DFM stands for "Design for Manufacturability" or "Design for Manufacturing". It is a process of designing products, components, or parts in such a way that they are easy to manufacture, with the goal of making a better product at a lower cost. The implementation of DFM differs widely depending on the manufacturing technology, and it exists in almost all engineering disciplines. The process of DFM involves designing or engineering a product to facilitate the manufacturing process, in order to reduce its manufacturing costs. By doing so, potential problems can be fixed in the design phase, which is the least expensive place to address them. DFM guidelines take into account the processes and capabilities of the manufacturing industry, and therefore, DFM is constantly evolving.

DFM involves examining five principles: process, design, material, environment, and compliance/testing. The goal of DFM is to reduce manufacturing costs without reducing performance. Other basics of effective DFM include standardization of parts to save on part cost, design simplicity, which may reduce the complication or number of parts required, and setup time reduction.

DFM is usually applied early in the product development cycle, during the product design stage, when it is easier and less expensive to do so, to reduce manufacturing costs. A good DFM involves all stakeholders, including manufacturers, engineers, suppliers, and designers, to make sure every need is taken into account and planned for.

DFM is an important part of any product development cycle, and it should be applied early in the process for the most cost and time savings. A good DFM will help identify and get rid of design flaws, avoid issues and costly re-design changes, and help calculate costs upfront and lower the total cost of ownership. Via DFM, expenses can be managed in the design stage itself, and designs can be discussed.

DFM is often confused with Design for Assembly (DFA), but they are separate methodologies. DFA refers to the optimization of the product itself and the assembly process to reduce cost, effort, and time. DFM focuses on reducing the required number of manufacturing operations while still meeting the products functional requirements[[6]](https:...