Flat-pack furniture famously exported by Scandinavia offers practical lessons about the importance of assembly line ergonomics. Assembling the furniture doesn’t seem difficult, especially if you have your own power tools, along with the small disposable screwdrivers and hex keys that come with the furniture. However, once you have it assembled, you may find your hands…
Workplace injuries are a multi-billion dollar dilemma, especially for the manufacturing and production industry. These injuries result in: Lost productivity Increased insurance premiums Legal expenses All of which cost companies time and money. The cost of preventing these injuries before they happen is always lower than the cost of dealing with injuries after they occur.…
The daily repetitive process of fastening screw after screw with a power tool exposes operators to the risk of injury. An assembly operator freely holding and using a power tool is an opportunity for cross threading and side load to occur, which causes fastening failures. Implementing an ergonomic torque arm into the assembly process will…
A poorly designed and functioning assembly worksite leads to potential employee injuries and additional expenses can incur. With large volume manufacturing facilities, power tools are often used for tightening down fasteners. Assembly power tools increase productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. Tools that operate at high speeds increase risk factors. Power tools generally produce unwanted torque…
Many joints consist of more than one fastener and tightening together surfaces that are not completely flat can be a very challenging torque problem. The sequence of tightening fasteners can have a major influence on the resulting preload and clamping force, which is what holds two parts together. With such joints, consideration should be given…
The manufacturing process is constantly evolving in response to customer needs and emerging technology. Managing the assembly workstation, tooling requirements, production flow and employee safety is indeed a challenge. The daily repetitive fastening process exposes your assemblers to potential stress injuries. Increasing your awareness of ergonomic challenges and looking for ways to improve operator safety…
Heli-Coil screw thread inserts are common component used for a variety of automotive, military, communication, industrial and aerospace assembly applications. When installed into a heli-coil tapped hole, a heli-coil insert provides permanent conventional internal screw threads that accommodate any standard fastener or bolt. Using heli-coil inserts for parts that may require frequent maintenance is beneficial…
The ergonomic torque arms by Mountz eliminate torque reaction from both power and pneumatic assembly tools. With the EZ-Glider linear and articulated torque arms, a “downward assistant kit” can be installed on the arm to speed up and improve the production process. The system requires no effort from the operator to press downward on the…
A power tool incidentally dropped by an assembly operator at a workstation, causes additional expenses and reduces productivity. Repairing and replacing parts for the assembly tool, recalibrating the tool after its been dropped or purchasing a new replacement tool are all additional, unnecessary costs. Daily, weekly, monthly, an assembly operator performs hundreds and thousands of…
In a manufacturing workstation, having a clean, organized and ergonomic work area enhances productivity and improves the assembly time and process. Safety at the workstation is a key aspect that managers need to review on a continuous ongoing basis. Exposure to high forces, awkward postures, lifting, and repetition are some common activities that can performed…