1,720,993 research outputs found
Assessment of Anthropometric Differences in the Design of Workstations: Case Studies of an Automotive Assembly Line
Full text linkThe study investigates how the anthropometric differences in the postural analysis of workstations affect the ergonomic risk assessments. Three manual assembly operations from a car production line were selected as case studies. Postural analyses were performed through virtual manikins and selected operations were reproduced in physical in the lab. The program Siemens Teamcenter Visualization Mockup® was initially used to simulate the interaction of an "average-size" male worker with the workplace. Further analyses were carried out through a multibody model to verify the accessibility and postural comfort of different anthropometric percentiles. Results demonstrate the importance of a postural assessment also for limiting users, especially in case the assembly line cannot be adjusted to the operator's anthropometry, and the benefit of easy-to-use simulation tools to assist the ergonomist in the workstations design and to ensure the required comfort for all operators
A Simple Multibody 2d-model for Early Postural Checks in Workplace Design
Full text linkPosture prediction is one of the most important aspects of virtual modeling tools used for the workplace design: once the work point to reach is defined, the posture prediction module allows simulating, through inverse kinematics, the posture the operator is likely to assume. The paper presents a simple multibody 2D-model created for early postural checks in the design phase. The tool is a spreadsheet created in Microsoft Excel environment, with the support of Visual Basic. The principal output of the model in terms of angles of trunk bending and upper arm elevation, set in compliance with the technical standards, are compared to the results of an established software tool for ergonomic analyses, the 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP). Finally, possible differences in terms of moments on the L5/S1 and the shoulder joints introduced by the simplified kinematics of the 2D manikin are discussed
Mappatura di angoli posturali e confronto tra strumenti di Digital Human Modeling per prove di raggiungibilità
No full textPosture prediction is one of the most important aspects of virtual modeling tools: once the work point to be reached is defined, posture prediction allows simulating, through inverse kinematics, the posture the operator is most likely to assume. Aim of this work is the comparison between two virtual modeling tools characterized by a different degree of complexity of the manikin kinematics. The first tool, developed by the University of Michigan and implemented in codes such as Jack Siemens, is the 3DSSPP software (3D Static Strength Prediction Program), while the second tool, developed in FCA, is a spreadsheet created in Microsoft Excel environment, with the support of Visual Basic. Comparisons were made for the angles of trunk bending and the arm elevation, and postural assessments consistent with the ISO 11226 and UNI EN 1005/4 standards were associated to them. The proposed study provides a database of postural angles for reachability operations and shows a comparison between two virtual simulation tools: in particular, the study investigates on the strengths and the limitations of a simple and rapid tool, comparing it with the reference literature model
Process ergonomics of motor vehicles
No full textIn Europe, protection of health and safety at work is regarded as a public responsibility. Traditionally, national authorities and researchers have been the main promoters of ergonomics in industry. However, starting from the 1990s the interest for ergonomic issues has grown within enterprise, as a result of an increasing awareness of the importance of these matters for corporate core values. At the start, ergonomic programs were usually limited to reactive measures, but more and more programs are now established as a continuous process, with activities expanded to involve proactive efforts that address workstation as well as product design. Cooperation between industries, universities and research institutions is often crucial for programs to be most effective. Education is indeed essential to promote the ergonomic culture at the workplac
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Comprehensive mappings of postural angles on a normalized plane of reachability
No full textIn the industrial context of workstation design, the role of ergonomics in primary prevention of musculoskeletal disorders is increasingly important. Simple tools and guidelines for early postural checks are needed toassist the analyst through the dynamic reality of workstation design. In this work, a method for generating mappings of the operator's reachability is proposed. The reachability plane is normalized with respect to characteristic anthropometric body dimensions so that the postural maps can address any operator, regardless of his/her anthropometry. The mappings of trunk bending and upper arm elevation angles, defined in accordance with the international technical standards, make use of the traffic light scheme to ensure a valid and easy-to-interpret support to the analyst
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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