The company hired a team of ergonomics researchers to develop production improvements focused on safety. The ergonomists gather data and use computer modeling to predict the physical impact of assembly tasks.
A virtual simulation of the entire assembly process is established two to three years ahead of a new-vehicle launch. Both humans and virtual test subjects gauge the physical labor involved with each production-line task, helping identify movements that might cause excess fatigue, strain or injury.
“We have made data-driven decisions through ergonomics testing that has led to safer vehicle production processes and resulted in greater protection for our employees,” said Ford assembly ergonomics team leader Allison Stephens.
An average of 900 virtual assembly tasks are studied for each vehicle launch. The team uses full-body motion capture to track balance and strain on an employee’s arms, back, legs and torso, while 3D printing is used to validate clearance for different hand sizes in tight spots. Immersive virtual reality provides an additional layer of feasibility assessment.
Ford’s ergonomists have so far worked on more than 100 new-vehicle launches globally, including the latest Mustang, F-150 and Explorer. Optimizations are said to have brought a 90 percent decline in overextended movements, hard-clearance issues and problems with hard-to-install components.
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