IE 259

WORK STUDY
PRINCIPLES OF MOTION ECONOMY

ENGR. NINNA S. OCAMPO, MBA, PIE

Motion Economy
• The careful analysis of body motions employed in doing a
job.

• The purpose of motion study is to eliminate or reduce

ineffective movements and facilitate and speed effective
movements.

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Principle of Motion Economy

• A method of doing a job is one which consume

minimum of time and energy in performing limbs
(hand, foot, legs, arms) motions in order to complete
the job and possible due to economizing the use of
motion.

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Motion Economy Checklist

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Motion Economy Checklist

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Motion Economy Checklist

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The use of Human Body
When possible:
1. The two hands should begin and complete their movements at the same time.
2. The two hands should not be idle at the same time except during periods of rest.
3. Motions of the arms should be symmetrical and in opposite directions and should be made simultaneously.
4. Hand and body motions should be made at the lowest classification at which it is possible to do the work
satisfactorily.
5. Momentum should be employed to help the worker, but should be reduced to a minimum whenever it has to
be overcome by muscular effort.
6. Continuous curved movements are to be preferred to straight-line motions involving sudden and sharp changes
in direction.
7. "Ballistic" (i.e. free-swinging) movements are faster, easier and more accurate than restricted or controlled
movements.
8. (Rhythm is essential to the smooth and automatic performance of a repetitive operation. The work should be
arranged to permit easy and natural rhythm whenever possible.
9. Work should be arranged so that eye movements are confined to a comfortable area, without the need for
frequent changes of focus.

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The Arrangement of the Workplace
1. Definite and fixed stations should be provided for all tools and materials to permit habit
formation.
2. Tools and materials should be pre-positioned to reduce searching.
3. Gravity feed, bins and containers should be used to deliver the materials as close to the
point of use as possible.
4. Tools, materials and controls should be located within the maximum working area and
as near to the worker as possible.
5. Materials and tools should be arranged to permit the best sequence of motions.
6. "Drop deliveries" or ejectors should be used wherever possible, so that the operative
does not have to use his or her hands to dispose of the finished work.
7. Provision should be made for adequate lighting, and a chair of the type and height to
permit good posture should be provided. The height of the workplace and seat should
be arranged to allow alternate standing and sitting.
8. The color of the workplace should contrast with that of the work and thus reduce eye
fatigue.
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The Design of Tools and Equipment
1. The hands should be relieved of all work of "holding" the work piece where this can be done
by a jig, fixture or foot-operated device.
2. Two or more tools should be combined wherever possible.
3. Where each finger performs some specific movement, as in typewriting, the load should be
distributed in accordance with the inherent capacities of the fingers.
4. Handles such as those on cranks and large screwdrivers should be so designed that as much
of the surface of the hand as possible can come into contact with the handle. This is
especially necessary when considerable force has to be used on the handle.
5. Levers, crossbars and hand wheels should be so placed that the operative can use them with
the least change in body position and the greatest "mechanical advantage".

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Classification of Movements

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Workplace Layout and Simplification of Movements
✓ Hand tools should be picked up with the least possible disturbance to the rhythm and symmetry of movements. As far as possible
the operator should be able to pick up or put down a tool as the hand moves from one part of the work to the next, without
making a special journey. Natural movements are curved, not straight; tools should be placed on the arc of movements, but clear
of the path of movement of any material which has to be slid along the surface of the bench.
✓ Tools should be easy to pick up and replace; as far as possible they should have an automatic return, or the location of the next
piece of material to be moved should allow the tool to be returned as the hand travels to pick it up.
✓ Finished work should be:
▪ dropped down a hole or a chute;
▪ dropped through a chute when the hand is starting the first motion of the next cycle;
▪ put in a container placed so that hand movements are kept to a minimum;
▪ (d) if the operation is an intermediate one, placed in a container in such a way that the next operative can pick it up easily.
✓ Always look into the possibility of using pedals or knee-operated levers for locking or indexing devices on fixtures or devices for
disposing of finished work.

