Design for Manufacturing and Assembly and Concurrent Engineering in Electro-Optical Systems

Abstract

This chapter discusses design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA), and concurrent engineering (CE) in electro-optical systems. Design for manufacturing and assembly and concurrent engineering techniques offer the potential to improve the principal measures of product value-especially cost, time to market, and quality. The chapter focuses on exploiting the methodology that has been developed during the DFMA/CE process: heavy reliance on small cross-functional teams that represent all the disciplines involved in the design and manufacturing processes. Hughes Aircraft is an $8 billion producer of high-technology electronic products for defense, communications, and commercial markets. Hughes has implemented a highly disciplined DFMA and CE (DFMA/CE) process for electro-optical systems based on the integration of many CE tools in support of DFMA methodology. These tools include design to cost (DTC), quality function deployment (QFD), internal design reviews (IDRs), risk analysis and management, computer-aided design (CAD), and rapid prototyping (stereolithography). The application of multiple CE tools integrates product development functions into parallel, simultaneous activities. The effect is to ensure that all important product development decisions are made at the earliest possible time based on the best information available. The process requires teamwork, to the fullest extent possible, among all participants in the engineering development process: program management, marketing, design engineering, test and integration, suppliers, and even customers.