Digital human models and virtual ergonomics to improve maintainability

Maintenance is one of the key drivers for future company success, due to the fact that these kinds of operations are strictly related to human labor cost, an expensive factor for western states. Furthermore in the last decades, norms and laws regard safety and ergonomics on the work place have taken importance among industrialized countries. Design for Maintenance is a design methodology that since early stages of product life cycle outlines needs and necessities of maintainers, in order to reduces time and cost; decreasing the complexity and the difficulties of these procedures and achieving a higher standard of workers’ healthy. In order to reach this goal, Digital Human Models (DHM) have been used to simulate assembly and maintenance process. Virtual ergonomic analysis performed with a human model allows evaluating visibility, reachability and postures, stress and fatigue. The lack of methods supporting virtual ergonomics simulation has been addressed by proposing a systematic approach based on a step-by-step procedure and proper tools. The said procedure was applied on a case study and results on the method and on its application are shown.