Concurrent engineering is a business strategy which replaces the traditional product development process with one in which tasks are done in parallel and there is an early consideration for every aspect of a product's development process. This strategy focuses on the optimization and distribution of a firm's resources in t he design and development process to ensure effective and efficient product development process.
Need for Concurrent Engineering
In today's business world, corporations must be able to react to the changing market needs rapidly, effectively, and responsively. They must be able to reduce their time to market and adapt to the changing environments. Decisions must be made quickly and they must be done right the first time out. Corporations can no longer waits time repeating tasks, thereby prolonging the time it takes to bring new products to market. Therefore, concurrent engineering has emerged as way of bringing rapid solutions to product design and development process.
Concurrent engineering is indisputably the wave of the future for new product development for all companies regardless of their size, sophistication, or product portfolio. In order to be competitive, corporations must alter their product and process development cycle to be able to complete diverse tasks concurrently. This new process will benefit the company, although it will require a large amount of refinement in its implementation. This is because, concurrent engineering is a process that must be reviewed and adjusted for continuous improvements of engineering and business operations.
The Concurrent Engineering Approach
Concurrent engineering is a business strategy which replaces the traditional product developm ent process with one in which tasks are done in parallel and there is an early consideration for ever y aspect of a product's development process. This strategy focuses on the optimization and distribut ion of a firm's resources in the design and development process to ensure an effective and efficient product development process. It mandates major changes within the organizations and firms that use i t, due to the people and process integration requirements. Collaboration is a must for individuals, groups, departments, and separate organizations within the firm. Therefore, it cannot be applied at leisure. A firm must be dedicated to the long term implementation, appraisal, and continuous revisi on of a concurrent engineering process.
Strategic Plan of Concurrent Engineering
Concurrent engineering is recognized as a strategic weapon that businesses must use for effec tive and efficient product development. It is not a trivial task, but a complex strategic plan that demands full corporate commitment, therefore strong leadership and teamwork go hand and hand with suc cessful concurrent engineering programs.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Human Factors in Engineering and Design
Who people are human factor people?
Ans: Human factor people are: Psychology, Engineering, Human factors/ergonomics, Medicine, Physiology, Life science, Education, Industrial design, Business administration, Computer science, others.
What are the principal areas of human factors people?
Ans: The principal areas of human factors people are given below:
Ø Computers
Ø Aerospace
Ø Industrial processes
Ø Health and safety
Ø Communication
Ø Transportation
Ø Others
What activity do human factor people perform?
Ans: The activity do human factors people perform are given below:
Ø Communication:
ü Write report
ü Conduct formal briefing and presentations
ü Edit report written by others
ü Write proposal
Ø Management:
ü Schedule project activity
ü Manage and supervise others
ü Prepare budgets and minor financial matter
Ø System development:
ü Determine system requirements
ü Verify system design meets human factors standards
ü Write system goals and objectives
ü Perform task analysis
Ø Research and evaluation:
ü Development experimental designs to test theories
ü Design data collection instruments and procedures
ü Determine proper statistical test for particular data set
ü Plan and conduct user-machine evaluations
ü Collect data in controlled laboratory setting
ü Develop criterion measures of human-system performance
What is system and subsystem?
Ans: System:
A system is an entity that exists to carry out some purposes. A system is composed of humans, machine and others things that work together to accomplish some goal which these same components could not produce independently. A system receives inputs from the environment and makes outputs to the environment.
Subsystem:
Subsystem is a part of a system. Each subsystem carries out part of the system function.
Human machine system:
Human machine system is a combination of one or more human beings and one or more physical components interacting to bring about for given input, some desired outputs. A human machine system can be a person with a hoe, a hammer or a hair curler.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Ergonomics Study
The term “ergonomics” is derived from two Greek words: “ergon”, meaning work and “nomoi”, meaning natural laws. Ergonomists study human capabilities in relationship to work demands.
In recent years, ergonomists have attempted to define postures which minimize unnecessary static work and reduce the forces acting on the body. All of us could significantly reduce our risk of injury if we could adhere to the following ergonomic principles:
· All work activities should permit the worker to adopt several different, but equally healthy and safe postures
· Where muscular force has to be exerted it should be done by the largest appropriate muscle groups available.
· Work activities should be performed with the joints at about mid-point of their range of movement. This applies particularly to the head, trunk, and upper limbs.
Here, however, we arrive at a serious problem - and a challenge to conventional ergonomic thinking: In order to put these recommendations into practice, a person would have to be a skilled observer of his or her own joint and muscle functioning and would have to be able to change his or her posture to a healthier one at will. No one develops this sort of highly refined sensory awareness without special training. Therefore, in order to derive the benefits of ergonomic research, we must learn how to observe our bodies in a new way.* Any attempt to improve workplace conditions can have only limited success if this issue is ignored.
