Work Study

Engr. Ruel M. Tuan, MSIEM, CIE, PIE, AAE, CLSSYB, LSSGB-t

 • PPT 08: MOTION STUDY AND WORK DESIGN
- Therbligs
- Micromotion Analysis

CONTENTS • PPT 09: PREDETERMINED MOTION TIME SYSTEMS (PMTS)

• PPT 10: WORK SAMPLING
• PPT 11: WORKER – MACHINE RELATIONSHIPS
- Synchronous Servicing
- Random Servicin
 PPT 08:
MOTION STUDY
AND WORK
DESIGN
 Motion Study and Work Design
Motion Study – analysis of basic hand, arm and body movements of workers as
they perform work in order to eliminate or reduce ineffective movements
Work Design – is a relatively new science that deals with designing the task,
workstation, and working environment to fit the human operator better.
Includes:
Workplace layout and environment
Tooling and equipment used in the task
Frank & Lillian Gilbreth – Colleagues of Frederick Taylor
- Among the first to systematically seek the best way to perform jobs
- the Gilbreths were responsible for industry’s recognition of the importance
of a detailed study of body motions to increase production, reduce fatigue, and
instruct operators in the best method of performing an operation. They developed
the technique of filming motions to study them, in a technique known as
micromotion study. The study of movements through the aid of the slow-motion
moving picture is by no means confined to industrial applications.
 Motion Study and Work Design
Basic Motion Elements
• Basic or elemental motions of the human body are called therbligs
• Term was coined by Frank Gilbreth
• They include such activities as select, grasp position, assemble, reach, hold,
and inspect
• Time values for therbligs are specified in very detailed tables

Therbligs – 17 basic motion elements

• Basic building blocks of virtually all manual work performed at a single
location.
• With modification, used today in several work measurement systems, e.g.
MTM & MOST
Therbligs
 Motion Study and Work Design

Micromotion Analysis
- Analysis of therbligs that make up a repetitive task
Objectives:
• Eliminate ineffective therbligs if possible.
• Avoid holding objects with hand – use work holder.
• Combine therbligs – Perform right hand and left hand motions simultaneously.
• Reduce time for a motion, e.g. shorten distance.
 Number of Cycles to Study
Number of Cycles to Study
Cycle - is the completion of the activities (elements) required to perform the job
under study.

Recommended
Number of
Observation Cycles
Number of Cycles to Study
 Practice Problems: Work Measurement
1. How many observations will be required in your time study to
achieve the following?
Desired Confidence = 99%
The desired accuracy within 2% of the mean observed times
The sample observation mean = 45
The sample standard deviation = 1.8

Answer: [(2.575 x 1.8)/(.02 x 45)]^2 = 26.52 = 27

 Practice Problems: Work Measurement
2. A bookstore is to conduct a time study. The analyst wants to
determine the time required to perform a certain job. A preliminary
study yielded a mean of 6.4 minutes and a standard deviation of 2.1
minutes. The desired confidence is 95%. How many observations will he
need if the desired maximum error is 10%?

Answer: [(1.96 x 2.1)/(.10 x 6.4)]^2 = 41.36 = 42

 PPT 09:
PREDETERMINED
MOTION TIME
SYSTEMS (PMTS)
 Standard Elemental Times
Predetermined time standards (PTS) is a work measurement technique
whereby times established for basic human motions (classified according to
the nature of the motion and the conditions under which it is made) are
used to build up the time for a job at defined levels of performance. They
are derived as a result of studying a large sample of diversified operations.
A database of basic motion elements and their associated normal time
values, together with procedures for applying data to analyze manual task
times and establish standard times for the tasks.
Basic motions include:
Reach
Grasp
Move
Release
These involve the use of published data in standard elemental times.
 Methods – Time Measurement
MTM (methods – time measurement) is a commonly used system which
was developed in the late 1940s by the Methods Engineering Council.
• (Maynard, Stegemerten, and Schwab, 1948) defined MTM as “a
procedure which analyzes any manual operation or method into the
basic motions required to perform it and assigns to each motion a
predetermined time standard which is determined by nature of motion
and the conditions which is made”
• MTM varies into different forms such as MTM – 1, MTM – 2, MTM – 3
and MOST
Stated in terms of time measurement units or TMUs
• One TMU equals .00001 hour
• One TMU equals .0006 minute
• One TMU equals .036 second
• There are 100,000 TMUs in one hour
 Methods – Time Measurement
MTM – 1
• Operates at the basic motion element level.
• Most MTM – 1 basic motions involve hand and arm movements.
• Also includes elements for eye, leg, foot and body actions.
• Many of the basic motions elements correspond to the original therbligs
developed by Frank Gilbreth

Other MTM Systems

• MTM – 2 is a second level PMTS in which basic motion elements are
combined into motion aggregates
GET – combines Reach and Grasp
PUT – combines Move and Position
 Methods – Time Measurement
MTM – 3 is a third level PMTS which has four motion categories
• Handle
• Transport
• Step and foot motions
• Bend and arise
Maynard Operation Sequence Technique
• Developed by Zandin in 1980. It is a high level PMTS based on MTM and uses
same time units as MTM, TMU.
• Focused on work involving the movement of objects from one location to
another in the workplace.
• Three activity sequence models:
General move – object moved freely in space
Controlled move – object remains in contact with a surface
Tool use – use of hand tools (hammer, screwdriver, etc.)
 Practice Problems: Predetermined Motion Time Systems (PMTS)

