Design Manufacturing; DFM Reviewer - Engineering/Manufacturing - Remote Job Durban South Africa,Engineering

Position: Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Reviewer - Engineering/Manufacturing - Remote

Our client is an innovative engineering technology company developing advanced tools that support mechanical design, simulation, and manufacturing workflows. As part of their continued growth, 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.

Job description

Our client is building a labelled dataset of mechanical CAD parts annotated with Design for Manufacturability (DFM) attributes for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining and injection moulding.

Your job is to analyze 3D part geometry and apply structured, consistent DFM labels — identifying features that drive cost, complexity, or manufacturability risk. This labelled data trains machine learning models that can automatically evaluate parts for manufacturability. You don't need to be an ML engineer; you need to be an expert manufacturer who can think systematically about what makes a part hard or easy to make.

What you would do

Review 3D CAD geometry (parasolid files) and apply structured DFM labels across a large library of mechanical parts

For CNC machining: 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 injection molding: 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

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 — you don't need to model, but you need to look at a geometry file (STEP) and immediately identify manufacturability issues

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

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

Nice to Have

Experience in both CNC and injection molding (generalist labelers are especially valuable)

Prior work in a DFM software tool (DFMPro, Moldflow, Fusion Manufacture, etc.)

Background in quoting or cost estimation — people who've quoted parts tend to have very sharp DFM instincts

Comfort with Python or basic scripting for batch file review workflows

Interest in or exposure to AI/ML applications in manufacturing

Design Manufacturing; DFM Reviewer - Engineering​/Manufacturing - Remote

Design Manufacturing; DFM Reviewer - Engineering/Manufacturing - Remote