Design for Manufacture & Assembly (DfMA) is a progressive, holistic design & construction methodology that focuses on minimising lead-times and costs by ensuring that in the early stages of the design process, consideration is paid to the ease of manufacture & installation of the final product.
Products are designed to be modular, and constructed from kits of parts that are constructed offsite to very tight tolerances.
This accuracy is critical to reduce friction between the multitude of trades onsite. The DfMA methodology allows all parties to have confidence that there will not be any deviation from construction specifications, therefore reducing rework & variations.
This method is an ideal partner for Building Information Modelling (BIM) as both are instrinsically linked through their combined requirement of collaboration & accuracy throughout the design process through simulation and visualisation.
Here at Cubispec, our products are designed with this DfMA methodology forefront and combined with continuous improvement, we are able to drastically reduce cost and installation time onsite.
This progressive culture allows Cubispec to be the partner of choice for Toilet & Shower Partitioning systems for all leading construction firms.
The 5 key benefits of DfMA;
Lead-time Reduction – with the accuracy and consistency provided by following the DfMA principles, we are able to preassemble the products in the controlled environment in the factory.The level of preassembly, is only dictated by the accessibility of the construction site.
Increased Sustainability – With most of the components being modular & standardised, this methodology ensures that materials are used in the most cost-effective manner throught the optimisation of cutting & processing raw materials. This is a critical benefit considering an estimated 25% of construction materials end up in landfill site through the inefficient, standard construction methods.
It is also estimated that through the use of the centralised, controlled offsite location, carbon emissions are reduced by up to 60% due to the reduced transportation and labour required.
Improved Safety – Construction is an inherently risky industry and so by utilising the controlled environment of the factory to prefabricate / preassemble products, time spent on site is drastically reduced. Modular construction is estimated to reduce up to 60% of on site labour.
Cost Reduction – Due to the shorter lead-times created by using DfMA principles, there are drastic savings in labour costs. Combined with the reduction in materials due to the more considered usage, cost savings are significant.
Increased Quality – Offsite construction allows for far better supervision and management of work practises. The efficiency and controlled environment of the factory also, significantly reduce opportunity for defects & deviations to occur during the assembly / manufacturing process. Quite often, onsite installation is hampered by difficult working conditions, lack of access to correct tools and interuptions from other trades.