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Workplace Layout and Simplification of Movements

✓If similar work is being done by each hand, there should be a separate
supply of materials or parts for each hand.
✓If the eyes are used to select material, as far as possible the material
should be kept in an area where the eyes can locate it without there being
any need to turn the head.
✓Use semi-circular arrangements in preference to circular arrangements.
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Workplace Layout and Simplification of Movements

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Workplace Layout and Simplification of Movements

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Workplace Layout and Simplification of Movements

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Machine Control Displays
o Physiologists and psychologists have given some thoughts to the arrangement of dials
with a view to minimize the fatigue to people who have to watch them.

o The growing awareness of the importance of arranging machine controls and

workplaces so that it will be convenient for people who have to do the work has led to
many development of the new field scientific study that is Ergonomics

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 Two-handed Process Charts
oA process chart in which the activities of a worker’s hand or feet are
recorded in their relationship to one another

OPERATION Is used for the activities of grasp, position, use, release, etc of tool, component or
material.

TRANSPORT This represents movement of hand or feet to or from the work, tool or material.

DELAY Is used to denote time during which the hand or feet being chartered is idle
(although the other part is in use)

STORAGE Re-designated as hold and is used to represent activity of holding the work, tool or
material – that is, when the hand being represented is holding something.

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Two-handed
Process Charts

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Micromotion Study
oParticularly those with very short cycles which are repeated many times
over, it may be worthwhile going into much greater detail to determine
where movements and efforts can be saved and to develop the best
possible pattern of movement, thus enabling the operative to perform
the operation repeatedly with a minimum of effort and fatigue.

o SIMO (Simultaneous Motion)

o Therbligs
o Predetermined Time Standards (PTS)

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Micromotion Study
oFilms and cameras are used to record the activities as it provides greater
flexibility in terms of playback speeds, videos, cheaper and easier to use.
o Speed of camera is 960 to 1000 frames per minute

oAdvantages
• Permit greater detailing than eye observation
• Provide greater accuracy than pencil, paper and watch techniques
• More convenient
• Provide positive record
• Help in the development of the work study person themselves
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Memomotion Study
oA form of time-lapse photography which records activity by the use of a
cine camera adapted to take pictures at longer intervals than normal.
The time intervals usually lie between 0.5 sec. and 4 sec
o The speed of the camera ranges from 60 or 100 frames per minute

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Cycle Graph
oThe cycle graph is a record of path or movement usually traced by a
continuous source of light on a photograph, preferably stereoscopic.

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 Chronocycle Graph
• It is a special form of cycle graph in which the light source is suitably
interrupted so that the path appears as a series of pear-shaped dots, the
pointed end indicating the direction of movement and the spacing
indicating the speed of movement.

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SIMO Charts
• SImultaneous MOtion (SIMO)
Cycle Chart is a basic motion-
time chart used to show to
record simultaneously on a
common time scale the therbligs
or group of therbligs performed
by different parts of the body of
one or more workers.

• It is the micromotion form of the

man type flow process chart.
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THERBLIGS
• These fundamental
movements, which
could not be broken
down into other
motions, gave Frank a
way to accurately
analyze elements of any
movements a worker
may make.

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THERBLIGS

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THERBLIGS

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Classification of THERBLIGS

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Types of THERBLIGS

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Benefit of Therbligs
➢Use motions that are easy and effective.
➢Discard motions which are awkward, fatiguing and ineffective
➢People who accomplish the most do not necessarily worked
the hardest

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Example of Therbligs

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 Rest Allocation
𝐸 𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 4.9 𝑋 𝑉 (0.21 − 𝐸𝑂2 (𝑊 − 5.33)
𝑅=
(𝑊 − 1.33)
Where: Where:
E = energy expenditure R = time required for rest
V = volume of air inspired (L/min) W = average energy expenditure during work (in kcal/min)
𝐸𝑂2 = fraction of oxygen in expired air (roughly 0.17)

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Examples of
Energy
Expenditure

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Rest Allocation Example

A worker is shoveling at a rate of 8.5 kcal/min. How much rest does he need
during an 8-hour shift?

(𝑊 − 5.33)
𝑅= = 0.4421 𝑥 8 − ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 = 3.5368 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
(𝑊 − 1.33)

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