to distinguish between one-off, batch, and mass production requirements when determining appropriate manufacturing approaches.

Significant capital cost items, such as patterns or molds, can play a role in the cost for each component depending upon their complexity and the production quantities involved, and thus influence manufacturing options. It is essential, therefore, that designers don’t merely focus on the form of an object, but consider the appropriateness, viability, and economics of manufacture. Designers need to be continually aware of changing production technologies and their effect on the cost aspects of their work, and be able to develop working relationships with colleagues in design engineering. They also need to be aware of the key methods of materials and manufacturing.

Selecting materials

Design can be described as the attempt to achieve a goal such as an ideal product using the available means, materials, and techniques. The selection of materials is directly related to a product’s PDS, and in particular the product’s performance, proposed costs, and user requirements.

When choosing materials you need to consider many factors. You need to ask what the product/component has to do, identify the environment it has to work in, while also asking what it should look and feel like. This list of desirable qualities can be matched against the properties of a range of materials. By taking into account the complexity of the forms to be produced and the tolerances (accuracy of manufacturing) required for assembly, you can begin to identify potential materials and processes for a product’s manufacture. The Cambridge Materials Selector (CMS) is a widely available software tool for optimal materials selection. CMS enables the identification of the small subset of materials that will perform best in a given design, from the full menu of materials.

Designers are also increasingly aware of the environmental aspects of their work; creating products manufactured using sustainable materials, and enabling products to be dismantled and recycled, is of great social and economic value. Finally, the tactile qualities of a material—its surface texture, translucency, hardness, or absorbency—all have an effect on the way a product is perceived and used by consumers and can also determine its value.