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- Bao, Shihan, et al.
(författare)
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Ergonomic effects of a management-based rationalization in assembly work — a case study
- 1996
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126. ; 27:2, s. 89-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to unsatisfactory productivity, a large company in the Swedish manufacturing industry decided to rationalize their assembly system. The intended rationalization comprised several changes with deliberate ergonomic implications. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the rationalization on the physical work load of the operators. The work load was assessed before and after the changes using expert observations, company records and direct technical measurements. The results indicate that the intervention led to only minor changes in muscle load, body postures and movement patterns. Several of the planned initiatives were never implemented, e.g. teaching the workers multiple skills and designing work stations at which a major part of the assembly sequence could be performed. This was mainly due to a policy revision caused by changes in the market situation. In spite of the company's original intentions, the revised production system contained only minor ergonomic improvements. Thus, the realization of the ergonomic potential in a rationalization seems to depend on management culture, as well as factors outside the company.
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| 2. |
- Bao, Shihan, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive effect of ergonomics and production engineering on shoulder-neck exposure — A case study of assembly work in China and Sweden
- 1997
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Ingår i: International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. - 0169-8141 .- 1872-8219. ; 20:1, s. 75-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ergonomic improvements of work station design have been widely embraced as a measure for reduction of physical work load (mechanical exposure) and prevention or control of occupational shoulder-neck disorders. However, other elements of work rationalization, more in the hands of production engineers, may also influence the mechanical exposure. The present study concerns shoulder-neck exposure in a Chinese and a Swedish assembly line workplace. Interactive effects of ergonomic work station design, and production engineering (in terms of assembly line balancing and sensitivity of assembly line layout to production irregularities) on shoulder-neck exposure have been studied. It was shown that the Swedish workplace has a better ergonomic work station design, reflected in more favorable work postures during assembly operations. At the same time, the Swedish assembly line is better balanced and less sensitive to production irregularities, which probably reduces the total duration of idle time during assembly compared with the Chinese line. On the Swedish assembly line, arm movements are more frequent, and trapezius and infraspinatus muscle activation is more repetitive. Muscle activation levels are similar on the two lines. However, a larger proportion of low level muscle activities were found on the Chinese line compared with the Swedish line. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that the mechanical exposure of the assembly workers is a result of counteracting effects of improved ergonomic design of work stations and more effective production engineering.
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| 3. |
- Cyrén, Henrik, et al.
(författare)
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Task Specific Exposure Information as a Basis for Production System Design
- 1998
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This publication was written during a period of time when the authors were engaged in an extensive research programme financed by the National Institute for Working Life in Solna (Cooperative for Optimisation of industrial production systems regarding Productivity and Ergonomics COPE).
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| 4. |
- Kihlberg, Steve, et al.
(författare)
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Cycle Time Variation in an Ergonomic and Production Efficiency Context
- 1999
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This publication was actually written during a period of time than we were engaged in an extensive research programme financed by the National Institute for Working Life in Solna (Cooperative for Optimisation of industrial production systems regarding Productivity and Ergonomics COPE).
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