Design for manufacturing: choices that cut cost before quoting

Machining DFM

Radius internal corners (tools are round), loosen tolerances outside functional surfaces, avoid deep narrow pockets, standardize hole sizes to drills, and design for minimal setups. Each rule removes minutes and tool wear from every single part.

Printing DFM

Orient strength with layers, design self-supporting angles (over ~45°), hollow where possible, respect minimum wall thickness per process, and consolidate assemblies - printing rewards complexity that machining punishes.

Sheet metal DFM

Uniform thickness, standard bend radii (≈ material thickness), K-factor-aware flat patterns, holes at least 1.5x thickness from bends, and nesting-friendly outlines all cut cost at the quoting stage.

Feedback beats rework

The cheapest DFM happens before the order. Instant quoting with geometry analysis - like SeekMake's AI plugin provides - flags cost drivers to the customer automatically, so better-designed parts arrive in your queue.