ABSTRACT
Developing the part decomposition in this way can lead to cost and schedule overruns when manufacturing and other "downstream" requirements are not properly considered (Fig. 12.1). In this chapter, we present an alternative part decomposition process, which we call the process-driven design approach because it is essentially the reverse of the traditional approach. Instead of considering product performance and piece-part cost ftrst, we start by developing a coordinated product and process plan that includes consideration of marketing strategy, manufacturing strategy, part standardization approaches, and method of assembly. We then develop a part decomposition that supports the coordinated product and process plan. The resulting design is further refined for ease of assembly and component fabrication. It is then iteratively optimized for performance, quality, and piece-part cost.
