Reduce the total number of parts. The reduction of the number of parts in a product is probably the
best opportunity for reducing manufacturing costs. Less parts implies less purchases, inventory, handling,
processing time, development time, equipment, engineering time, assembly difficulty, service inspection,
testing, etc. In general, it reduces the level of intensity of all activities related to the product during its
entire life. A part that does not need to have relative motion with respect to other parts, does not have to
be made of a different material, or that would make the assembly or service of other parts extremely
difficult or impossible, is an excellent target for elimination. Some approaches to part-count reduction
are based on the use of one-piece structures and selection of manufacturing processes such as injection
molding, extrusion, precision castings, and powder metallurgy, among others.