# Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Review Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/design-for-manufacturability-review-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Design review checklist covering tolerances, materials, processes, assembly, inspection, supply chain and cost for a new or changed part. ## Category engineering-plm ## Audience - Design engineer - Manufacturing engineer - Engineering manager ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Requirements and tolerances **Items:** **Text:** Functional requirements and critical features are identified on the drawing **Critical:** true Tolerances are tight only where function needs them **Text:** Tolerance stack-up is checked for assemblies with critical fits **Critical:** true GD&T is applied consistently and datums are accessible to inspect Surface finish callouts are specified only where required **Text:** Applicable standards, customer requirements and regulatory needs are listed **Critical:** true #### Materials and processes **Items:** **Text:** Material is available in standard stock sizes and forms **Critical:** true Alternative materials are considered for cost and lead time The chosen process (machining, casting, forming, molding) suits the volume Features are reachable by standard tools, with sensible internal corner radii **Text:** Wall thickness, hole depth and aspect ratios are within process limits **Critical:** true Heat treatment, plating and coating steps are specified with required standards **Text:** Special processes use approved suppliers where required **Critical:** true #### Assembly and handling **Items:** The number of parts and fastener types is minimised **Text:** Parts can only be assembled the correct way (poka-yoke features) **Critical:** true Assembly sequence is possible with available tools and access Torque, adhesive and sealant requirements are defined Parts are protected against damage, corrosion and ESD where needed Marking, labelling and traceability requirements are on the drawing #### Inspection and quality **Items:** **Text:** Every characteristic can be measured with available gauges or methods **Critical:** true **Text:** Key and special characteristics are flagged for process control **Critical:** true First article, sampling and inspection plan needs are defined Failure modes of the design and process are reviewed in the FMEA Test and acceptance criteria are written and agreed with the customer where applicable #### Supply chain and cost **Items:** **Text:** Components are available from more than one qualified source where practical **Critical:** true Lead times and minimum order quantities fit the build plan Target cost is checked against a should-cost or supplier quote Tooling, fixtures and gauges are identified with cost and lead time Obsolescence and end-of-life risk are reviewed for electronic and bought-out parts **Text:** Export control, country of origin and restricted substance needs are checked **Critical:** true Review actions are logged with owners and due dates **Scoring Note:** Count completed items per group. Any unresolved critical item should be assigned an owner and closed or accepted with a documented risk decision before the design is released to production. ## Content **Intro:** A design that passes a functional review can still be costly or hard to build. A short manufacturability review before drawing release catches avoidable problems when changes are cheap. This checklist covers requirements, materials and processes, assembly, inspection and supply chain. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Hold the review with design, manufacturing engineering, quality and purchasing in the room, using the released model and draft drawing. Walk through each group and record issues in a comment log. Export the finished checklist to PDF and keep it with the release package. Run it again after significant changes, not only at first release. **Bullets:** - Include a shop floor voice, not only office engineers - Review the drawing the supplier will actually receive - Log each issue with an owner and due date #### Principles behind the checklist **Body:** Design for manufacturability and assembly rests on a few ideas: reduce part count, use standard materials and features, keep tolerances as loose as function allows, make the right assembly the only possible assembly, and make every critical feature measurable. Cost is largely fixed at the design stage, so late changes are expensive. Tolerance in particular drives cost steeply, because tighter limits mean slower processes, more inspection and more scrap. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Frequent misses are tolerances copied from a similar part, features that cannot be reached by a standard tool, datum schemes that cannot be fixtured, and callouts for gauges that do not exist. Teams also skip the supply chain group and discover single-source or long lead parts after release. Treat the review as a gate with named owners, not as a form that is filled out after the design is frozen. **Cta:** Netray can discuss ways to bring cost, lead time and past nonconformance data from your ERP into design reviews so they use real history. **Faq:** #### When should a DFM review happen? **Answer:** As early as there is a model and draft drawing, and again before release. Early reviews change design cheaply, while a release review confirms that issues were closed and that drawings are ready for suppliers. #### Who should attend a DFM review? **Answer:** The design engineer, a manufacturing or process engineer, quality, purchasing or supplier development, and ideally a representative from the shop floor or the supplier who will make the part. #### How is DFM different from DFMEA? **Answer:** DFM looks at how easily and cheaply a design can be made, assembled and inspected. DFMEA analyses how the design could fail in use and ranks the risks. They complement each other and share some inputs. #### Does the checklist apply to electronics? **Answer:** Many items apply, but electronics also need board layout rules, component spacing, test point access and standards such as IPC. Use this as a base and add your assembly house's design rules. ## Search terms DFM checklist, design for manufacturability checklist, design review checklist manufacturing, DFM review template, design for assembly checklist, manufacturability review before release, drawing review checklist machining, new product design review checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json