Lean principles / Ergonomics and standard work
Ergonomics and standard work: work at the right height, the same way every time
Standard work describes the best way to perform an operation; ergonomics makes it repeatable without strain. When the part arrives at the right height, the load does not have to be lifted by hand and the instructions are right in front of the operator, the cycle becomes stable and measurable.
Work Positioner
Lift tables
Material at the point of use
Instructions at the workstation
Why ergonomics is a productivity issue
Bending, lifting, reaching: every unnecessary movement lengthens the cycle and increases variability from one operator to the next. Over time it turns into absences, work restrictions and turnover.
The right equipment takes the effort out of the cycle: the load rises to working height, the pallet tilts towards the operator, the container arrives already at picking height. Standard work is then written around a cycle anyone can repeat.
How to spot it on the shop floor
Signal 1
Repeated manual lifting of parts over 15–20 kg.
Signal 2
Pallets picked by bending down to the bottom.
Signal 3
Work instructions in a binder far from the workstation.
01
Lift and position without effort
The Work Positioner picks up the load and brings it to working height with a control on the handle.
The problem
Motors, rolls and components lifted by hand or by two people.
The solution
Electric Work Positioners with interchangeable grippers, mandrels and platforms, in steel or stainless steel, from the most compact to the highest capacities.
WP 125
Up to 125 kg
Three strokes up to 2050 mm, 120 mm/s, handle with remote control; also in stainless steel.
WP 205
Up to 205 kg
Strokes up to 2000 mm, IP 65 stainless version for hygienic environments.
WP ONE
The most compact
Slim profile, up to 60 kg, aluminium platform included and push button on the handle.
Grippers for Work Positioner
Gripping the part
Grippers and holders to mount on the Work Positioner to grab the load.
See also: Work Positioner · Work Positioner buying guide
02
Loads and pallets at working height
Lift tables and lifters that bring the load to the right height and tilt it towards the operator.
The problem
Picking from pallets by bending down to the floor, assembly of heavy parts at a fixed height.
The solution
Edmolift scissor lift tables for loads of up to several tonnes, tilting tables and pallet lifters with access on three sides.
TM 1500
Scissor lift table
Capacity 1500 kg: the load rises to the right height for the operator.
TSLN 1503
Pallet lifter and tilter
Central leg: free space on three sides, 40° tilt to the right and left.
See also: Lift tables · Pallet lifters · Lift table buying guide
03
Material arrives where it is used
Containers at picking height and gravity lanes that bring the part towards the operator.
The problem
Containers on the floor or at the back of the rack, operators walking to fetch material.
The solution
Raised dollies for kits, gravity roller tracks at the workstation and smooth-bottom containers that slide towards the picker.
Dolly Type VII C
Raised deck
The KLT arrives already at the right height, no bending down; it travels on the logistics train.
Roller track
The part comes down to you
Gravity roller tracks on the Green Frame tube system, cut to size.
See also: Supermarket and FIFO · Green Frame
04
Standard work belongs at the workstation
Instructions, times and checks right in front of the operator, updated in seconds.
The problem
Printed instructions taped up, old versions left lying around.
The solution
Magnetic windows and frames to protect the sheet or fill it in at the machine, snap frames for standards that change often.
Magnetic Windows – Window
Protected document
Covers the sheet on the whiteboard or on steel surfaces; swapped without tools.
Magnetic Windows – Frame
Standard to fill in
Open centre: the operator writes times and checks directly on the sheet.
Aluminium information board
Snap frame
Opens from the front: change the sheet without removing the frame; anti-glare film.
See also: Visual management · Visual management buying guide
Tools to get started
Capacities, strokes and grippers
Scissor, low-profile, HD
Workstation ergonomics
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