Video: Latest Technologies Supporting Associates at BMW Plants

[Jason]

Check out the latest technologies that support associates at BMW plants.

[obert]

Looks cool.

[M3 Adjuster]

I have visited the plant at Leipzig. Super cool how the line adjusts to accommodate the workers who program in their height on the line as they come in to work.

I've lived in Lafayette Indiana and had many friends that worked for Subaru Isuzu automotive and I can tell you that the japanese were not nearly as thoughtful about workers - at least not back in the 1980s and 90s.

[classyfast]

Sounds good, but ergonomic aids like this only weaken muscles and teach folks to relay on support devices. What they should do for their workers is invest in nutrition and physical health programs for their folks, Americans are already typically overweight and less physical than generations before, this to me encourages that.

Now if you have a corrective ergonomic device which stops somebody with pressure points or physical alert parameters from doing something like lifting incorrectly, I'm all for it as a teaching device. That's about it.

[cncmastr]

Originally Posted by classyfast

Sounds good, but ergonomic aids like this only weaken muscles and teach folks to relay on support devices. What they should do for their workers is invest in nutrition and physical health programs for their folks, Americans are already typically overweight and less physical than generations before, this to me encourages that.

Now if you have a corrective ergonomic device which stops somebody with pressure points or physical alert parameters from doing something like lifting incorrectly, I'm all for it as a teaching device. That's about it.

You are right.

[Nomana]

What i see is opportunities for disable people.

[Invictus]

Originally Posted by Nomana

What i see is opportunities for disable people.

This.

[LinkF1]

Originally Posted by classyfast

Sounds good, but ergonomic aids like this only weaken muscles and teach folks to relay on support devices. What they should do for their workers is invest in nutrition and physical health programs for their folks, Americans are already typically overweight and less physical than generations before, this to me encourages that.

Now if you have a corrective ergonomic device which stops somebody with pressure points or physical alert parameters from doing something like lifting incorrectly, I'm all for it as a teaching device. That's about it.

You're wrong, these aids will significantly reduce worker injury rates, improve the quality of the product, and reduce cost.

While workforce wellness programs are a great investment, they are not often compulsory and therefore have limited effectiveness. The repetitive stress that employees get from these types of jobs is much different than what you would do as exercise. For example let us assume that the employee has to place each of those small plates in the task at 3:15 in the video. Assume the metal it is picking up is 225 grams (0.5 lb), picked up every 10 seconds. By using the robot BMW is removing 360 cycles and 81 kg (180 lbs) per hour from the worker's responsibilities. The robot also can place that part with a high degree of accuracy and work 24 hours a day if needed.

Note that the employee still has to lift the pre-processed and then the completed part, there are still highly repetitive tasks in this work environment. The robot likely replaced the task that the employees had the most trouble completing which is usually a source of quality defects.

[Destroya]

Originally Posted by LinkF1

You're wrong, these aids will significantly reduce worker injury rates, improve the quality of the product, and reduce cost.

While workforce wellness programs are a great investment, they are not often compulsory and therefore have limited effectiveness. The repetitive stress that employees get from these types of jobs is much different than what you would do as exercise. For example let us assume that the employee has to place each of those small plates in the task at 3:15 in the video. Assume the metal it is picking up is 225 grams (0.5 lb), picked up every 10 seconds. By using the robot BMW is removing 360 cycles and 81 kg (180 lbs) per hour from the worker's responsibilities. The robot also can place that part with a high degree of accuracy and work 24 hours a day if needed.

Note that the employee still has to lift the pre-processed and then the completed part, there are still highly repetitive tasks in this work environment. The robot likely replaced the task that the employees had the most trouble completing which is usually a source of quality defects.

Yes. These devices, if programmed correctly can reduce repetitive type injuries but still maintain sufficient muscle strength for the worker. In fact, you could program the device to make the workers stronger, much like a weight training program.

[raysspl]

Very cool stuff

[NV GUNS]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

I have visited the plant at Leipzig. Super cool how the line adjusts to accommodate the workers who program in their height on the line as they come in to work.

