Motion Study and Work Design

Sections:
1. Basic Motion Elements and Work
Chapter 10 Analysis
2. Principles of Motion Economy and
Work Design
 Principles that apply to the use of the human body

 Principles that apply to the workplace arrangement

 Principles that apply to the design of tooling and

equipment

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Definitions
 Motion study - analysis of the basic hand, arm, and
body movements of workers as they perform work

 Work design - design of the methods and motions

used to perform a task

 Design of the work system

 Includes:
 Workplace layout and environment
 Tooling and equipment used in the task workholders,
fixtures, power tools, etc.

Work Systems and the Methods, Measurement, and Management of Work

by Mikell P. Groover, ISBN 0-13-140650-7.
©2007 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Basic Motion Elements
 Frank Gilbreth – first to analyze and classify the
basic motion elements

 “Therblig”s – 17 basic motion elements

 Spelled backward except for “th”

 Therbligs are the basic building blocks of virtually all

manual work performed at a single location (so the
primary interest is the hand motions).

 Therbligs involves both physical and mental elements.

 Although it is first used in production and logistics, the

principles are also applicable to service industry.
 17 Therbligs Basic Motion Elements
1. Transport empty (TE) – reach for an object with empty hand
– today we call it “reach”
2. Grasp (G) – grasp an object by contacting and closing the
fingers until control has been achived
3. Transport loaded (TL) – move an object with hand and arm
– today we call it “move”
4. Hold (H) – hold an object with one hand
5. Release load (RL) – release control of an object
6. Use (U) – manipulate/use a tool (use screwdriver or
hammer)
7. Pre-position (PP) – position object for next operation.
8. Position (P) – position object in defined location
 17 Therbligs (continued)
9. Assemble (A) – join two parts
10. Disassemble (DA) – separate multiple parts that were
previously joined
11. Search (Sh) – attempt to find an object using eyes or hand
12. Select (St) – choose among several objects in a group
(hand-eye coordination is involved)
13. Plan (Pn) – decide on an action (a short pause or
hesitation ‫ تردد‬in the motions)
14. Inspect (I) – determine quality of object using the eyes
15. Unavoidable delay (UD) – waiting due to factors beyond
worker control (e.g., waiting for a machine to complete its
feed motion)
16. Avoidable delay (AD) – worker waiting (e.g., use the
mobile)
17. Rest (R) – resting to overcome fatigue
Therbligs
Therbligs
Therbligs
Therbligs
 Example (Right hand/left hand activity
chart from chapter 9)

Seq. Work element description Worker time

1 A worker picks up board with left hand and holds it. 0.08 min.
2 Worker picks peg from tray and inserts it into hole in 0.06 min.
board with right hand.
3 Worker picks second peg from tray and inserts it into hole 0.06 min.
in board with right hand
Example
 Classification of Therbligs

Effective therbligs: Ineffective therbligs:

Physical Basic Motion Elements: Physical Basic Motion Elements:
 Transport empty  Hold
 Grasp  Pre-position
 Transport loaded
 Release load Physical and Mental Basic Motion
 Use Elements:
 Assemble  Position
 Disassemble  Search
 Select

Mental Basic Elements: Mental Basic Elements:

 Inspect  Plan

Delay Elements: Delay elements:

 Rest  Unavoidable delay
 Avoidable delay
 Micromotion Analysis
 Analysis of therbligs that make up a repetitive
task
 Objectives:
 Eliminate ineffective therbligs if possible; for example,
eliminate the need to search for parts or tools by
positioning them in a known & fixed location in the
workplace.

 Avoid holding objects with hand – Use workholder

 Combine therbligs – Perform right-hand and left-hand

motions simultaneously
 Simplify overall method, resequence of therbligs in the
cycle
 Reduce time for a motion, e.g., shorten distance of
therbligs such as transport loaded.
 Principles of Motion Economy
 Developed over many years of practical
experience in work design

 Guidelines to help determine

 Work method
 Workplace layout
 Tools, and equipment

 Objective: to maximize efficiency and minimize

worker fatigue

Note: Micromotion Analysis checklist for possible improvement in therbligs

(see Table 10.3, page 264 in textbook)
Three Categories of Motion Economy
& Work Design Principles
1. Principles that apply to the use of the human
body

2. Principles that apply to the workplace

arrangement

3. Principles that apply to the design of tooling

and equipment
 1. Use of Human Body
 Most applicable to manual work. There are 12 principles related to the
use of human body.
Important principles related to the worker hands

1. Design work to fully utilize both hands (the worker uses

always the preferred hand to accomplish most of the
work).

