Ergonomics Features in FlexSim

[_brasil]

The most difficult features is already done, the bone animations. Our suggestion is include a new operator, with whom users may use to study ergonomics features. One of our competitor is using the argument that their EDS package has those features implemented and our not.

1. Basic Anthropometry: incorporate anthropometric bases with male and female percentiles 5, 50 and 95 of specific populations (American, German, Brazilian, Japanese, etc.)

2. Advanced anthropometry: allow fine adjustment of the human model (ie definition of main segments) to allow the customization of the manikins according to the study population;

3. Library of Postures: to provide a bank of characteristic postures to assist in the process of postural editing and animation of the human model;

4. Qualitative Analyzes: from the anthropometry it is possible to apply simulation to some analysis used in the area, especially: The. Reach Envelope Analyzes B. Visual Field Analysis

5. Quantitative / Biomechanical Analysis:

The. Force and torque analysis; B. RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment); w. NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Lifting equation); D. OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysing System); and. Snook & Ciriello (parameters for manual handling of loads); F. Fatigue analysis; G. Metabolic energy expenditure.

Other important information, might be the possible reports:

• Task Input Summary: Body segment angles, hand locations, hand force magnitude and direction;
• Hand forces, L5/S1 disc compression, percent capable, balance and coefficient of friction;
• Anthropometry: Anthropometric data including body segment lenghts, center of gravity and body segment weights.
• Fatigue;
• Posture;
• Joint Locations: Calculate locations of each joint;
• Joint Moments;
• Spinal Forces and Moments;
• Strenght Capabilities: For each joint articulation we should be able to get resultant moment produced by the load and body weight, muscle effect, population strength means, standard deviations, and percent of the population with the strenght capability to generate a moment larger than the resultant moment.
• Strenght Direction Vectors: Unit vectors for the directions of the strenght moments in the main reference (global) coordinate system;
• Sagittal Plane Lowback Analysis: Lower back data: L5/S1 compression and shear forces, estimated ligament strain;
• 3D Lowback Analysis;

[anthony_johnsonT83CM]

Flexcon (Maurizio Giubilato) has an ergonomics module, and has suggested that we integrate into FlexSim as a module. This is a possibility for our future development. In the meantime, you can contact Maurizio about his module.

[michael_machado]

Wonderfull Anthony, Thanks for the info. Maurizio is right on do that. In a recent pool handled by one big university in Brazil we realized why we are facing difficulty to beat Siemens and other tools in the automotive market. Siemens has EDS, Ergonomics's, Emulation, PLM and other features perfect for that market.

[michael_machado]

Jorg, I will not discuss this matter here. If you wanna understand more what's going on, please e-mail me. There is much more issue on this matter. Our software is perfect for EDS (the best one), but our competitors is doing more on ABS, Ergonomics and Industry 4.0. Thanks,

[michael_machado]

Just to everyone bear in mind here. Those ergonomics suggestions came from Jeep, Bentler Automotive, Honda, Toyota's engineers and also a big pool handled by one university in the automotive market and its suppliers.

[ClairAu]

I also vote for this idea. Two years ago I had a group of students who did a case study on another method of ergonomic assessment called REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment): reba.pdf

They used the case described in this guide reba-a-step-by-step-guide.pdf to build a proof of concept in FlexSim, that I updated for version 17.1 and share with you: reba-171.fsm

[mgiubilatoflexcon]

Claire they did a very good job.

We have a module that perform MTM-EAWS task analysis (a superset of many ergonomics analysis standard, including REBA) but i dind' t find a good way to dinamically create posture. This is a good example of making it.

Do they tried with bone animation too ?

[ClairAu]

Thanks Maurizio. Actually this model was built in FlexSim 7.5 in early 2015, and bone animation was introduced later in FlexSim 7.7 released in November 2015. So we haven't tried with bone animation.

[raphael_castagna]

All of this is very interesting but the more interesting is that ergonomists are doing the same researches on their side. The main difference is that they want to put a real human in a flexsim model and not just evaluate a body model. Equipments like Oculus Rift offers new opportunities to bring closer models and reality. Ergonomists thinks that the most interesting to evaluate is everithing is not anticipated by conceptors and put a real human in a model permit to introduce operator’s reactions against variability in raw marterial, failures, anticipation of their production, what visual information they need, what are they looking at during the time they produce…

I think that combine the two approches could be very powerful. Have a real operator interacting with a model wich automaticly evaluate his posture visual accesses… could produce very interesting results .

In ergonomics consulting we are realy following the way that VR is going to enrich Flexsim experience !

[_462191288]

Hi Team, as FlexSim's loyal user, now we are looking for ergonomic simulation tool which able to assessment human factor upfront before implementation, also able to real time connect real human in physical world by hardware tracking. it really will be super great for us to have ergonomic module adding into flexsim in the upcoming future, that way we don't need to introduce other independent vendor, also specially it will extremely be convenient to our combination for DES and ergonomic study together.

BR thanks!