摘要：Background: The study described in this work took place in the sanding and polishing area of a meta-lurgical company, where workers’ complaints due to the strength needed to perform manual tasks, as well as their repetitive pattern, led to cases of shoulder pain and tendinitis. Objective: The study aimed to evidence the benefits of using an integrated operations management approach, following lean/agile/ergonomic concepts, to improve the performance and ergonomic aspects of a production system. Methods: Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) was the chosen method to evaluate the ergonomic situation, due to the existence of strong arm and hand exertions. Anthropometric studies were carried out in order to improve workers' workstations and a simulation model was developed to support decisions regarding the “best” layout configuration. Results: Through the enlargement of tasks, the reduction of waste and the reconfiguration to a cellular layout it was possible to increase the responsiveness and flexibility of the production system, to improve key performance indicators such as Lead time and Work in Progress, and to considerably improve the ergonomic conditions of the workers. The quantitative results suggest reductions of 80% in transportation times, 30% in lead time, 50% in Work In Process, and a decrease in the ergonomic risk from 5 to 4. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that it is possible to reach an efficient production system, which meets safety and ergonomics requirements, by using lean and agile principles and companies should consider both ergonomic aspects and production performance during continuous improvement implementations to increase productivity and worker well-being.
Loading...
