Workstation Design

Facility Design at Level V

At the level of workstation design, Ergonomics and Motion Economy dominate the design. Motion Economy maximizes individual productivity by making tasks faster and easier. Ergonomics optimizes the integration of people with equipment. It also ensures that workers can perform the task with minimal risk of injury. 

The figure below shows the tasks required to properly design a workstation along with their sequence. 

Task 05.02 is information acquisition. The designer needs information on products, processes, equipment, tools, components and other items.

The next task group defines the process and allocate functions to machines or people. This is where automation and mechanization decisions are made. 

The final task group places elements into a spatial arrangement. It parallels tasks at other levels of plant layout.

An experienced designer performs many of these steps informally or mentally. The process is not as complex or lengthy as the charts indicate. However, failure to perform a step results in design by accident, a risky proposition.