Ergonomic evaluation of workstation design using taguchi experimental approach: a case of an automotive industry

Manual operations are still playing a pivotal role in the performance of product-based industries due to the operator’s ability to flexible learning. The operators are doing various repetitive tasks in awkward postures. This causes upper body Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), which critically affect the operator’s upper limb and lower back. So, this study is conducted to address the ergonomic aspects of manual operations to reduce the risk of upper body MSDs. Rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and lower back analysis (LBA) are performed in JACK software to analyze the upper working posture and measure the forces acting on the L4/L5 spinal segment. The Taguchi experimental design approach was applied to optimize the workstation of an assembly line in the automotive industry to diminish forces and ANOVA to find the significance of design factors. Analysis of means (ANOM) and S/N ratios are conducted along with surface and contour plots. The results reveal that the upper working posture and forces acting are critical for the operator and roots upper body MSDs and thrilling fatigue. The outcomes recommend amending the design of the workstation. The Taguchi approach suggested optimum design, improving compression and Anterio-Posterior (AP) shear forces of 2.21 and 4.83%, respectively. The conveyor height has the most astonishing effect on compression and AP shear forces acting on the L4/L5 spinal segment with a contribution of 90.63 and 93.57%, respectively. The findings of this study make it easier for the industrial and managerial staff to perform an ergonomics evaluation for estimating the risk of MSDs. Further, the work can be extended to the dynamic posture analysis and to define exposure towards MSDs.