Process Orientated DfX Support

In order to receive technical high-quality and innovative products, various influencing factors of partner systems (“X”) must be considered, like manufacturing, assembly or market, apart from pure fulfilment of function in product development. This paper shows where in the product development process a Design for X (DfX) support is necessary and in what way product developers have to be supported. The product develop-ment process is characterised by two steps, the synthesis and the analysis [1]. At the begin-ning of the product development process the engineers get the target properties of a product, which have to be transferred in characteristics. In the synthesis step product developers define characteristics of the product. Actual properties of the system result in these characteristics. In the analysis step the actual properties are analysed. It is important to check, if the actual prop-erties are the same as the wanted target properties. If not, iterations have to be done in several synthesis steps. In order to avoid iterations and unnecessary costs, a DfX support to product developers is essential. The considerations of the paper are finally clarified by an example.