| Summary: | Background and Objective: The most logical decision to take into account
when manufacturing a device is the application of the ergonomic principles
in the design stage. One of the main goals of computer application in
ergonomics is to develop a tool that allows the product to be evaluated at the
beginning of the design process. This study aimed to evaluate the
ergonomics of a powder paint spraying station and present a new design
using Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA)
software.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on a paint spraying unit
at a home appliance manufacturing factory. The digital model of the posture
with the most deviation from the normal posture was simulated in the
CATIA software. After evaluation by the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment
(RULA) method, the biomechanical analysis was performed on the human
model. Finally, based on the results of the RULA, ergonomic interventions
were performed in the software, and the new workstation was re-evaluated
in this study.
Results: The final score of evaluating the color spray posture showed that
the posture was at level four. This indicated the necessity of corrective
measures and immediate changes. In this posture, the position of the forearm,
muscles, wrists, arms, legs, upper body, and neck was inappropriate.
Proposed interventions included the change of seat design and the weight
adjustment of the spray gun.
Conclusion: The results show that musculoskeletal problems can be
significantly resolved by focusing on the organs that are under pressure and
providing an ergonomic design prepared by CATIA software to reduce the
pressure.
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