Reducing several components into one can sound like an obvious win. Fewer parts can mean fewer fasteners, fewer assembly steps, less inventory and fewer potential interfaces.
But consolidation has tradeoffs.
A larger or more complex component may require more expensive tooling, become harder to inspect, complicate repairs or create more scrap when a single feature falls outside specification. It can also make future design changes more expensive because functions that were once independent are now tied together.
For aerospace and other highly engineered applications, the right answer depends on the entire system not simply the number of parts.
Part consolidation can create meaningful value when it simplifies the product without transferring complexity somewhere else.
GP&C works with customers to evaluate components as part of the larger assembly and manufacturing process. Considering consolidating multiple components into a composite design? Contact our team to evaluate the tradeoffs before committing to the change.