I've lived in Lafayette Indiana and had many friends that worked for Subaru Isuzu automotive and I can tell you that the japanese were not nearly as thoughtful about workers - at least not back in the 1980s and 90s.

obviously you have not seen gung ho from '86

[classyfast]

Originally Posted by LinkF1

You're wrong, these aids will significantly reduce worker injury rates, improve the quality of the product, and reduce cost.

While workforce wellness programs are a great investment, they are not often compulsory and therefore have limited effectiveness. The repetitive stress that employees get from these types of jobs is much different than what you would do as exercise. For example let us assume that the employee has to place each of those small plates in the task at 3:15 in the video. Assume the metal it is picking up is 225 grams (0.5 lb), picked up every 10 seconds. By using the robot BMW is removing 360 cycles and 81 kg (180 lbs) per hour from the worker's responsibilities. The robot also can place that part with a high degree of accuracy and work 24 hours a day if needed.

Note that the employee still has to lift the pre-processed and then the completed part, there are still highly repetitive tasks in this work environment. The robot likely replaced the task that the employees had the most trouble completing which is usually a source of quality defects.

Some good points definitely, and 100% agree with QC improvement.....but let me expand on worker wellness programs from my view and from my particular industry, which is not automotive, but hear me out.

I'm a regional director of environmental health and safety for the 4th largest privately held company in this country. We employ about 15k warehouse workers whose primary function is to pick and lift 20-30,000lbs of product daily and their work is incentive based. Highly repetitive work. Good safety behaviors, good quality and good performance can make you 50-80k a year depending on what you do vs our engineered labor standards. That's 50-80k a year with a highschool diploma only.

We invest heavily in preventative stretching programs, self massage techniques, trigger point self applied therapy, heavy duty nutrition programs and we typically have stretching/gym space at all locations ran by what we call "motion coaches". Aside from the occasionally bad material handling equipment injuries, we had lots of ergonomic injuries over my last 9 years there. So we tried support belts, they don't work and they weaken your core/back/abs. We tried corrective ergo devices that don't allow you to lift without using your legs, the concept is great but they wear quickly and become ineffective after they're broken in. We've tried skeletal support devices to "ramp-up" folks that have been injured and they too don't work. These assistant devices, which support, supplement or add to workers abilities have one thing in common....they lessen the workers physical output. However you chose to look at that, you must acknowledge that this deconditions the human operating that apparatus.


What I've found is that for my industry the repetitive motion and the fact that folks stay in motion strengthens the muscles and keeps our folks active and relatively healthy. Our proactive health programs have by far been our best ROI. Now in my world , folks are paid to stretch pre-shift and typically paid time to have our "motion" coaches work with them so they have to participate. Easy as that. In 5 years we have saved over 50m in insurance, incurred medical and workmans comp claims dollars doing this. We are also 7x's safer than the industry average for occupational rate of injury in warehousing nation-wide so that works for us.

The guy that mentioned this can be used for disabled folks is spot on, that's probably the best application for stuff like this.

[LinkF1]

Originally Posted by classyfast

Some good points definitely, and 100% agree with QC improvement.....but let me expand on worker wellness programs from my view and from my particular industry, which is not automotive, but hear me out.

I'm a regional director of environmental health and safety for the 4th largest privately held company in this country. We employ about 15k warehouse workers whose primary function is to pick and lift 20-30,000lbs of product daily and their work is incentive based. Highly repetitive work. Good safety behaviors, good quality and good performance can make you 50-80k a year depending on what you do vs our engineered labor standards. That's 50-80k a year with a highschool diploma only.

We are in similar industries, and in addition to having a masters with a focus on Human Factors and Ergonomics, I am currently responsible for the safety of roughly 400 workers. I can tell you that you will continue to have repetitive stress injuries without removing some of the load on your workers. Incentive based work such as what you describe tends to encourage employees to ignore their injuries until they significantly affect their output.

We invest heavily in preventative stretching programs, self massage techniques, trigger point self applied therapy, heavy duty nutrition programs and we typically have stretching/gym space at all locations ran by what we call "motion coaches". Aside from the occasionally bad material handling equipment injuries, we had lots of ergonomic injuries over my last 9 years there. So we tried support belts, they don't work and they weaken your core/back/abs. We tried corrective ergo devices that don't allow you to lift without using your legs, the concept is great but they wear quickly and become ineffective after they're broken in. We've tried skeletal support devices to "ramp-up" folks that have been injured and they too don't work. These assistant devices, which support, supplement or add to workers abilities have one thing in common....they lessen the workers physical output. However you chose to look at that, you must acknowledge that this deconditions the human operating that apparatus.

