Back to blog
DFA

DFA in Practice: Reduce Part Count

The simplest DFA question: does this part need to be a separate part? If not, make it part of something else.

July 17, 2026 4 min read
DFA in Practice: Reduce Part Count

The simplest DFA question: does this part need to be a separate part? If it does not move, is not a different material, and does not need to come apart for service — make it part of something else.

  • Combine brackets and housings into one part
  • Mold in fastening features instead of adding screws
  • Use one-piece snap-fits
  • Standardize the fasteners you keep

A product that drops from 40 parts to 18 is not just cheaper to assemble — it is more reliable, because there are fewer things to go wrong.

All designs and intellectual property shown or discussed remain 100% yours. KED signs an NDA and transfers all IP rights to you on paper.

Have a project like this?

Tell us your goal and we will get you to the right conversation.

Related Articles

More in DFA

What is DFA? Design for Assembly
4 min read

What is DFA? Design for Assembly

DFA focuses on how easy a product is to put together. Fewer parts and fewer steps mean cheaper, more reliable assembly.