2. Hand and arm motions should be symmetrical and

simultaneous to minimize hand/arm-eye coordination.
 Avoid different independent motions of hands/arms.

3. Design work to favor preferred hand

 Work units should enter the workplace on the side of
the worker’s preferred hand (preferred hand is faster &
stronger).
 An experiment (Example)
 A relatively simple task
 Reaching, selecting, grasping, transporting, releasing
small parts.
rectangular bin bin with a tray

 Two types of containers

 A rectangular bin
 A bin with a tray

 The worker performed the work cycle with each

container using
 Only the right hand
 Only the left hand
 Both hands performing symmetrical and
simultaneous motions.

Note: Worker is a right-handed person

 1. Use of Human Body

0.74 sec / 0.54 sec /

(1.10/1.04)*100%
work unit work unit

Since, the worker

is right-handed
worker
(base time)

Important principles related to utilize laws of physics

4. Take advantage of gravity – Don’t oppose it

 1. Use of Human Body
5. Use lowest classification of hand and arm
motion (five classifications)
1) Finger
2) Finger and wrist
3) Finger, wrist, and forearm
4) Finger, wrist, forearm, and upper arm
5) Finger, wrist, forearm, upper arm, and
shoulder
 1. Use of Human Body

I Movement of the
fingers only as when
picking up a cotton roll.

II Fingers and wrist

motion as used when
transferring an
instrument to the
operator,
or manipulating a hand
instrument.
 1. Use of Human Body

III Fingers, wrist, and

forearm as when
reaching for a
handpiece.

IV The entire arm when

reaching for
supplies away from
the work area, or to
adjust the operating
light.
 1. Use of Human Body

V The entire arm and

shoulder as when
turning around to reach
for equipment from
adjacent fixed cabinetry.
 1. Use of Human Body
For using body members other than the hands,
and arms

6. Design method to utilize feet and legs where

appropriate
 Since they are stronger than arms
 1. Use of Human Body
7. The workers two hands should never be idle (hold) at
the same time.
8. The two hands should begin and end their motion at the
same time.
9. The method should consist of smooth continuous
curved motions rather than straight-line motions with
abrupt changes in directions.
10. Momentum should be used to facilitate the task
wherever possible.
11. The method should achieve a natural rhythm of the
motion involved.
12. Minimize eye focus and eye travel activities.
 2. Workplace Arrangement
Principles for Design of the workplace

1. Locate tools and materials in fixed positions within the

work area.

2. Locate tools and materials close to where they are

used.
 To minimize the distances to be covered

3. Locate tools and materials to be consistent with

sequence of work elements.
 Decrease the time required for searching
 2. Workplace Arrangement
 Normal and maximum working areas in the
workplace

Design for
average
user
 Illustration of First Three Principles

Poor arrangement of Good arrangement of

parts and tools in parts and tools in
workplace workplace

Numbers indicate the sequence of operations

 2. Workplace Arrangement
4. Use gravity feed bins to deliver small parts & fasteners.

gravity feed bin conventional rectangular bin

5. Gravity drop chutes should be used for completed work units

where possible.

6. Provide adequate illumination

 Also color, constrast, location of light source are important
 2. Adjustable Chair for Workplace
7. A proper chair should be provided for the worker
• Adjustable to the size of the worker
• Seat height and back adjustments
• Padded seat and back
3. Design of Tooling and Equipment
1. Work holding devices should be designed for the task
2. Hands should be relieved of work elements that can be
performed by the feet using foot pedals
 sewing machine OR advance welding machine
3. Combine multiple functions into one tool where possible
 Hammers designed for stick and remove nails
4. Perform multiple operations simultaneously rather than
sequentially
 Pneumatically powered, multiple-spindle lug nut to attach
tires to the car assembly.
 Design of Tooling and Equipment

5. Design equipment controls for operator convenience

and error avoidance.
 Controls (e.g., switches and push buttons) should be
located within easy reach to minimize the body motions
required to access them.

6. Hand tools and powered tools should be designed for

operator comfort and convenience.

7. Mechanize or automate manual operations if

economically and technically feasible.