The demand for faster, more powerful data centers is pushing design teams to move at breakneck speed. But in the race to launch, too many infrastructure designs go into production without one critical step: design for manufacturability (DFM).
For teams designing data center infrastructure components, skipping DFM can lead to delays, quality issues, and unnecessary costs. The earlier you engage a manufacturing partner like Mills Products, the smoother and more scalable your project will be.
What Is Design for Manufacturability—And Why Should You Care?
DFM is the practice of designing parts, assemblies, or systems to be efficiently and reliably manufactured. It bridges the gap between engineering intent and real-world production, minimizing complexity, cost, and rework.
For server rack metal components, DFM helps ensure:
- Designing with material thicknesses and tolerances your supplier can actually hold
- Avoiding features that require expensive or secondary operations
- Ensuring parts nest efficiently for material yield and throughput
- Creating parts that assemble easily downstream
By bringing Mills Products into the design phase, you’re not just getting a quote—you’re getting expert input to make parts better, faster, and more cost-effective.
How Roll Forming and Stamping Align with DFM Principles
Two of the most efficient methods for high-volume data center infrastructure components are roll forming and stamping. But to fully leverage their benefits, parts must be designed for the processes from the start.
Roll forming is ideal for long, uniform profiles like server rack uprights, cable channels, or structural rails. When designed correctly, it eliminates welds, minimizes waste, and allows high-speed production at tight tolerances.
Stamping works best for brackets, gussets, doors, and shelf components—especially when they include holes, slots, or embossed features.
By applying DFM to these processes, you can avoid overengineering and ensure consistency across thousands—or millions—of parts.
Common Design Pitfalls in Server Rack Manufacturing—and How DFM Solves Them
Let’s look at a few common mistakes made in server rack manufacturing and how DFM practices help fix them:
- Over-specifying tolerances
Designers often apply tighter tolerances than necessary, which increases tooling cost and slows production. DFM helps identify which tolerances matter—and which don’t. - Complex bend geometry
In bracket and chassis design, overly tight bends or unnecessary flanges can lead to cracking or tool failure. A forming expert can help simplify geometry to match the process. - Inefficient material use
Without proper nesting or coil width planning, designs waste material and drive up cost. Roll form and stamping DFM ensures material is optimized from the start.
The fix: early collaboration. When Mills Products engages early, these issues are solved before they hit the floor—saving time, money, and frustration.
DFM Makes Scaling Easier and More Predictable
For teams launching new hardware platforms or scaling production across regions, DFM is more than a best practice—it’s essential. It reduces variability, simplifies downstream assembly, and ensures that your data center infrastructure components perform consistently across every unit and location.
Let’s Talk About Your Next Build
The most efficient builds start with collaboration. At Mills Products, we work with engineering teams early to apply design for manufacturability across every part we produce—from server rack manufacturing to power and cooling support structures.