Compliant Systems Reduce Part Count In Consumer Products

Several studies have indicated that assembly accounts for about 40% of the labor cost and about 50% of the total cost to manufacture a product. One of the tenets of Design For Assembly (DFA) is to consolidate parts into an integrated design unless there is a functional reason for relative motion and/or material differences. An approach called Design For No Assembly (DNA) takes an even more radical view and advocates that compliant systems can be used to consolidate parts even when there is relative motion between them. This cuts manufacturing costs and at times eliminates the need for assembly altogether.

Application - Windshield Wiper

FlexSys is developing a new one-piece windshield wiper that evenly distributes pressure over the blade and conforms to any glass shape, from flat to highly curved. The photo shows a prototype rear wiper with integrated arm. The one-piece whiffletree design meets stringent performance specifications required by OEMs, and costs less to manufacture than traditional metal and plastic snap-fit designs. Contact FlexSys about licensing our design.