Early cost estimating in product design

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1-1-1988

Abstract

This paper describes product costing procedures which are intended to form the basis for a design analysis method for product design for efficient manufacture (DFM). This DFM method, presently being developed by the writers, will form a logical extension of their design for assembly procedures. Design for efficient manufacture will consist of two steps. The first step is the identification of the appropriate materials and manufacturing processes for the component parts of a new product design. The second step is the detailed design of the individual components consistent with the capabilities and limitations of the material-process combinations. A prerequisite for making sound judgments in the choice of materials and processes is the availability of manufacturing cost information at the early product concept design stage. This implies the need to estimate manufacturing costs before component part designs are fully detailed and without full knowledge of the manufacturing processing plans. Such cost estimates must therefore be based on assumed optimum manufacturing methods irrespective of the processes and equipment which will actually be used. The present paper illustrates this approach for two important manufacturing processes; namely, machining and injection molding. © 1988.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Journal of Manufacturing Systems

Volume

7

Issue

3

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