Essential Engineering Terms and Acronyms

DFMA

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly

DFMA is a design approach focused on simplifying parts and assemblies to make manufacturing and assembly more cost-effective and efficient. By prioritizing manufacturability during the design phase, engineers reduce production costs and streamline processes, ensuring a faster time-to-market.

Simplifying a complex bracket design to require fewer machining operations while maintaining structural integrity.

GD&T

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

GD&T is a standardized language that defines and controls the allowable variation in the size, form, orientation, and location of features. This ensures that parts fit and function correctly even when manufactured by different suppliers.

FEA

Finite Element Analysis

FEA is a computational tool used to analyze and predict how components will react under real-world conditions like stress, heat, and vibration. By dividing a complex structure into smaller elements, engineers can calculate responses to applied forces and optimize the design before physical testing.

Performing an FEA simulation to identify stress concentrations in a turbine blade and redesigning the geometry to extend its service life.