Kano Model and QFD integration approach for Ergonomic Design Improvement

AbstractIncreasing consideration has been given to Ergonomics in product design since the last several decades. Nowadays, more companies apply ergonomic aspects to their products to fulfill customer requirement and satisfaction of new products development. Customer requirement and satisfaction measurement can be achieved through various methods. This paper presents joining methods of Kano Model and Quality Function Deployment to improve the school workshop's workstation design for adolescent in terms of ergonomic and users need. A survey was done to 336 students to identify problems of the current workstation. Data gathered was translated into Kano questionnaire and answered by 255 students. Then it was clarified and used in the House of Quality matrix. At the end of the study, we find that both methods were able to prioritize the modification elements to be implemented into the new ergonomically designed workstation

Application of anthropometric dimensions for estimating stove height, stove depth and cooking task envelope for Malaysian elderly population

Elderly are exposed to physical impairment. This has a strong impact on their daily activities including frying, which is one of the most popular cuisine preparations. The stove height and work envelope are two major ergonomic issues in performing cooking task. There has been little research focusing on Malaysian elderly task performing in addressing these issues. The objectives of this study were to identify the acceptable stove height and depth and to determine the working envelope among Malaysian elderly using anthropometric data. A total of 55 Malaysian elderly (25 male and 30 female) aged between 60 to 85 years participated in this study. Five body measurements were taken from each subject using an anthropometer. The measurements are stature height, shoulder height, arm span, arm reach forward and waist height. Apart from these anthropometric measurements, their present stove height was also measured. The acquisition of stove height dimensions was performed through a series of door to door visit of the elderly homes in Kg. Sg. Merab. These variables were used to estimate the elderly working envelope and determine the stove height, width and depth. Data were analysed using SPSS software. The waist height dimension was to estimate the stove height, the arm reach forward for the depth and the arm span for the length of the table-top where the stove was placed. Meanwhile the stature and shoulder height were used for estimating the position of the overhead compartment or placement of cooking utensils. The 5th percentile was chosen since it is appropriate to accommodate 90% of the studied population. The 5th percentile was also applied for the setting of the working envelope so as to provide better reaching tolerances. Meanwhile, standard was used to compare the present state of the studied kitchen setting. The results show that 56.4% of the elderly waist height is lower than the standard table-top height which is 36 inches (91.4cm) and 36.4% of the stove height was found higher than that of the standard. This could apparently cause fatigue and discomfort to shoulders, the neck, the arm and the back of the user. Anthropometrics measurements can be used for estimating the stove height, length and depth. These could also calculate a space taken for certain physical activities, such as frying task envelope. Providing a good combination of stove height, length, depth and ergonomic working envelope could hopefully improve the elderly cooking task and increase their quality of life

Fuzzy Mixed Assembly Line Sequencing and Scheduling Optimization Model Using Multiobjective Dynamic Fuzzy GA

A new multiobjective dynamic fuzzy genetic algorithm is applied to solve a fuzzy mixed-model assembly line sequencing problem in which the primary goals are to minimize the total make-span and minimize the setup number simultaneously. Trapezoidal fuzzy numbers are implemented for variables such as operation and travelling time in order to generate results with higher accuracy and representative of real-case data. An improved genetic algorithm called fuzzy adaptive genetic algorithm (FAGA) is proposed in order to solve this optimization model. In establishing the FAGA, five dynamic fuzzy parameter controllers are devised in which fuzzy expert experience controller (FEEC) is integrated with automatic learning dynamic fuzzy controller (ALDFC) technique. The enhanced algorithm dynamically adjusts the population size, number of generations, tournament candidate, crossover rate, and mutation rate compared with using fixed control parameters. The main idea is to improve the performance and effectiveness of existing GAs by dynamic adjustment and control of the five parameters. Verification and validation of the dynamic fuzzy GA are carried out by developing test-beds and testing using a multiobjective fuzzy mixed production assembly line sequencing optimization problem. The simulation results highlight that the performance and efficacy of the proposed novel optimization algorithm are more efficient than the performance of the standard genetic algorithm in mixed assembly line sequencing model

Ketidakstabilan Ekspor dan Ekonomi Indonesia

Perekonomian Indonesia adalah perekonomian yang menganut sistem ekonomi terbuka. Di dalam sistem ini lalu lintas ekonomi Internasional mengambil peranan yang penting di dalam perekonomian dan pembangunan suatu negara. Pentingnya lalu lintas ekonomi Internasional bagi Indonesia dapat dilihat dari rasio perdagangan luar negeri terhadap Produk Domestik Bruto (PDB)

Electromyography analysis during lifting tasks: a pilot study

Manual Material Handling (MMH) involves lifting, bending, and twisting motions of the torso. Poor lifting technique is often considered a major risk factor in low back injury associated with manual lifting tasks. Currently, there is little work on the effects of lifting on the Malaysian population. The MMH activities that was designed with the different lifting heights, frequency, weight of loads and the effect on of biceps and triceps muscle contraction of the subjects during the lifting tasks were studied. The parameters involved are weight of the loads lifted, height of the loads lifted and lifting frequency as the independent variables. Whereas the dependent variable is Electromyography (EMG) signal. The weight loads are varying from 10kg up to 24kg and the heights of the loads travels from the floor to 70cm and 130cm heights. The frequency of lifting is set to 1 lift and 6 lifts per minute. 14 healthy male and female subjects were recruited in this study. The questionnaires and consent form were used to identify the health condition of the subjects before performing the lifting tasks. The EMG activity was recorded and collected from biceps and triceps muscles using the Shimmer EMG system. This method is used in determining the maximum acceptable weight limit (MAWL) that can be lifted by the subjects in the lifting tasks. This research aims to design a lifting equation that suits for Malaysian people. Therefore, the effects of different manual lifting tasks on Malaysian physiological limits need to be identified

