An Investigation into the Management of Design for Manufacturing Knowledge in an Aerospace Company

Design engineers are under constant pressure to improve product design for better manufacturability and product performance. However, design issues and areas for improvements are normally identified in the aerospace industry during the production phase of a product's lifecycle when design engineers have begun working on other projects under tight schedules for delivery. This investigation focuses on the issues and limitations for managing the production line manufacturing knowledge that can benefit design engineers to implement design for manufacturing strategies at a large aerospace systems manufacturer in the UK. The findings aim to describe the current system and its limitations in order to improve the management of manufacturing knowledge for the design engineers. Recommendations for a solution are proposed to apply in the industry to improve knowledge management for design for manufacturing in the engineering function.