Possibilities and Challenges for Proactive Manufacturing Ergonomics

Abstract

This paper identifies and describes product development activities where ergonomics issues could be considered and illustrates how that could be done through a number of different approaches. The study is divided into two parts where an interview study is done to identify where in a product development process consideration of ergonomics issues are or could be done. The second part of the study includes an observation, motion capture and simulation study of current manufacturing operations to evaluate and compare three different assessment approaches; observational based ergonomics evaluation, usages of motion capture data and DHM simulation and evaluation. The results shows the importance of consideration of ergonomics in early development phases and that the ergonomics assessment process is integrated in the overall product and production development process.