Optimizing Design for Automation

Device developers put a lot of time and energy into the design of a new product.

However, they may forget that all design needs to consider the next stages of manufacture, including assembly.

The assembly stage represents a place to improve a product's quality, time to market, and cost-effectiveness.

The best way to achieve those improvements is to begin thinking about assembly early in the process; that is, during the design stage.

Working on design for automation up front is vital in medical devices because of the approval process involved.

Once regulatory go-ahead is secured, it can be difficult to go back and make even minor modifications to a design, whether to reduce changeovers or any other purpose.