One training program that cultivates precisely these skills is the Alexander Technique. It has a long history of helping people develop the subtle coordination of thought and physical action required to monitor and alter harmful patterns of posture and movement. In short, it enables its students to put ergonomic principles into practice, and thus helps them reduce their risk of developing a repetitive strain injury and other stress-related injuries. For example, published by the British Medical Journal in 2008 offers overwhelming evidence that the Alexander Technique is a very effective way of alleviating backpain.
The Alexander Technique was developed in the early 20th century before ergonomics became a recognized science and has been applied since then by people all ages and professions. The Technique can be described as a simple and practical educational method which alerts people to ways in which they are misusing their bodies, and how their everyday habits of work may be harming them. It teaches people how to avoid work habits which create excessive amounts of static work and how to reduce the amount of unnecessary muscular force they are applying to their bodies. Stated another way, the Technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity.
This Web Site is dedicated to the exchange of information between the fields of ergonomics and the Alexander Technique. Suggestions and contributions from ergonomists and from Alexander Technique students and teachers are most welcome
Chair Design and Backpain
Nowhere is the interplay of ergonomic and Alexander Technique concepts better illustrated than in the design of chairs, and the ways in which we use the itprovides a wonderfully fresh look at an object so common in our society that most of us pay little or no attention to it. Galen Cranz, a professor of architecture at the University of California and a teacher of the Alexander Technique, has written what is probably the definitive work on this topic. Ergonomists, Alexander Technique teachers - and everybody else who sits on chairs - can learn a great deal from this very readable book
One of the most common work-related hazards of concern to ergonomists is backpain. Several videos and books have been produced and written by physical therapists who have also trained to become teachers of the Alexander Technique. As such, they provide a unique perspective on the topic and make excellent resources for anyone suffering from backpain - and for anyone who wants to avoid suffering from backpain in the future.
One of those videos, Solutions for Back Trouble, uses several concrete examples, such as sitting, sleeping, brushing your teeth etc. in which the Alexander Technique/physical therapy interplay results in elegant ergonomic solutions.
In recent years, ergonomists have attempted to define postures which minimize unnecessary static work and reduce the forces acting on the body. All of us could significantly reduce our risk of injury if we could adhere to the following ergonomic principles:
· All work activities should permit the worker to adopt several different, but equally healthy and safe postures
· Where muscular force has to be exerted it should be done by the largest appropriate muscle groups available.
· Work activities should be performed with the joints at about mid-point of their range of movement. This applies particularly to the head, trunk, and upper limbs.
Here, however, we arrive at a serious problem - and a challenge to conventional ergonomic thinking: In order to put these recommendations into practice, a person would have to be a skilled observer of his or her own joint and muscle functioning and would have to be able to change his or her posture to a healthier one at will. No one develops this sort of highly refined sensory awareness without special training. Therefore, in order to derive the benefits of ergonomic research, we must learn how to observe our bodies in a new way.* Any attempt to improve workplace conditions can have only limited success if this issue is ignored.
One training program that cultivates precisely these skills is the Alexander Technique. It has a long history of helping people develop the subtle coordination of thought and physical action required to monitor and alter harmful patterns of posture and movement. In short, it enables its students to put ergonomic principles into practice, and thus helps them reduce their risk of developing a repetitive strain injury and other stress-related injuries. For example, published by the British Medical Journal in 2008 offers overwhelming evidence that the Alexander Technique is a very effective way of alleviating backpain.
The Alexander Technique was developed in the early 20th century before ergonomics became a recognized science and has been applied since then by people all ages and professions. The Technique can be described as a simple and practical educational method which alerts people to ways in which they are misusing their bodies, and how their everyday habits of work may be harming them. It teaches people how to avoid work habits which create excessive amounts of static work and how to reduce the amount of unnecessary muscular force they are applying to their bodies. Stated another way, the Technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity.
This Web Site is dedicated to the exchange of information between the fields of ergonomics and the Alexander Technique. Suggestions and contributions from ergonomists and from Alexander Technique students and teachers are most welcome
Chair Design and Backpain
Nowhere is the interplay of ergonomic and Alexander Technique concepts better illustrated than in the design of chairs, and the ways in which we use the itprovides a wonderfully fresh look at an object so common in our society that most of us pay little or no attention to it. Galen Cranz, a professor of architecture at the University of California and a teacher of the Alexander Technique, has written what is probably the definitive work on this topic. Ergonomists, Alexander Technique teachers - and everybody else who sits on chairs - can learn a great deal from this very readable book
One of the most common work-related hazards of concern to ergonomists is backpain. Several videos and books have been produced and written by physical therapists who have also trained to become teachers of the Alexander Technique. As such, they provide a unique perspective on the topic and make excellent resources for anyone suffering from backpain - and for anyone who wants to avoid suffering from backpain in the future.
One of those videos, Solutions for Back Trouble, uses several concrete examples, such as sitting, sleeping, brushing your teeth etc. in which the Alexander Technique/physical therapy interplay results in elegant ergonomic solutions.
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