None of that is good ergonomic practice. It is stuff that people who are not trained in Ergonomics think would help people lift. Stretching before exercise has been shown to increase injury rates, there needs to be light exercise beforehand to see positive results. There is no evidence in any literature that support belts help with lifting. Forcing someone to lift with their legs does not lead to fewer injuries, allowing them to lift with no limitations in technique does. Depending on the injury, orthopedic support devices can help recovery, but each situation is different. For most injuries the right answer is strength training with the affected muscle group, it will have the quickest results and the lowest resulting pain.

What I've found is that for my industry the repetitive motion and the fact that folks stay in motion strengthens the muscles and keeps our folks active and relatively healthy. Our proactive health programs have by far been our best ROI. Now in my world , folks are paid to stretch pre-shift and typically paid time to have our "motion" coaches work with them so they have to participate. Easy as that. In 5 years we have saved over 50m in insurance, incurred medical and workmans comp claims dollars doing this. We are also 7x's safer than the industry average for occupational rate of injury in warehousing nation-wide so that works for us.

The guy that mentioned this can be used for disabled folks is spot on, that's probably the best application for stuff like this.

You have had great results, I don't want to take any focus away from that. I would recommend that you get a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist in to look at what you can do to further improve your workplace. With a good one you will see increased productivity from your workforce with a side effect of less injuries to have to deal with.

[classyfast]

Originally Posted by LinkF1

We are in similar industries, and in addition to having a masters with a focus on Human Factors and Ergonomics, I am currently responsible for the safety of roughly 400 workers. I can tell you that you will continue to have repetitive stress injuries without removing some of the load on your workers. Incentive based work such as what you describe tends to encourage employees to ignore their injuries until they significantly affect their output.

None of that is good ergonomic practice. It is stuff that people who are not trained in Ergonomics think would help people lift. Stretching before exercise has been shown to increase injury rates, there needs to be light exercise beforehand to see positive results. There is no evidence in any literature that support belts help with lifting. Forcing someone to lift with their legs does not lead to fewer injuries, allowing them to lift with no limitations in technique does. Depending on the injury, orthopedic support devices can help recovery, but each situation is different. For most injuries the right answer is strength training with the affected muscle group, it will have the quickest results and the lowest resulting pain.

You have had great results, I don't want to take any focus away from that. I would recommend that you get a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist in to look at what you can do to further improve your workplace. With a good one you will see increased productivity from your workforce with a side effect of less injuries to have to deal with.

I really want to pick your brain as my degrees are more towards environmental compliance side than the physical ergo! I like what you're saying and literally will use your points to knock my industrial fitness specialist or "motion coach" down a few notches. They swear dynamic stretching and compound movements is what will make the difference. My argument for a couple years has been to allow a pre-shift workout time in our gyms (but all facilities don't have gyms like we do up here).

I want to know what you meant by allowing somebody to lift without physical limitations- I believe you said-- let me know.

Wish you were closer to New England, may have had a career for you!! (If you were looking!)

Feel free to PM me to shoot the shit.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by classyfast

Sounds good, but ergonomic aids like this only weaken muscles and teach folks to relay on support devices. What they should do for their workers is invest in nutrition and physical health programs for their folks, Americans are already typically overweight and less physical than generations before, this to me encourages that.

Now if you have a corrective ergonomic device which stops somebody with pressure points or physical alert parameters from doing something like lifting incorrectly, I'm all for it as a teaching device. That's about it.

..I cant help but think this is a means to data track movements placed where there is still human interaction within production for ultimate replacement by automation... hard to believe this a means to find ways to add the human element to the production...

[Zirenz2006]

Originally Posted by NV GUNS

obviously you have not seen gung ho from '86

Gung Ho reference.....Love it!

Haven't seen that in ages.

[NV GUNS]

Originally Posted by Zirenz2006

Gung Ho reference.....Love it!

Haven't seen that in ages.

Gung Ho and Mr. Mom 2 keaton classics.