Abstract
Evaluation of manual hand tools play an important role in producing better designs that are targeted to fit the user, maximize comfort, and minimize the risk of injury. The goal of this study was to evaluate and quantify the muscle response due to a horizontal wrenching task while using four socket wrench configurations: two handle types and two handle lengths. Eleven participants in this study were instructed to loosen a bolt three times using each of the tool combinations in a random order. Activity from twelve muscles was recorded using wireless surface EMG sensors. Both the handle length and the grip type were observed to have a significant effect on the overall muscle activity. Between 5-32% reduction in muscle activity was seen in all muscles due to the longer handle, and the padded handle further reduced muscle effort by up to 13%. These findings indicate the importance of tool configuration selection in order to reduce the required force application, improve posture and reduce muscle effort required for the wrenching task.
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