Missing mediated interruptions in manual assembly: Critical aspects of breakpoint selection

Kolbeinsson, Ari; Lindblom, Jessica; Thorvald, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2017.01.010

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…When examining technological changes, it is not uncommon for these to be described in a neutral way, regarding their relation to the workers and contexts which shape them. This new vision of industry brought by I4.0 promises to improve performance, make manufacturing more effective, customizable, and easily manageable, with a resulting increase in productivity which gives companies a competitive advantage (Kolbeinsson et al, 2017 ; Minnetti et al, 2019 ; Kadir and Broberg, 2020 ; Santo et al, 2020 ). That is, technology is conceptualized almost as if it carries all the potential for success and could just function by itself.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This can be a result of a deterministic point of view and lack of operator participation. Kolbeinsson et al ( 2017 ), in their analysis on “breakpoints” (i.e., how small interruptions during tasks can improve the quality of assembly operations, considering workers' attention span), still did not consider work activity beyond its technological point of view.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the status of the human operator in Industry 4.0: A systematic review

2022

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Industry 4.0 (I4.0) promises to transform jobs and working conditions through the implementation of unprecedented human-machine interaction modes. As the operator working in these new settings, known as the Operator 4.0, is a relatively recent concept, and although technological developments are expected to support workers and require higher labor skills, the risks and health impacts resulting from these changes remain underexplored. This systematic review aims to (i) systematize literature findings on how workers are perceived and participate in I4.0 work systems; (ii) identify the main technological changes driven by I4.0; and (iii) instigate discussion regarding the impacts these changes may have for workers and the sustainability of work systems. Following a systematic review approach using the PRISMA protocol, the articles were organized into two main analysis axes: the technical changes brought about by I4.0, and the representation of the human worker within these new work settings. The findings reveal that a techno-centered approach still seems to be dominant in guiding the implementation of I4.0 models; secondly, as a consequence, the social dimensions of work tend to remain as residual issues, overshadowed by the promises related with technology (e.g., productivity, efficiency); finally, the representation of the Operator 4.0 remains blurry, as he/she is perceived as gender neutral, skillful, and perfectly fit for work, assuring the functioning (and compensating for the limits) of these systems. While I4.0 promises safer and more productive workplaces, issues related to employment conditions, emerging risks and health impacts become more prominent when analyzed from an activity-centered perspective. In terms of future research, a more heuristic analysis could be achieved through a participatory and work-centered approach and following a gender perspective. This way, visibility could be conferred to another side of I4.0, thus guaranteeing conditions for the sustainable development of these work situations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the status of the human operator in Industry 4.0: A systematic review

2022

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“…Either way, the potential impact on performance during manual assembly must be considered. Kilbeinsson et al [95] issue guidelines for the design of interruption systems that minimize errors and delays during assembly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classification and Quantification of Human Error in Manufacturing: A Case Study in Complex Manual Assembly

2021

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Manual assembly operations are sensitive to human errors that can diminish the quality of final products. The paper shows an application of human reliability analysis in a realistic manufacturing context to identify where and why manual assembly errors occur. The techniques SHERPA and HEART were used to perform the analysis of human reliability. Three critical tasks were selected for analysis based on quality records: (1) installation of three types of brackets using fasteners, (2) fixation of a data cable to the assembly structure using cushioned loop clamps and (3) installation of cap covers to protect inlets. The identified error modes with SHERPA were: 36 action errors, nine selection errors, eight information retrieval errors and six checking errors. According to HEART, the highest human error probabilities were associated with assembly parts sensitive to geometry-related errors (brackets and cushioned loop clamps). The study showed that perceptually engaging assembly instructions seem to offer the highest potential for error reduction and performance improvement. Other identified areas of action were the improvement of the inspection process and workers’ provision with better tracking and better feedback. Implementation of assembly guidance systems could potentially benefit worker’s performance and decrease assembly errors.

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“…The rapid development connected to Industry 4.0 and digitalisation offer potential but also many challenges for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Potentials are seen connected to that technologies such as collaborative robots and automation are more capable and inexpensive [1][2] and examples of successful digital transformations show increases in efficiency, quality and new business. The potential has increased significantly also for companies where it has previously been challenging to introduce automation solutions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planning for Nation Wide Dissemination of Robotics to SMEs

Axelson¹,

Mattsson²,

Langbeck³

2020

Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering

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This paper describes how a special assignment from the Swedish government was carried out to support small and medium sized enterprises in implementing automation and robotics. The focus of this paper is to investigate i) how insights and knowledge has been transferred and ii) how the ability of integrators and advisors has been increased. Within the project Pilot project automation challenge in the robot leap (PILAR), 84 pre-studies and 40 in-depth studies were carried out. In PILAR a methodology was developed, and a way of working was tested where coaches in four regionally defined nodes in Sweden visited companies and had advisor support through telephone and video. The project results indicate that insights and knowledge had been increased in several companies and that integrators and advisors have increased their ability to stimulate automation solutions. In addition, eight recommendations on how to successfully perform a nationwide dissemination of robotics is presented.

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Missing mediated interruptions in manual assembly: Critical aspects of breakpoint selection

Cited by 10 publications

References 27 publications

Exploring the status of the human operator in Industry 4.0: A systematic review

Exploring the status of the human operator in Industry 4.0: A systematic review

Classification and Quantification of Human Error in Manufacturing: A Case Study in Complex Manual Assembly

Planning for Nation Wide Dissemination of Robotics to SMEs

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