Engineering Design

When engineers specify a tolerance on a drawing, they are defining how much variation is acceptable. But tighter tolerances don't come for free. The tighter the dimensional requirement, the more difficult it can become to manufacture, measure, inspect, and maintain that dimension consistently. Understanding the relationship between tolerance and manufacturing cost is an important part of design for manufacturability. What Is a Manufacturing Tolerance? A tolerance defines the

Every manufacturing facility eventually encounters the same problem. A critical component fails, the maintenance department searches for the part number, and someone discovers that the manufacturer hasn't made it in fifteen years. The machine may still have plenty of useful life left. But the original part is gone. This is where reverse engineering becomes one of the most valuable capabilities a machine and fabrication shop can offer. What Is Reverse Engineering? In industria

One of the most expensive times to discover a manufacturing problem is after the design has already been approved. By then, material may have been purchased, tooling ordered, and production scheduled. A small design change can suddenly become an expensive engineering change. That's why experienced manufacturing engineers try to get involved before the first piece of material is cut. The concept is called Design for Manufacturability, or DFM. The idea is straightforward: desig