Design for Assembly (DFA) analysis and application for cold-gas thrusters of a space re-entry vehicle module

Abstract

Design for Assembly (DFA) is a way of analyzing and designing, or redesigning, a product from the perspective of assembly in order to reduce cost and increase reliability and quality. A review was performed on the design of cold-gas thrusters of a space re-entry vehicle module project from MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This review was performed from an assembly standpoint, and focused on a redesign through DFA principles. Accordingly, it evaluated the effectiveness of DFA and specific methodologies in applications such as this "non-conventional" aerospace/defense application, in which cost is not as primary of an issue as reliability and quality. Improvements to the methodology which might be better suited for these types of applications were also explored. General Design for Assembly framework and guidelines were reviewed, followed by specific reviews of two methodologies. These were then implemented for the case study. A DFA redesign of the cold-gas thruster was developed through the results of the two methodologies. Through this process, important issues of the original design were identified and examined. The approach to these issues was strictly from a DFA perspective. Resolutions and design modifications to these issues were developed for assistance in future creation of improved assembly-oriented designs.