Posted on 11/10/2025 | By Jeff Daro What is DFM? As an engineer on any given project, you have to make a thousand little choices and tradeoffs. What size will this flange be? How thick does this section need to be? Will this part need to be handled by a human or robot? Through each of these decisions, your final design will take shape. But there is usually one that is last and often overlooked; how will this be made efficiently? That’s where DFM comes in. In this context, DFM means Design For Manufacturing. It involves looking at your design not just through the lens of form, fit, and function, but also taking into account the exact manufacturing processes that will be needed. It requires a deep and extensive knowledge of each manufacturing process’s limits and an eye for what can be changed in a design without sacrificing functionality. Parts designed for manufacturing cost less This is the real reason why DFM can be so important. Something as simple a tooling hole in a strategic location could lower the cost of a single part by 30%. But this cost savings is entirely dependent on whether or not the part is CNC machined, what type of machine it will be done on, and the skill of the programmer and operator. In a different shop, with a different process, the tooling could result is no cost savings at all. There are some basic rules for the manufacturing services we offer. CNC Machining Have rounded internal corners Machining is done by rotating a round tool at high speed in order to cut away material. This means that making an internal corner sharp requires a process other than machining which adds cost. Feature tolerances around +/-.005in[0.1mm] When machining parts, we can easily achieve tolerances as low as +/-.005in[0.1mm]. This is due to a combination of equipment and tooling that we have on-site. Precision Sheet Metal Choose a standard material thickness Sheet metal material comes in standard thickness for every type. For example, 16GA(gauge) cold rolled steel is .06in thick. Wikipedia has a more in-depth explanation of gauge size. Click here for a downloadable chart of common thicknesses for aluminum, cold rolled steel, and stainless steel. Check the distance between features Features that are too close together can be more expensive to make. More care must be taken to ensure the final part is not distorted. Location tolerances around +/-.01in[0.2mm] Precision sheet metal, despite its name, is slightly less accurate of a manufacturing process. While feature size tolerance can vary based on material thickness, the location tolerance of those features is fairly stable It doesn’t hurt to ask In the end, making good DFM choices comes down to having the manufacturing experience to see where designs can be improved. There are very few industry-wide rules that a new engineer can follow. Some, like the ones listed above, are even shop specific. A good shop will work with you to: Help you understand what the limitation of their processes are What design changes can be implemented to save you time and money So if you are looking for a local job shop to help you streamline your designs for machining, precision sheet metal, or even turnkey manufacturing or assembly, contact us today!
