Durban: Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Reviewer – Engineering/Manufacturing – Remote posted by Employ Africa Group

About the Role

Our client is an innovative engineering technology company developing advanced tools that support mechanical design, simulation, and manufacturing workflows. They are seeking a Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Reviewer to join their team and play a key role in ensuring designs meet manufacturability and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Review 3D CAD geometry (parasolid files) and apply structured DFM labels across a large library of mechanical parts
• Identify and label features such as deep pockets, thin walls, undercuts, poor tool access, non-standard radii, tight tolerances implied by geometry, and setup count drivers for CNC machining
• Identify and label draft angle violations, sink risk zones, undercuts requiring side actions or lifters, wall thickness non-uniformity, weld line risk areas, and gate location constraints for injection molding
• Apply severity ratings and flags (e.g., “minor rework,” “requires special tooling,” “mold-breaking feature”) consistently across parts
• Work within a structured labelling taxonomy providing feedback to refine and expand label categories where the schema falls short
• Occasionally annotate at the feature level (specific faces, edges, or regions) rather than just part-level flags
• Validate labels for consistency and flag ambiguous cases for review

Requirements

• Hands-on experience in CNC machining, injection molding, or DFM review in a manufacturing or engineering services context
• Strong ability to read and interpret 3D CAD geometry without needing to model, but able to identify manufacturability issues immediately
• Experience performing or reviewing DFM analyses in a production context (not just academic)
• Systematic, detail-oriented approach labelling work requires consistency above all else
• Comfortable working with structured schemas and documentation requirements

Qualifications

• CNC-Specific Knowledge (Required if labelling CNC parts)
• Deep familiarity with milling, turning, and multi-axis machining constraints
• Understanding of tool access, fixturing, setup count, and feature geometry relative to standard tooling
• Ability to identify features that require 4- or 5-axis capability vs. standard 3-axis
• Knowledge of standard radii, thread types, and tolerance conventions that affect cost
• Injection Molding-Specific Knowledge (Required if labelling IM parts)
• Deep familiarity with draft angle requirements, parting line placement, and ejection constraints
• Understanding of wall thickness guidelines, rib-to-wall ratios, and sink/warp risk
• Ability to identify undercuts and classify the tooling action required (side action, lifter, collapsible core)
• Familiarity with gate types, runner systems, and their geometric implications on part design

Salary & Benefits

No salary information is provided in the original job description.