Exploring Fear and Hesitancy among Machine Tool Operators - A socio-technical approach on enhancing machine tool usability from a developer, educator and user perspective.

Abstract

Due to the growing shortage of skilled operators and the increasing automation and digitization of manufacturing processes, the topic of machine tool usability has also become more prominent. Understanding the problems and issues which users have to overcome in order to be able to operate their machine tools is essential. Recent research on machine tool usability set a focus on three dimensions of usability: the affective, cognitive and technical dimension, which all influence the overall usability of machine tools. This paper takes a closer look at the affective dimension and the connected factor of fear and initial hesitance of machine tool users. Operating machine tools in a shop floor environment is often connected to time pressure and tight processes. Developers and educators therefore set a high focus on technical aspects and cognitive processes connected to the usage of a machine tool. Thus, the affective dimension of usability is often neglected during the training of machine tool operators and consequently affective aspects, such as fear of using machine tools are still present on the shop floor. In order to understand the nature of the affective dimension, a deeper understanding of the causes of these fears is essential. Therefore, the research question arises: “How can fears and initial hesitancies of machine tool operators be identified and categorized and what countermeasures can be taken to alleviate these initial fears?”. Qualitative expert interviews with control and machine tool developers as well as with educators, trainers and operators provided insights into the status quo of machine development and skilled worker training. Based on this interview study, the aspect of fear of using machine tools was examined in a multi-perspective manner. The researchers found various aspects of fear and obstruction which operators are facing, when working with machine tools. Three main motives for initial hesitance of the operators have been identified: fear of potential injury, fear of damaging the machine and fear of failure. These identified categories were subsequently connected to theories of workplace anxiety, allowing for a deeper understanding of their underlying dynamics. To provide further insights, specific guiding principles for developers, educators and managers were proposed, emphasizing actionable steps that can be taken to address and alleviate the identified fears. The understanding gained in this study forms an important basis for future approaches on machine tool usability from developer, educator and user perspectives.