Unlocking the economic value and potential of design for manufacture and assembly in a developing country for sustainability

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) principles are aimed at `doing it right the first time' in the minimum possible time with the least or optimal number of parts. However, this depends on the operating environment and thus differs from place to place. This normally presents challenges to engineers tasked with product development, compounded by poor macro-economic conditions. Research carried out at a boilermaking company in Zimbabwe at a time when the country was facing an economic crisis revealed that due to inadequate infrastructure, the company would have lost the potential to supply ethanol storage tanks. The research was aimed at exploring the potential and maximizing the economic value of DFMA by modifying them to suit the environment and in so doing, helped the company to secure the business opportunity for the sustainable production and supply of storage tanks.