Ergonomic intervention on a packing workstation with robotic aid –case study at a furniture manufacturing industry

Colim, Ana; Sousa, Nuno; Carneiro, Paula; Costa, Nélson; Arezes, Pedro; Cardoso, André

doi:10.3233/wor-203144

Cited by 22 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Even taking into account ergonomic criteria, this workstation still has limitations that we intended to mitigate with the COBOT. In order to design and implement workstations with robots, one needs to consider the worker as the most flexible and fragile component of the equation; therefore, the study of work conditions and tasks is essential [34]. The current study exemplifies this and presents a guide to develop an ergonomic study that could support the design of an assembly task with a COBOT.…”

Section: Definition Of the Ergonomic Requirements And Future Workmentioning

confidence: 94%

Towards an Ergonomic Assessment Framework for Industrial Assembly Workstations—A Case Study

Colim¹,

Faria²,

Braga

et al. 2020

Applied Sciences

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Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are one of the main occupational health problems. The best strategy to prevent them lies on ergonomic interventions. The variety of industrial processes and environments, however, makes it difficult to define an all-purpose framework to guide these ergonomic interventions. This undefinition is exacerbated by recurrent introduction of new technologies, e.g., collaborative robots. In this paper, we propose a framework to guide ergonomics and human factors practitioners through all stages of assessment and redesign of workstations. This framework was applied in a case study at an assembly workstation of a large furniture enterprise. Direct observation of work activity and questionnaires were applied to characterize the workstations, the process, and the workers’ profiles and perceptions. An ergonomic multi-method approach, based on well-known and validated methods (such as the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment), was applied to identify the most critical risk factors. We concluded that this approach supports the process redesign and tasks’ allocation of the future workstation. From these conclusions, we distill a list of requirements for the creation of a collaborative robot cell, specifying which tasks are performed by whom, as well as the scheduling of the human-robot collaboration (HRC).

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Section: Definition Of the Ergonomic Requirements And Future Workmentioning

confidence: 94%

Towards an Ergonomic Assessment Framework for Industrial Assembly Workstations—A Case Study

Colim¹,

Faria²,

Braga

et al. 2020

Applied Sciences

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Researchers are also studying how industrial collaborative robots can improve both LM and ergonomic conditions [4,13]. With the advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), the level of automation of manufacturing workstations has increased.…”

Section: Impact Of Collaborative Robotics In the Manufacturing Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Novel technologies allow for a more efficient and flexible production setup to target large-scale product customization without loss-of-competitiveness or increased production costs [2,14]. This trend is evident in the manufacturing industry, with HRC being one of the most discussed topics [13,15]. In contrast to standard automation, collaborative robots (cobots) permit a closer and safer interaction between humans and machines, drawing the advantages of both parts, according to international standards of operation and safety [16].…”

Section: Impact Of Collaborative Robotics In the Manufacturing Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(i) Adjust the system to dispense only two blocks (instead of three) for workers with carpal tunnel syndrome; (ii) Organize the workday to include recovery times, introducing micro-breaks throughout the shift to relax the musculoskeletal system. This recommendation applies to any workstation where movements and postures are repeated more than four times per minute [13]; (iii) Introduce labor gymnastics, personalized to meet these workers' limitations; (iv) Study and implement job rotation schemes to vary the workers' activities and expose them to alternative musculoskeletal system activation [42].…”

Section: Reverse Stripesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The workers exhibited motivation and satisfaction with the new work design, showing themselves available to actively participate in the workstation transformation. This participatory ergonomics intervention in workstations is pointed out as the adequate approach for successful workstations and process modifications [13,43]. In terms of continuous improvement, it is suggested to consider workers' opinions when changing the workstations and/or working methods for a more efficient and proper adaptation of changes to their needs.…”

Section: Workers' Perception Of the Collaborative Preassemblymentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Colim¹,

Morgado

Carneiro

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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Lean Manufacturing (LM), Ergonomics and Human Factors (E&HF), and Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) are vibrant topics for researchers and companies. Among other emergent technologies, collaborative robotics is an innovative solution to reduce ergonomic concerns and improve manufacturing productivity. However, there is a lack of studies providing empirical evidence about the implementation of these technologies, with little or no consideration for E&HF. This study analyzes an industrial implementation of a collaborative robotic workstation for assembly tasks performed by workers with musculoskeletal complaints through a synergistic integration of E&HF and LM principles. We assessed the workstation before and after the implementation of robotic technology and measured different key performance indicators (e.g., production rate) through a time study and direct observation. We considered 40 postures adopted during the assembly tasks and applied three assessment methods: Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, Revised Strain Index, and Key Indicator Method. Furthermore, we conducted a questionnaire to collect more indicators of workers’ wellbeing. This multi-method approach demonstrated that the hybrid workstation achieved: (i) a reduction of production times; (ii) an improvement of ergonomic conditions; and (iii) an enhancement of workers’ wellbeing. This ergonomic lean study based on human-centered principles proved to be a valid and efficient method to implement and assess collaborative workstations, foreseeing the continuous improvement of the involved processes.

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Development and Implementation of a Management Model of Ergonomic Conditions Supported by Autonomous Teams

Colim,

Fernandes,

Carneiro

et al. 2023

Studies in Systems, Decision and Control

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Ergonomic intervention on a packing workstation with robotic aid –case study at a furniture manufacturing industry

Cited by 22 publications

References 33 publications

Towards an Ergonomic Assessment Framework for Industrial Assembly Workstations—A Case Study

Towards an Ergonomic Assessment Framework for Industrial Assembly Workstations—A Case Study

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

Development and Implementation of a Management Model of Ergonomic Conditions Supported by Autonomous Teams

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