Assembly Workability Evaluation Using Virtual Worker Postures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods require manual placement and movement of human body models to evaluate assembling workability, which is time-consuming and inefficient for assessing ergonomics and visibility during product assembly.
Innovation Solution
An automated computing apparatus that extracts information from 3D CAD models to evaluate worker positions, postures, and eye lines, using assembly graphs and compensatory coefficients to compute assemblability scores and generate virtual worker positions and viewpoints, thereby assessing workability without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual placement and movement of human body models is used to evaluate assembling workability, then ergonomics and visibility can be assessed, but the evaluation process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically extracts worker positions, postures, and eye lines from the assembling sequence itself, without requiring external manual intervention. The assembling sequence data directly provides the information needed for ergonomics evaluation, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating time-consuming manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of placing and moving human body models with an automated computational system. The system uses information processing and algorithmic deduction to automatically determine worker positions and postures based on assembling sequence data, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated computational methods.
2Productivity
If automated evaluation methods are used to reduce examination time, then productivity improves, but comprehensive ergonomics assessments including visibility and reachability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the ergonomics evaluation into multiple independent components: worker position extraction, posture determination, eye line calculation, visibility assessment, and reachability evaluation. Each component processes specific aspects of the assembling sequence data independently, allowing comprehensive evaluation while maintaining high computational efficiency through parallel processing of segmented tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a unified automated evaluation framework that simultaneously performs multiple ergonomics assessment functions including visibility evaluation, reachability analysis, and posture assessment. This multi-functional approach ensures comprehensive ergonomics coverage while maintaining productivity through integrated automated processing of all evaluation aspects.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is configured including an information obtaining unit that extracts information on plural parts' attributes, locations, and adjoining relations with other parts; a unit that sorts parts by part type and detects a distinctive shape from 3D CAD model; a unit that represents adjoining relations between parts in an assembly graph; a unit that creates disassembling directions and a disassembling sequence based on the assembly graph and, by reversing them, derives an assembling sequence and assembling directions; a unit that computes an index indicating a quality of easiness of assembling a part by subtracting the sum of deficiency points per part from a reference score; a unit that creates virtual worker positions, postures, and viewpoints according to assembling sequence and evaluates workability; and a unit that computes an evaluation value per part by the index of easiness of assembling the part and a total evaluation value of assembly workability.