Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
basic influence
varying influence
idea of the work system
accomplishment
of purpose
system
performance
situation of a
working person
target areas
determination of
work system purpose
and work object
alternative concepts
of work system design
technological
design
technical
design
organizational
design
ergonomic
design
1. design area
2. design area
3. design area
4. design area
initial situation
FIGURE 5.9
System ergonomic procedure according to the principle of sequential designing.
In this context, technology should be understood as a describing level of technique. Technology deals
with the systematics and analysis of concrete techniques. Technologies in this sense are, for example,
manufacturing processes (Section 5.2.4 and Section 5.3.2). For instance, the manufacturing process
“turning” (technology) is to be carried out with a corresponding technique (turning machine, control
program, etc.).
5.4.1.1 Technological Design
The technological design is mainly determined with the construction process of a product. For instance,
necessary exactitudes (e.g., fits), stabilities (basic material, geometry, heat treatment), and surface properties
(surface roughness, corrosion protection, etc.) in this process are determined in consideration of existing
technologies (Section 5.3.2: Ropohl's scheme). From an ergonomic point of view the technological
design must consider the effects a decision for a specific technology can have on the conditions of work
(e.g., stress caused by certain work environmental conditions, degree of the simplicity of assembly task).
5.4.1.2 Technical Design
In a second stage in the context of the technical design the degree of mechanization and automation, that
is, the division of labor between working person, on the one hand, and working equipment and operating
resources, on the other hand, are discussed. Thereby, human weaknesses and evolution-caused limit-
ations of humans are adjusted by mechanization and automatization. Besides, remainder functions
for people, for example, as automation gaps, are to be equally avoided.
Referring to the degree of mechanization and automatization, according to Figure 5.10, three levels can
roughly be distinguished, namely, the manual activities, the mechanized fulfillment, and the automated
fulfillment (Kirchner, 1972).
The manual fulfillment of a task may take place with the help of tools. The energy, however, which is
necessary for the purposeful modification of the work object is mustered with the physical strength of a
working person. Thereby, the human being poses as a regulator (Section 5.2.1), that is, he gathers infor-
mation concerning the actual condition of the work object and processes it as long as the desired work
result is available. The informational effort of the working persons can be reduced with the help of
working equipments like templates or apparatuses. Mechanization means the substitution of human
energy with technical forms of energy. In comparison with the manual fulfillment, however, the informa-
tional effort can be further reduced, but no complete substitution of human information processing in
the sense of a technical control or regulation takes place. The automation is characterized by the fact
that — beyond the mechanization — the regulation of the process also takes place within the technical
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