What are some tips for optimizing mechanical design costs?

1.Define clear and realistic requirements. 2.Consider the cost of materials and manufacturing. 3.Design for manufacturability. Avoid complex designs that require expensive or specialised manufacturing processes. Instead, try to design for simplicity and modularity. This will make it easier and cheaper to manufacture your product. 4.Use standard components and materials. This will reduce your procurement costs and make it easier to find suppliers. 5.Optimize your design for weight and volume. 6.Use design for assembly (DFA) and design for manufacturing (DFM) principles. DFA and DFM are systematic approaches.By following these principles, you can reduce your manufacturing costs and improve the quality of your product.

The points stated on the side are very important, we always need to start with the most basic, ensure we have everything in place. Did we define the correct and best materials (the best is not always the most expensive, is what is needed, did we select also the correct size to prevent material loss) do we have a process, is it easy to follow? is it clear? do we have the right people working on this. and even more important do we know what or where we want to get, is the product something that people want is it addresing some issue out there? we need to answer this questions first before moving foward.

Mechanical design is at the heart of engineering, influencing product usefulness, performance, and cost. It is a difficult undertaking to balance aspects such as materials, manufacturing procedures, testing, and quality requirements. The materials used have an impact on both costs and performance. The costs and advantages of manufacturing processes differ. Testing and quality assurance, while costly in the beginning, prevent future problems. It is a constant struggle to strike a balance between cost-effective design and quality. Mechanical design is the intersection of engineering and art, resulting in masterpieces created by a careful balance of knowledge and ingenuity.

Design Verification through FEM analysis for robust design , Mold flow simulations , Considering government regulations requirement along with functionality will further strengthen the design .

It is imperative to have well defined functional requirements or specifications for an equipment or a system. However, it is also critical to establish a clear understanding of the business context and alignment with key people on the problem to be addressed before getting into specifications.

When we're working on a plant project, picking the right materials is like choosing ingredients for a recipe. We need to think about what’s readily available, lasts long, and can be reused or recycled later. (That's also the essence of our shifting priorities towards a more sustainable world with circular economy, means we shall also Design for Impact.) It's not just about whether it makes our design strong or performs well; it's also about how easy it is to get, how well it holds up over time, and how you'll deal with it at the end of its life.

There are a few more things to consider: Think about how you can make your materials last longer. Treating them in certain ways can do that. Also, look at how you can put them together, because that affects how long they'll work. Check if the materials you choose can be used together without causing any problems like corrosion. Think about whether you have the right machines to work with these materials. If not, you might need to hire someone else or move stuff around, which can cost more. By keeping all of this in mind, you'll not only save money but also make your design more efficient and durable.

Indeed, material selection ensuring compatibility with the process is essential as well as consideration to be given to the external environment, latest technology, regional availability etc.

Besides simplifying design, designing for the specific process to be used (both around process-related limitations and process-enabled opportunities) can significantly contribute to a part's production time and cost. Design and manufacturing need to go hand in hand.

One common trap in mechanical design is having an very high factor of safety, use of Heuristics, rule of thumb etc. than relying on calculations can increase cost. Many a times a lack of understanding of concepts also leads to reliance on over engineering.

As I shared in my previous response, getting input early on from our stakeholders especially those who will actually build what we design. This is crucial in EPC plant projects. We need to focus on creating designs that not only serve the purpose but also stand the test of time and consider the future. It's important to design that we can reuse or recycle, reflecting our commitment to sustainability and the circular economy. I would call it 'Design for Impact.' Furthermore, adopting a Lean approach from the get-go, we're setting ourselves up for efficiency gains. The leaner we make the design process, the more we'll benefit from reduced waste, lower costs, and ultimately, a more efficient project lifecycle.

Keep it simple-so true! Use fewer parts, make things as standard as possible, and avoid too many fancy features. Keep your design straightforward. Think about using parts that can be swapped out easily. This can save you from having to make special stuff. Look for ready-made solutions that you can include in your design. By doing this, you'll make your design easier to build and assemble, which cuts down on costs. Plus, it's simpler and more efficient

In my perspective, simplicity in design often translates to higher costs in terms of time and expertise. Achieving a minimalist design requires extensive knowledge and skill to seamlessly integrate various elements. This results in reduced manufacturing and assembly expenses, as well as lower maintenance requirements. Such designs are not only valuable but also indicative of the expertise and craftsmanship involved.

