Fins Module Conception of the Microsatellite Launch Vehicle Based on Design for Manufacture and Assembly Method

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the application of the Design for Manufacture and Assembly method (DFMA) during the conception of a space product. This approach enables to capture manufacture and assembly requirements in early phases of development. DFMA guides the manufacture processes and materials that rule the Fins Module interface to the Microsatellite Launch Vehicle (VLM-1) main structure. The results of this process are the requirements captured in the beginning of the project development, allowing avoiding problems that generally occur in the manufacture stage and in assembly, integration and test (AIT) phase. Rework, material loss, wasting time to assembly and integration, over engineering and unnecessary engineering are problems that the method intends to reduce in the physical implementation phase.