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Interactive Engineering Checklist

Did You
Think
About That?

Before you open CAD or cut anything — run this list. Every missed checkbox is a problem you'll fix later, at higher cost. Enter your project name, check each item, and track your progress.

● New Designs
● Modifications
● Design Reviews

✓ Review Complete

Every item accounted for. Ship it.

☑ Check items complete, or mark N/A if they don't apply. When you print, every N/A item gets a line to document why — a blank means you forgot, N/A means you thought about it.
⬣ Structure & Geometry 01
  • Load path traced end-to-end — does force reach ground (or its reaction point) without a gap?
  • Clearances verified at all limits of motion, deflection, thermal growth, and misalignment?
  • Tolerance stack-up analyzed — does it still fit at worst case?
  • Datum scheme defined — are your references stable, reproducible, and measurable?
  • Assembly sequence logical — can a human actually build it in that order?
  • Symmetry exploited where possible, asymmetry called out where not?
  • Weight & CG assessed — does it affect system performance, balance, or handling?
  • Stiffness — is deflection under load acceptable, not just strength?
  • Resonance / natural frequency — will it vibrate at or near operating frequencies?
  • Sealing / IP rating — ingress protection requirement defined and achievable with this geometry?
◈ Materials & Selection 02
Selection
  • Material justified — why this alloy, grade, polymer, or resin system specifically?
  • Availability & lead time acceptable? Any sole-source risk?
  • Cost checked against budget? Cheaper option considered and rejected for a reason?
Compatibility
  • Galvanic pairs — dissimilar metals isolated or protected?
  • Thermal expansion mismatch at bonded or bolted joints?
  • Adhesive compatibility — cure temp, substrate prep, open time?
  • Chemical compatibility — fluids, cleaners, solvents, UV, ozone exposure?
  • Corrosion protection plan defined — spec, prep, coverage?
Compliance
  • Regulatory material requirements met — RoHS, REACH, Prop 65, biocompatibility, food-contact?
  • Flammability rating — UL 94, FAR 25.853, or other standard required and met?
  • Outgassing / off-gassing — restricted environment (cleanroom, sealed enclosure, space)?
↯ Load & Environment 03
Loads
  • Static load defined with magnitude and direction?
  • Dynamic factor applied — vibration, shock, impact, cyclic?
  • Fatigue considered — how many cycles at what fraction of rated load?
  • Safety factor defined on yield and ultimate, appropriate to industry?
  • Worst-case scenario defined — abuse case, overload, misuse, crash, drop?
Environment
  • Operating & storage temp range defined?
  • Water / moisture exposure — splash, submersion, condensation, humidity, drainage?
  • UV, dust, sand, abrasion — protection planned?
  • Altitude / pressure — sealed enclosures, pressure differentials, vacuum exposure?
  • EMI / EMC exposure — will it emit or be affected by electromagnetic interference?
  • Sterilization / decontamination — method defined and material compatible (autoclave, EtO, gamma, chemical)?
⚙ Manufacturability 04
Design for Manufacture
  • Process selected — machining, casting, molding, sheet metal, 3D print, layup? Geometry suits the process?
  • Tool access — wrench, drill, weld gun, end mill can physically reach every feature?
  • Part count minimized — can any parts be combined without killing serviceability?
  • Standard hardware used wherever possible — no exotic specials?
  • Self-locating features — tabs, slots, datums, bosses that prevent assembly errors?
  • Poka-yoke — is it impossible (or obvious) to assemble wrong?
  • Draft, radii, wall thickness — appropriate for the manufacturing process (molding, casting, forming)?
Process
  • Jig / fixture requirements identified and planned?
  • Process distortion plan — weld sequence, molding warp, heat treatment, spring-back?
  • Surface finish / cosmetic spec called out clearly — texture, Ra, visual class?
⯃ Joining & Fastening 05
Fasteners
  • Type, size, grade specified for every fastener?
  • Thread engagement adequate — min 1.0x dia in steel, 1.5x in aluminum, 2.0x in plastic?
  • Torque spec called out — not just "snug"?
  • Thread-lock / locking feature defined for vibration environment?
  • Inserts needed — helicoil, heat-set, molded-in, or press-fit in soft or thin substrates?
Adhesive, Weld & Other
  • Bond area adequate for shear and peel loads — not just "glued"?
  • Surface prep defined — grit, solvent wipe, primer, plasma, open time?
  • Weld spec — fillet size, process (MIG, TIG, laser, ultrasonic, friction stir), filler, inspection class?
  • Snap fits / press fits — interference calculated, assembly and disassembly force acceptable?
◎ Inspection & QC 06
  • Critical dimensions identified and marked on drawing?
  • Measurement method defined — CMM, calipers, gauge, go/no-go, optical?
  • First article plan — who checks what before production run?
  • Visual acceptance criteria defined — what does "good" look like?
  • In-process checks — what stops a bad part from continuing downstream?
  • Functional test defined — does it actually do its job before assembly?
  • Non-conformance path — what happens when something fails? MRB, rework, scrap criteria?
  • Traceability — lot, serial, date code, or material cert tracking required?
  • Record keeping — what gets documented, where, and for how long?
⟡ System Integration 07
Physical Interfaces
  • Electrical routing — harness conflicts, chafe points, bend radius, connector access?
  • Plumbing / fluid routing — abrasion, kink radius, freeze, drain path, leak test?
  • Thermal management — airflow blocked? Heat soak to adjacent parts? Cooling path defined?
  • Mating interface dims confirmed from actual drawings or models — not memory or catalog?
  • Software / firmware interface — sensor inputs, actuator outputs, communication protocol defined?
BOM & Change Impact
  • New parts — added to BOM, supplier identified, lead time checked, second source considered?
  • Superseded parts — existing inventory disposition plan?
  • Affects existing production / fielded units? — retrofit needed? Customer notification?
  • Change order triggered? — change documented and approved before first production use?
△ Safety & Risk 08
  • Sharp edges / pinch points / crush zones addressed?
  • Fail mode — graceful degradation or sudden failure? Is the failure mode acceptable?
  • Regulatory requirements — applicable standards identified (FDA, DOT, UL, CE, ISO, OSHA, ASME, etc.)?
  • Risk assessment — DFMEA, hazard analysis, or fault tree performed? Residual risk acceptable?
  • Overload path — where does force go when load exceeds rating?
  • Stored energy — springs, pressure, electrical charge safely managed during service?
  • Lockout-tagout — can energy sources be isolated for maintenance?
  • Warnings / labels needed on the part, packaging, or in documentation?
↺ Serviceability 09
  • Field-repairable with common tools, no special equipment?
  • Wear items — accessible, replaceable without major disassembly?
  • Service documentation — written and available before ship?
  • Torque specs & procedures captured where a technician needs them?
  • Spare parts — critical consumables identified, sourced, and stocked?
  • Diagnostic access — test points, status indicators, or ports available for troubleshooting?
  • End-of-life — disassembly for recycling, disposal, or material recovery considered?

Want This Thinking Built Into Your Team?

The DYTAT checklist catches problems before they become expensive. If you want this kind of systematic engineering discipline embedded in your product development process, there are two ways to work together.

◆
Training & Workshops

Half-day or full-day sessions, in person or virtual. Your team leaves with a working design review system they understand — not a slide deck they'll forget.

◆
Consulting & Implementation

Need an engineer who already thinks this way? From napkin sketch to manufacturing release — product design, CAD architecture, and DFM review. The same methodology, applied to your product.

Get in Touch →
@interpetr · interpetr.com