Ergonomics and Design of an Industry Helmet

ERGONOMIC AND DESIGN OF AN INDUSTRY HELMET

ABSTRACT

In this project a new design of a helmet with camera and screen mounted. We had to consider the ergonomic issues and aesthetic aspect as well. In this case we are going to make new model for the process industry to make it easy to work with this equipment. This equipment is designed to troubleshoot wiring problems in assembling process of heavy machines and also suitable for industrial purposes. To elaborate more it actually acts as a monitoring system which detects and informs the user, in this case the users are mostly technicians and Industrial operations process personnel. This technology is mainly conceptualized focusing on a particular field of work which are listed below

1. Industrial Automation

2. Marine Automation

3. Switch Board and Service Oriented Tasks

This product stands in a next level of monitoring technology, where a computer acts as a virtual object, then the computer registers what the observer is looking at and from what angle and it gives the virtual experience of reality.

Keywords: Ergonomics, design, process industry, XM reality helmet, screen, camera, assembly line, mining, offshore, power, wiring, troubleshooting, service.

INTRODUCTION

The creativity and innovation behind this product is based mainly on safety. This product helps, guides, troubleshoots, simulates and controls the various problems in process oriented industries. Now we are working with Xmreality Company, this company produces safety equipments for various industries, and our target group is process industry. In this field they are using the XM kit for guiding manual in processing of various fields. Now our task is to design a new product with light weight, easy to use and satisfiable ergonomic shape.

Theoretical background

In this era, among of human being history, we are facing with new challenges and problems originated from our new lifestyles and habits, the side effects of our new changes. We have to work five days a week or more, we have to work about 8 hours a day or more and among of these challenges, here we focused on ergonomic consideration in long term effects of working hours in the field of process industry, such as assembly line labors, quality control department and troubleshooting. We have studied the process industry in the Electromagnet Company as a case study. In this case, workers have to work more than 8 hours a day and also in the weekends.

3D printer

3D printingoradditive manufacturing(AM) refers to any of the various processes for printing athree-dimensionalobject. Primarily additive processesare used, in which successive layers of material are laid down under computer control. These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry, and are produced from a3D model

DESIGN PROCEDURE

Method and implementation

We choose 5 Ws and 1 H method

To answer these questions many times during the design process again and again, tried to refine the result and we came up with some new ideas we also had an offline interview with the company and asked many questions about their work conditions and they needs.

Who: workers/labors in the assembly line of Electromagnet Company

When: In failure, service problems, troubleshooting

What: Industrial Automation, Marine Automation, Switch Board and Service Oriented Tasks

Why: to avoid ergonomic injuries originated from weight and structure of helmet

Where: process, mining sector, power, manufacturing, offshore

How: reducing the weight of the product, ergonomically considerations, and feasibilities

Risk Analysis & Project Constraints

After brainstorming about the possible risk factors that can affect our project, the following are concluded to be main project constraints

• Choice of Resources, as there are various materials, methods and techniques
• Human Ergonomics & user friendly factors which can influence the comfort of the usage and has rear frame adjustment for ergonomics

Project Implementation Strategy

• Having gone through study of various tangible & intangible factors for the feasibility of our project we have assigned each member of the team the following respective roles for easy to achieving our goal
• Background research: Target group, Design Processing, Mood board, Function analysis.

Mood board

Design Assumptions

Here, we would like to restrict ourselves in some areas of design because of various tangible and intangible factors. Before we began our design, we decided to make some assumptions in regard to limiting dimensions of the model, configuration of model, dimensions and weight and type of material on which the model would work.

Ideation

As we discussed about our design assumption, from that we start sketching using brainstorming, in this method we are randomly sketching different kind of shapes then exchanging the concepts for refining the others concepts and understanding the problem very well.

Sketching

Started sketching with different concepts, then made a decision to conclude my design and again we made brainstorming for new ideas, some of the sketches shown below as an example

Figure.3 Sketches of the Helmet

3D modeling in CATIA

After sketching, we started working on 3D model with ergonomic dimensions and then made a full scale model, working on rendering to find the material and its shape for the usage purpose.

This is full scale model kit and it is independent of having the helmet and easy to handle camera and the screen, in this model we can remove the camera also because of the target group. This decision was taken for easy usage when they have troubleshot problems and they don’t need to have the camera anymore.

Some of the pictures are given below for more clarification for the helmet model

Physical model Using 3D Printer

Figure 6 Helmet model in 3D printer

Materials

In this product the plastic is used for the front material and rear part of the material is elastic material so that it can fit to all size of heads in ergonomic point of view, because all over the world we have 600 types of head sizes for that we used elastic material at back part. The target group is the process industry people where they use this equipment for long time, to make it light and reduce the work stress while the removing the helmet, entire equipment is integrated with the lenses, camera and power option. Painting process also made with the glass finishing on the front part. Our target group is process industry people who are using this kind of kit they mostly use for the trouble shoot in this case of assembling the wire boards and re-arranging the equipment.

RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS

From this point we made a conclusion of making the model with simple and organic structure so that easy to use the product and cooperate with the client. While designing we put some boundaries to reaching our goals and project wishes as per design. As started working on different type of shapes so that it should be fit to all type of heads. While doing a pre study we got one feedback that while using kit, a small motion of lenses also missing the 3D view on point of time. To solve this kind of problem we created a profile on the top of the head from front to back which perfectly fits to the head. In the part of lenses, old version lenses are very far to eye to match the 3D view for the user, it feels like heavy for that we combined both lenses and fit into one display, in this case while adjusting one eye lens automatically second come to right position so that user can easily adjust the lenses with one hand.

Final conclusion is that the product should be useful for the process industry and they are using this product more than 8 hours a day so that we wanted to make it light weight for that we used hallow plastic and elastic.

CONCLUSIONS

• This product is a new design and it’s very simple and helpful for company and easy to operate
• It makes the client independent of helmet with reduced the weight and made it easy to fix on the head
• Product have integrated lenses in one frame so that east to adjust the lenses when need fix on head
• To satisfy the target group, and solve their problems, we made lot of changes for that product of new shape
• We developed the product in a right way so that they can work with this kit in a simple manner

REFERENCES

1. Dr. Rania F mohamed and Dr. Abeer S. Mahmoud, Emphasizing the advantage of 3D printing technology in packaging design development and production in local industries, International Design Journal, Volume 1 issue 1
2. The potential of 3D printing, METI journal
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5. ANSI Protective Headware for Industrial Workers -- Requirements, ANSI Z89.1-1986.
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