Product Development Mistakes That Increase Manufacturing Costs

Designing for Manufacturability (DFM)

Product development is a balancing act between form, function, and manufacturing feasibility. Many startups and established brands make the mistake of designing a product in a vacuum, only to realize that mass production is prohibitively expensive.

Common Costly Mistakes in Product Development

To keep production costs low, watch out for these standard design errors during the prototype stage:

• Over-specifying Tolerances: Requesting tight tolerances where they are not functionally necessary increases machining time and rejects, driving unit costs up.
• Ignoring Standard Materials: Designing custom alloys, non-standard wall thicknesses, or proprietary components forces suppliers to source custom raw materials at a premium.
• Complex Part Geometry: Complex shapes often require expensive multi-axis CNC machining, complex injection mold slides, or manual assembly steps. Simple, modular designs are always cheaper.

The Solution: DFM Review

A Design for Manufacturability (DFM) review involves engineering and manufacturing specialists collaborating to simplify part counts, optimize draft angles, and choose the most cost-effective manufacturing processes (e.g., die casting vs. sand casting).

Partnering with GMM during early development ensures your design is optimized for scale. Connect with our product development managers to evaluate your design today.