Design of Workplace in Assembly Unit Using Ergonomic Principles

Abstract

Nowadays, most modern companies focus on achieving high productivity through their normal routine work. Necessity to provide a huge quantity of products within a short period of time make the workers to redeem more of their effort. This situation demands the workers to acclimate to improperly designed workstation, and the workers feel that they suffer from high levels of fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders. Ergonomic principles play an important role in workers’ productivity, and thus, it becomes essential to consider these ergonomic principles while the industrial workstations are designed. The objective of this investigation is to improve workers efficiency with the reduction of cycle time thereby achieving high productivity. The study was conducted on assembly and collection workstation of fasteners involved in actuators assembly. Ergonomic study of these workstations was done by measuring the reach zone between the worker and working area, workbench height and time study during collection of fasteners. Findings from the study reveal that fixed existing workstation at the company was not designed by considering ergonomic principles. Moreover, collection of fasteners is about 75 s, and it is reduced to 50 s by modifying the workstation.