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41% Savings by Choosing Commercial Connectors

An international machine builder asked us to help reduce the unit cost of a modular control system. Series production had started, but cable assembly costs were disproportionately high—mainly due to costly industrial connectors.
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Analysis

Consistent use of fully shielded, IP67-certified circular connectors in design

Actual location: protected indoor area inside a control cabinet

Price per connector: >€18, though only IP20 was needed

The design decision was made years ago for “safety” reasons—but never questioned since

Actions

Technical re-validation of requirements

IP67 and shielding not needed in this application

Chose economical, commercial connectors (IP20, plastic)

Functionally equivalent for €3.90 instead of €18.00

Updated design documentation and drawings

Standardised part numbers + new reference design

Trained design teams in Design for Manufacturability (DFM)

Technical requirement ≠ wish list solution

Ergebnis

  • 41% lower component costs
  • Reduced parts diversity by six part numbers
  • No loss of function—approved by end customer after a simple design review
  • Follow-up project with the same approach yielded >35% further savings in a sister project

Conclusion

Overpriced parts are rarely a technical problem—they’re usually due to a lack of economic evaluation in design. Cost down engineering also means: back to reason—and away from “over-engineering”.