Exoskeletons reshape factory work, but implementation requires careful planning
A new study on exoskeleton use in assembly work reveals that adopting these devices demands more than just purchasing the hardware. Manufacturers must overhaul organizational practices and training systems to realize productivity gains—a finding critical for companies investing in Industry 4.0 automation.
Originaltitel: Motion Behavior and Range of Motion when Using Exoskeletons in Manual Assembly Tasks
<p>The manufacturing industry is becoming increasingly more complex as the paradigm of mass-production moves, via mass-customization, towards personalized production, and Industry 4.0. This increased complexity in the production system also makes everyday work for shop-floor operators more complex. To take advantage of this complexity, shop-floor operators need to be properly supported in order to perform their important work. The shop-floor operators in this future complex manufacturing industry, the Operator 4.0, need to be supported with the implementation of new cognitive automation solutions. These automation solutions, together with the innovativeness of new processes and organizations will increase the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. This paper discusses three different aspects of production innovation in the context of the needs and preferences of information for Operator 4.0. Conclusively, product innovations can be applied in the manufacturing processes, and thus becoming process innovations, but the implementation of such innovations require organizational innovations.</p>