This part of the design is very much dependent on amount of experience in industry. As these things cannot be just learnt from some book and have no hard and fast rules. A manufacturing process can be feasible for one company while same can be costly for other company. e.g. if some part can be made by both forming or welding. The selection of appropriate production method/design will solely depend on production capabilities/limitations of company and engineering judgement of Engineer.

I believe that this part is closer to art than science, one almost has to treat it like a living thing. Although we can get close to - nothing is 100% efficient in any production environment. The aim should always be to maintain a balance of the workflow where equal emphasis is placed on all aspects of the manufacturing rather than on single points. Not all double-handling is a bad thing and sometimes using more material in specific ways can save you money further down the line where the costs of the operation can be excessively higher than the cost of the raw material. Each company would be faced with their own unique circumstances that would be dependent on their capital, skill level and availability, technical capability and capacity.

As part of optimization, standardization of manufacturing process is key to achieve economies of scale. Another aspect of setting up manufacturing process is robust quality assurance and control. This will minimize / eliminate rejections.

In order to optimize the manufacturing process, it is essential to first define the forecast for each batch- whether it entails high volume, low volume, or very low volume production. The choice of manufacturing approach significantly varies depending on the volume. Therefore, I urge everyone to be firm in determining the forecast. This clarity enables meticulous planning and helps in cost savings during the manufacturing phase.

GMP should be followed. GMP refers Good Manufacturing Practise. Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers use GMP to produce documentation. Other industry can use their industry based procedures like as 5S Technology.

In pharmaceuticals industry, we prepare Validation Documents in this stage. Validation Documents consist of the following documents : 1. DQ (design qualification) protocole 2. IQ (installation qualification) protocole 3. OQ (operational qualification) protocole 4. PQ (performance qualification) protocole

For products having significance in public safety, there are different codes & standards (some enforced while some are voluntary) that guides about the design, and also regarding the testing and validation of the product before its operation to ensure that its safe. A safe and tested product as per some international codes and standards can save significant plant downtime, repair manhours, public safety etc.

Testing goes beyond ensuring our product's safety and performance; it's a vital step to meet regulatory standards. Each country has its own approach to risk assessment, so engineers need to understand these specific requirements before finalizing product specs. Staying aware of these details is key to ensuring our products comply with global regulations.

Never forget to talk with the people in the shop actually making the things you design. Sometimes an elegant design "on paper", can be seriously difficult to make and their input can help you make adjustments that will save effort, time and/or expense!

Continual improvement is the only way forward. Over the period, prominent design codes and standards are evolved for safety and cost saving primarily by analyzing data and feedbacks from industries. Similarly, thriving companies also keep on improving there products based on there customer experience and feedbacks. And that is how they keep themselves always ahead in market, in comparison to there competitors.

Never undervalue the experience of machinists and external workshops. Sometimes it is wiser to go to a machinist with a blank drawing, ask their opinion regarding feats, tolerances, processes and manufacturing steps, and finish your design based on those comments. Delivering a design to a workshop with all details before discussing them with the people making it might be an arrogant approach that will be costly in time and money.

When I was starting off I found a good rule of thumb. Think about how much you think it is going to cost, roughly, and triple it. That almost always was close to the final cost. In prototyping there are so many changes you have to make on the way, so many instances of needing external help, and some instances where you just learn as you go. Every design is a new challenge.

1. Conduct Value Engineering Workshop to optimize costs without sacrificing functional requirements. 2. Use non metallics wherever it suits. Typical uses are cable tray, floor grills, composite rebars, Junction boxes … 3. Carry out enterprise wide standardization of equipment design to cut down costs. 4. Develop standard installation drawings for use . 5. Implement Lessons Learned from earlier projects. 6. Develop Corrosion Management Plan at FEED stage too promise TCO of various equipment,