DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING (DFM) GUIDE

The DFM Checklist

Before you submit your design for a quote, run through this checklist. Answering these questions can help you identify potential issues, reduce costs, and improve the quality of your final part.

For Injection Molded Parts:

> Uniform Wall Thickness: Have I designed the part with a consistent wall thickness throughout? Have I cored out any thick sections?
> Draft Angle: Have I applied at least 1-2 degrees of draft to all vertical faces relative to the line of draw? (3-5 degrees for textured surfaces).
> Ribs/Bosses: Are all ribs and bosses designed to be 50-60% of the nominal wall thickness to prevent sink marks?
> Radii & Corners: Have I added generous radii to all internal and external corners to improve flow and reduce stress?
> Undercuts: Does my design have undercuts? If so, are they absolutely necessary, or can they be eliminated with a design change to reduce tooling cost?

For CNC Machined Parts:

> Tolerances: Have I only applied tight tolerances to truly critical features? Is the rest of the part designed to the standard tolerance (e.g., ±0.125 mm)?
> Internal Radii: Are all internal corner radii as large as possible? A radius of 3mm or more is ideal. Are all internal radii the same size to avoid tool changes?
> Thin Walls: Are all walls thick enough to be machined without vibration or deflection? (Typically >1mm for metal, >1.5mm for plastic).
> Deep Pockets/Holes: Is the depth of any pocket or hole less than 6-8 times the diameter of the cutting tool?
> Threads: Are all threads standard sizes? For blind holes, is there enough extra drill depth for tap clearance?

Ready for a Quote?

If you can answer "yes" to most of these questions, your part is likely well-optimized for manufacturing. Upload your design to our Instant Quoting Engine and our engineers will perform a final review.

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