Automated Ergonomics-Based Productivity Analysis for Intelligent Manufacturing in Industrialized Construction

Abstract

Construction workers perform repetitive and physically demanding tasks that expose them to the risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Accurate estimation of the cycle times of manual operations is essential for reliable planning and scheduling as well as for ergonomic risk assessment. However, the reliability of the standardized cycle time analysis is hindered by its dependence on various factors that change with the increasing complexity of the working environment, as well as by the inherent challenges involved in acquiring accurate measurements. This study thus investigates the integration of predetermined motion time systems (PMTSs) with ergonomic risk assessments in 3D visualization for the purposes of cycle time estimation and ergonomic risk evaluation. An integrated approach is implemented to provide an automated and user-friendly method of analyzing manual operations at the motion level in the design phase. The actual and simulated cycle times and ergonomic risks are compared and analyzed using a case study. Preliminary cases are provided to demonstrate the feasibility and the potential applications of the proposed method. The proposed method is shown to be capable of quantifying the required cycle time and the ergonomic risks associated with body parts during the execution of manual operations. Using the proposed method, rapid ergonomic-centric workplace design can be achieved that, in turn, helps to improve productivity while mitigating ergonomic risk. The proposed method can be implemented to improve occupational health and safety, increase the reliability of planning and scheduling, and boost the overall productivity of industrialized construction.