An Ergonomics Study on Assembly Line Workstation Design

Abstract

Problem statement: High demand for products in the manufacturing industry had driven the human workers to work faster and adapt to their un-ergonomically designed workstation. Some tasks at assembly workstations require human workers to stand for a prolonged period of time to assemble the products. Approach: This study was conducted at an automotive component manufacturer. Twenty full time workers working at the assembly line participated as subjects in this study. Observations were made and recorded with respect to working postures practiced while performing their assembly tasks. Subjects' anthropometric data and current workstations dimensions were measured to determine whether they were suitable or not to perform the assembly tasks. Results: The findings from this study showed that there were four types of awkward postures and anthropometric data mismatches that had contributed to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) problems, faced by the subjects. Conclusion: The findings from this study shows current assembly workstation at Company A need to be redesign to eliminate awkward postures and anthropometric mismatches to lower MSDs problem and improve productivity among assembly workers.