MIL-HDBK-727

Abstract

<strong>FOREWORD</strong> <br>Basically the task of the design engineer is to design a product that satisfies the requirements for functioning, i.e., insure that it works. Implicit in this design is the fact that the technology and materials exist to fabricate the design. Onlv later &#8212;during production engineering&#8212; is thought given to modifying the basic design m permit ease and efficiency in production. This sequential approach is at best a "band-aid" approach, i.e., curing problems that were unconsciously designed into the product initially. The consideration of producibility in the initial design would reduce the possibility of altering its functional characteristics as a result of a change to satisfy producibility and would eliminate, or reduce, the incorporation of a design feature making producibility difficult to achieve. <br>The importance and impact of producibility surfaced with the industrial mobilization occasioned by World War II. The need to re-engineer a particular design to permit ease of manufacture by multiple producers gave testimony that problems existed. Also, the emergence of new skills, technologies, and materials emphasized the need to consider producibility in the initial design phase and thereby avoid or eliminate frequently encountered design problems. In order to keep abreast of rapidly changing technologies that impact producibility, Appendix A, "Information Sources", is presented. Appendix A provides extensive references, data sources, and other sources of information &#8212;each broadly categorized by the technical sources that they cover. <br>Comments relative to the detail associated with data in the handbook follow: <br>a. Product brand names are used only as illustrations or examples; their use does not constitute an endorsement by the US Government. <br>b. The display of a dual dimensional system, i.e., the conversion of English to metric units, indicates "soft metric", a single dimensional unit, "hard metric". <br>c. Rounding off of units &#8212;except for approximate temperatures &#8212;was made in accordance with the procedures in pat-. 4-2.4, Engineering Design Handbook, DARCOM-P 706-470, Metric Conversion Guide. Approximate temperature conversions were rounded to the nearest 5 degrees. <br>Except for Chapters 5 and 6, this handbook was prepared by IIT Research Institute. Chapters 5 and 6 were prepared by the Plastics Technical Evaluation Center (PLASTEC), the Defense Department's specialized information center on plastics.