A Methodology for Incorporating Ergonomics into Manufacturing Systems Design

Abstract

Approaches to manufacturing systems design often utilize a sequential procedure that focuses on the use of new and available technologies to improve production capacity, with the roles of employees in production processes considered much later. This study developed a methodology that integrates both manual and computer simulations to evaluate system performance and identify ergonomic problems early in the system design process. Information about operator performance and potential ergonomic risk factors is obtained through manual simulations, and estimates of operator utilization and system throughput are obtained through computer simulations. An iterative design process is used, with the results of manual and computer simulations informing each other during subsequent simulations. The results of an industrial case study in which the methods were applied to the design of a manufacturing cell demonstrate that the methodology can be used to design manufacturing systems with significant savings in labor cost and improved manufacturing system flexibility.