Design for Manufacturability
Fourteen named checks on your 3D model, issued as a written report before mould construction starts.
DFM is short for Design For Manufacturability. In practice it is the last cheap moment in a tooling project: the point where a change costs an e-mail instead of a re-spot.
TJ-Teck reviews the 3D model against fourteen specific items and issues the findings as a report to discuss with you. Nothing is changed unilaterally. The report says what was found, what it would cost to leave alone, and what the alternative is.
Why it happens before construction
Once the cavity is cut, a draft angle change means welding and re-machining. Before it is cut, the same change is a revised CAD file. The fourteen items below are the ones that repeatedly turn into weld repairs when they are skipped.
What the report gives you
A written position on each item, marked-up views where the geometry needs pointing at, and a clear statement of anything TJ-Teck would like changed before cutting steel.
Who signs it off
You do. The DFM report is a discussion document, and mould construction starts after you have agreed the points raised in it.
The checklist
Fourteen items, every report
Every DFM report covers these fourteen items. Items with no issue are marked as checked rather than left out, so you can see the whole review.
- De-molding Direction
- Inserts Design
- Parting Line
- Slide Design & Steel Line
- Draft Angle Analysis
- Lifter Design & Steel Line
- Mold Layout
- Sharp Steel
- Filling System
- Wall thickness
- Gate Define
- Ejection System
- Undercut and Proposal
- Markings and Graining
Frequently asked questions
Is the DFM report charged separately?
It is part of the tooling scope and is issued before mould construction begins.
What if we disagree with a finding?
The report is there to be argued with. If you want a feature kept as designed, it is built as designed and the report records the discussion.
Do you need production-intent 3D data?
Production-intent data gives the most useful report. An earlier revision still gets reviewed, with the revision level stated on the report.
Design for Manufacturability for your project
Send what you have. If it is not enough to quote accurately, you will be told exactly what is missing.