Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc offers a new release of the company's Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) software. The new software release is DFMA 2005 A, which includes upgraded versions of both modules in the integrated DFMA suite: DFA Version 9.2, and DFM Concurrent Costing version 2.1.
DFMA software identifies the major cost drivers associated with manufacturing and finishing parts. The software helps engineering supply chains understand the cost structure of products and supports the development of designs that are easier and more economical to produce. The software takes a quantitative, multidisciplinary approach to cost assessment. A key benefit is the quick generation of an initial cost estimate at any stage of design in just a few simple steps.
This version of DFMA offers many new features that help engineers create cost-effective, highly manufacturable products. Of particular importance for design cost estimating are two new manufacturing processes: deep drawing and assembly fabrication.
-
Deep drawing is a major addition to the range of sheet metal working processes in DFMA software. Engineers are now able to cost out their designs using all the common manufacturing processes for sheet metal parts. The new cost model also estimates costs for subsequent press operations with deep-drawn parts, such as trimming, ironing, restriking, punching, and bending. With the addition of deep drawing, engineers can investigate costs for a broad scope of alternative shape-forming processes, including sheet metalworking, machining, plastic injection molding, metal injection molding, diecasting, and powder metals.
-
Assembly fabrication introduces an entirely new capability in DFMA software that will aid decisions about parts consolidation. For the first time, engineers can estimate the cost of a small welded subassembly and compare it to the cost of a single part. The new assembly fabrication process makes it easier for engineers to compare manufacturing processes for designs with a different number of parts and select the most cost-effective design from among them.
Other major improvements to the software include libraries of machine costs for manufacturing hot-forged, powder-metal, and foam-molded parts. New libraries for the various types of furnaces used in powder metal and hot forging processes have also been added.
For more details, contact Boothroyd Dewhurst, Wakefield RI.