Presentation
Predicting Muscle Fatigue during Automotive Assembly: A Case Study on the Effects of Model Mix and Variable Build Options
SessionPoster Session 2
DescriptionAn important goal in manufacturing ergonomics is limiting excessive force demands and muscle fatigue development, with various assessment tools available to evaluate jobs for fatigue risk. However, automotive manufacturing presents unique scenarios where cycle-to-cycle work varies depending on the different models and the build options of vehicles on the assembly line, complicating traditional multi-task ergonomics assessments. This research examined case studies of six jobs at General Motors Company (GM) automotive assembly plants where the physical work performed varied based on vehicle models or customer options. For example, a plant assembling two models (Model A - smaller with less physical work, and Model B - larger with more demands) might typically experience 40% Model B proportion on average, but this can fluctuate between 10-70% daily. Using GM job data with a computational muscle fatigue model, we assessed cumulative fatigue across the most, median, and least fatiguing workdays over 18 months. Results showed large variation: the least fatiguing day had 14.4±9.2 times less fatigue than the median day, while the most fatiguing day produced 5.6±2.9 times more fatigue. This suggests traditional "average day" assessments inadequately capture the true range of workloads and fatigue operators experience.
Event Type
Poster
TimeWednesday, October 15th5:30pm - 6:30pm CDT
LocationRiverside East