What is Design for Assembly (DFA) and its key principles?

Design for Assembly (DFA) is a methodology focused on simplifying product assembly to reduce time, cost, and errors. Key principles include minimizing part count, designing for top-down assembly, using self-locating and self-fastening features, eliminating adjustments, ensuring adequate clearance for tools, and avoiding flexible parts. DFA analysis helps identify opportunities to combine parts and simplify fastening methods.