Design of Human-Centered Collaborative Assembly Workstations for the Improvement of Operators’ Physical Ergonomics and Production Efficiency: A Case Study

Abstract

Industrial collaborative robotics is one of the main enabling technologies of Industry 4.0. Collaborative robots are innovative cyber-physical systems, which allow safe and efficient physical interactions with operators by combining typical machine strengths with inimitable human skills. One of the main uses of collaborative robots will be the support of humans in the most physically stressful activities through a reduction of work-related biomechanical overload, especially in manual assembly activities. The improvement of operators’ occupational work conditions and the development of human-centered and ergonomic production systems is one of the key points of the ongoing fourth industrial revolution. The factory of the future should focus on the implementation of adaptable, reconfigurable, and sustainable production systems, which consider the human as their core and valuable part. Strengthening actual assembly workstations by integrating smart automation solutions for the enhancement of operators’ occupational health and safety will be one of the main goals of the near future. In this paper, the transformation of a manual workstation for wire harness assembly into a collaborative and human-centered one is presented. The purpose of the work is to present a case study research for the design of a collaborative workstation to improve the operators’ physical ergonomics while keeping or increasing the level of productivity. Results demonstrate that the achieved solution provides valuable benefits for the operators’ working conditions as well as for the production performance of the companies. In particular, the biomechanical overload of the worker has been reduced by 12.0% for the right part and by 28% for the left part in terms of manual handling, and by 50% for the left part and by 57% for the right part in terms of working postures. In addition, a reduction of the cycle time of 12.3% has been achieved.

Human-centred design in industry 4.0: case study review and opportunities for future research

“…In this context, design for the collaboration is well known as human–robot collaboration (HRC), which is also interchangeably called human–robot interaction (Cohen et al, 2019 ; Gervasi et al, 2020 ). Beyond the physical interactions, the collaboration design also enables the robots and humans to share knowledge and learn from others, and so work towards social sustainability, i.e., discussions and accommodation with others’ perspectives (Fosch-Villaronga et al, 2020 ; Gualtieri et al, 2020 ; Richert et al, 2018 ; Weichhart et al, 2019 ).…”

“…These new requirements have impacted the factories themselves, but they affect the entire value chain, from the product design and development process through market segmentation to manufacturing and product disposal management (Bauer et al, 2019 ; Kong et al, 2019 ; Pereira Pessôa & Jauregui Becker, 2020 ). In this sense, for transitioning to sustainable manufacturing processes and consumption, human-centred factors play a core role in the achievement of sustainability-oriented operations throughout the supply chain (Bednar & Welch, 2020 ; Ceccacci et al, 2019 ; Grandi et al, 2020 ; Gualtieri et al, 2020 ; Lin, 2018 ; Rossi & Di Nicolantonio, 2020 ).…”

Lean Manufacturing and Ergonomics Integration: Defining Productivity and Wellbeing Indicators in a Human–Robot Workstation

“…Further research, particularly in real-industry environments, is necessary to test and validate the HRC implementation [20,21]. Therefore, it is essential to develop specific and detailed assessment methods to optimize the design of these workstations with collaborative robotics [21][22][23], taking into account the industrial conditions, the characteristics of human workers and cobots, as well as the type and level of collaborative interaction [24].…”

Industrial Assistance Systems to Enhance Human–Machine Interaction and Operator’s Capabilities in Assembly

“…With the introduction of the fourth industrial revolution, the production moves towards a factory in which robots and workers interact and collaborate with each other (Gualtieri et al 2020). In addition, employees are supported by web-based technologies and diverse assistance systems (Gorecky et al 2014).…”