Part Design Methods engineers are often inclined to feel that once a design has been accepted, their

only recourse is to plan its economical manufacture. While introducing even a slight design change may be difficult, a good methods should still review every design for possible improvements. Designs can be changed, and if improvement is the result, and the activity of the job is significant, then the change should be made. To improve the design, analysts should keep in mind the following pointers for lower cost designs on each component and each subassembly: 1. Reduce the number of parts by simplifying the design. 2. Reduce the number of operations and the length of travel in manufacturing by joining the parts better and by making the machining and assembly easier. 3. Utilize a better material. 4. Liberalize tolerances and rely on key operations for accuracy, rather than on series of closely held limits. 5. Design for manufacturability and assembly. Methods for Minimum Cost Design Castings 1. Eliminate dry sand (baked-sand) cores. 2. Minimize depth to obtain flatter castings. 3. Use minimum weight consistent with sufficient thickness to cast without chilling. 4. Choose simple forms. 5. Symmetrical forms produce uniform shrinkage. 6. Liberal radii no sharp corners. 7. If surfaces are to be accurate with relation to each other, they should be in the same part of the pattern, if possible. 8. Locate parting lines so that they will not affect. 9. Specify multiple patterns instead of single ones. 10.Metal patterns are preferable to wood. 11.Permanent molds instead of metal patterns. Moldings 1. Eliminate inserts from parts.

2. Design molds with smallest number of parts. 3. Use simple shapes. 4. Locate flash lines so that the flash does not need to be filed and polished. 5. Minimum weight. Punchings 1. Punched parts instead of molded, cast, machined, of fabricated parts. 2. Nestable punchings to economize on material. 3. Holes requiring accurate relation to each other to be made by the same die. 4. Design to use coil stock. 5. Punchings designed to have minimum sheared length and maximum die strength with fewest die moves. Formed parts 1. Drawn parts instead of spun, welded, or forged parts. 2. Shallow draws of possible. 3. Liberal radii on corners. 4. Bent parts instead of drawn, 5. Parts formed of strip or wire instead of punched from sheet. Fabricated parts 1. Self-tapping screws instead of standard screws. 2. Drive pins instead of standard screws. 3. Rivets instead of screws. 4. Hollow rivets instead of solid rivets. 5. Spot or projection welding instead of riveting. 6. Welding instead of brazing or soldering 7. Use die castings or molded parts instead of fabricated construction requiring several parts.