Application and modification of Design for Manufacture and Assembly principles for the developing world

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) principles form an established framework used to design products in the modern developed world. These principles are assumed to be universal in the design process; however, they are not universally applicable when designing for the developing world for several reasons. First, because the physical conditions in which a product is manufactured are very different, and second, because things such as culture, traditions, and customs in the developing world affect how the product can be produced. Because of these differences, the standard DFMA principles can be categorized into two groups: those we could find a reasonable counter example for and those we could not. For simplicity of presentation, those principles for which a counter example is found are called contingent, because they are contingent on the context. The principles for which a counter example is not found are called universal. Modifications are given for each of the contingent principles that make their use more appropriate in designing for the developing world. Additional modifications also include alternative interpretations of subjective words used in the traditional DFMA principles. A case study of a pineapple juicer for the Amazon region of Brazil is given that demonstrates the principles, both contingent and universal.