Malaysian ergonomics standards – its development, awareness and implementation - a review article

Background: Ergonomics standards play an important role in product and system design as it can improve their us ability; provide comfort and safety for the users. The number of musculoskeletal diseases has increased in recent years in Malaysia. However, the awareness and importance of ergonomics in Malaysia is still very low among the industries. Many ergonomics standards have been adopted by SIRIM Berhad under the purview of Department of Standards Malaysia (STANDARDS MALAYSIA). However, the take-up has been slow. Method: This paper examined the role of SIRIM Berhad in developing the standards, involvement at international levels and other government agencies in promoting Ergonomics. Ergonomics awareness seminars were arranged in three localities, representing three regions, not only to disseminate information on ergonomics and standards available but also to solicit inputs from stakeholders on the problems in developing and adoption of the standards. Results: Most of the stakeholders were not aware of the standards, do not know how to implement it, and do not have people who are knowledgeable in ergonomics. Since it is not mandatory, no conscious efforts were directed towards it. The lack of research in the various areas has also hindered the development of MS standards. Conclusion: Standards are important in determining at least the minimum requirement for safety, health and comfort of workers. Creating awareness on the importance of ergonomics should be given some priority and this can be seen by the recent encouraging developments in Malaysia in the field of Ergonomics

A REVIEW: A MODEL of CULTURAL ASPECTS for SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN

Product design stages are important to consider critically in production. Generally, product design that shall be created by designer, should consider what the customer wants and needs. Nowadays issues, product design does not only consider the “wants and needs” of user, but also how the design can be created by embedding sustainability aspects in the product. Culture is also one of the important aspects which need to be considered in product design as culture affects the way users respond to the product. This paper aims to develop a new model for design development, in which the aspects of culture are incorporated into sustainable product design. By reviewing the existing literature, the authors attempt to identify the gaps of the existing papers, which illustrate how culture affects sustainable product design. Recent papers have only shown that culture influences product design, but they do not explore sustainability and the culture aspects in product design. Due to these gaps, it is therefore important to create a model which will assist designers to elicit sustainable product design based on cultural aspects. In summary, designers need to reflect on the “wants and needs” of users. The framework presented in this paper can be integrated into designers’ and companies’ decision-making during product design development. Keywords: Model, Culture, Sustainable, Product design, Product Development

Development of an anthropometry database for the Malaysian population: problems and challenges

Ergonomics is generally to design for human use and optimizing the working and living conditions. The comfort, safety and ease of use of systems, products and machines require the principles of ergonomics to be incorporated into the design. Anthropometry is a part of ergonomics which deals with the measurement of body dimensions, its capability and limitations of the human ability. Studies have indicated that body dimensions differ for various populations, depending on ethnic group, sex and age. The measurement of physical characteristics and abilities of people provides information that is essential for the appropriate design of occupational and non- occupational environments, as well as for the design of consumer products, clothing, tools and equipment. It has been considered as the very basic core of ergonomics in an attempt to resolve the dilemma of 'fitting people to machines'. It has also been regarded as a branch of anthropology which deals with physical characteristics of the man in time and space, particularly with individual variation, ontogenesis and generic development. Knowledge about man from the point of view of physical anthropometry is very useful for the purpose of ergonomics and design. Thus it is important that an anthropometric database for each nation is developed to ensure design of products and systems are compatible with the user population. In Malaysia, many researchers have conducted anthropometric studies on various groups of people, focused on a small sample size and used for specific designs. Unfortunately, the measurements are not representatives of the population. The work has been individually based, confined to certain group of researchers in various universities and there is no concerted effort towards developing a national anthropometric database. This paper discusses some of the anthropometry work conducted in Malaysia, the problems and challenges in developing the national database, the importance of anthropometry and the roles that the government has to play in developing the database

An integrated approach of fuzzy linguistic preference based AHP and fuzzy COPRAS for machine tool evaluation

Globalization of business and competitiveness in manufacturing has forced companies to improve their manufacturing facilities to respond to market requirements. Machine tool evaluation involves an essential decision using imprecise and vague information, and plays a major role to improve the productivity and flexibility in manufacturing. The aim of this study is to present an integrated approach for decision-making in machine tool selection. This paper is focused on the integration of a consistent fuzzy AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and a fuzzy COmplex PRoportional ASsessment (COPRAS) for multi-attribute decision-making in selecting the most suitable machine tool. In this method, the fuzzy linguistic reference relation is integrated into AHP to handle the imprecise and vague information, and to simplify the data collection for the pair-wise comparison matrix of the AHP which determines the weights of attributes. The output of the fuzzy AHP is imported into the fuzzy COPRAS method for ranking alternatives through the closeness coefficient. Presentation of the proposed model application is provided by a numerical example based on the collection of data by questionnaire and from the literature. The results highlight the integration of the improved fuzzy AHP and the fuzzy COPRAS as a precise tool and provide effective multi-attribute decision-making for evaluating the machine tool in the uncertain environment