1. Consider the following task broken down into 5 MTM elements:

Elements TMUs Code in MTM Books
Reach to tool box 14.2 R12D
Grasp a tool 3.5 BG1
Separate tool by pressing 10.6 AP2
Turn tool 3.5 T45S
Move and focus eyes 13.4 M12B
What is the total task time in seconds?
Answer: 45.2 TMU x 0.0036 sec/TMU = 1.627 sec

2. From the previous problem, what is the hourly production output?

Answer: 3600 sec per hour/1.627 sec per unit = 2212.66 = 2213 units/hour
 PPT 10:
WORK
SAMPLING
 Work Sampling
• Developed in England in the 1930s by Leonard Tippet
• It is a statistical technique for determining the proportions of
time spent by subjects in various defined categories of activity.
• Subjects can be workers or machines.
• Random observations are used to record subject’s activity.
• The only technique available for measuring and evaluating non-
repetitive jobs.
• It is used in activities such as:
- Determination of machine utilization
- Determination of allowances
- Establishing standards
 Work Sampling Formula
Work sampling Result to Standard Time Per Piece
 Practice Problems: Work Sampling
1. An analyst has been asked to prepare an estimate of proportion of time that a
turret lathe operator spends adjusting the machine, with 90% confidence level.
Based on the previous example, the analyst believes the proportion will be
approximately 30%. If the analyst uses a sample size of 400 observations, what is
the maximum possible error that will be associated with the estimate?

2. From the previous problem, what sample size would the analyst need in order
to have a maximum error no more than 5%?
n = (𝟏. 𝟔𝟒𝟓𝟐 x .3 x .7)/𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟐 = 227.3 = 228

3. Sample observations of a claims processor made over a 160-hour work month

reveal that the worker produced a total of 384 completed claims forms. The
performance rating was 80%. The worker was idle 20% of the time. The
allowance factor is 8% (job time). What is the standard time per unit?
ST = (160 hrs x 60 min/hr x .80 x .80 x 1.08) / 384 = 17.28 min
 PPT 11:
WORKER –
MACHINE
RELATIONSHIPS
 Worker-machine relationships can be of three types:

1) Synchronous servicing
2) Random (asynchronous) servicing
3) Combination of both - ‘real-life’
Synchronous Servicing
• Assigning more than one machine to an operator seldom results in the ideal case
where both the worker and the machine are occupied during the whole cycle.
Such ideal cases are referred to as synchronous servicing, and the number of
machines to be assigned can be computed as
l+m
n=
l
Where: n = number of machines the operator is assigned
l = total operator loading and unloading (servicing) time per machine
m = total machine running time (automatic power feed)
 EXAMPLE
Synchronous Servicing
Assume a total cycle time of 4 min to produce a product, as measured from the
start of the unloading of the previously completed product to the end of the
machine cycle time. Operator servicing, which includes both the unloading of the
completed product and the loading of the raw materials, is 1 min, while the cycle
time of the automatic machine cycle is 3 min. Synchronous servicing would result
in the assignment of
l+m 1 +3
n= n= n = 4 Machines
l 1
• Note: A complication occurs because of less than ideal conditions. The operator
may need to walk between machines or clean and adjust the machines. This
worker time also needs to be accounted for based on the cost of each idle
machine and the hourly rate of the operator.
 Synchronous Servicing
Synchronous Servicing
• The number of machines that the operator should be assigned under realistic
conditions can be re-estimated by the lowest whole number from the revised
equation:

Where: n1 = lowest whole number

w = total worker time (not directly interacting with the machine, typically
walking time to the next machine)

Note: The number of

There are cost
machines assigned
implications in the
depends on whether n1
decision of deploying
or n2 gives the lowest
machine coupling.
total expected cost per
piece.
 Practice Problems: Synchronous Servicing
1.) Consider a walk time of 0.1 min, with loading and unloading time =
1.0 min and machine run time = 2.0 mins). Also the operator earns
$10.00/hr and the machine cost $20.00/hr to run. Determine the
number of machine to be assigned to the operator.
 Practice Problems: Synchronous Servicing
2.) LSS practices machine coupling in their current set up. Consider a
walk time of 0.1 minute with loading and unloading time of 1.0 minute
and machine run time of 2.0 minutes. The operator is being paid
P50/hour and machine costs are calculated to be at P100/hour.
Determine the number of machine to be assigned to the operator.
 Practice Problems: Synchronous Servicing
3.) The analyst in the Golden Electronics Company wishes to assign a
number of like facilities to an operator based on minimizing the cost per
unit of output. A detailed study of the facilities revealed the following:
Loading machine standard time: 0.34 minutes
Unloading machine standard time: 0.26 minutes
Walk time between machines: 0.06 minutes
Operator rate: $12.0 per hour
Machine rate (both idle and working): $18.0 per hour
Power feed time: 1.48 minutes
How many of these machines should be assigned to each operator?
 Random (asynchronous) Servicing
• Completely random servicing situations are those cases in which it is not known
when a facility needs to be serviced or how long servicing takes. Mean values
are usually known or can be determined; with these averages, the laws of
probability can provide a useful tool in determining the number of machines to
assign a single operator.
• Machine servicing time is not on regular cycle and could be completely random;
use probability theory (binomial expansion) to estimate % idle time.

P(m out of n machines down) = (nCm )(pm) (qn-m)

Where: p = probability of down time
q = probability of up time = 1-p
 Random (asynchronous) Servicing
• Similar computations can be made for more or less machine assignments to
determine the assignment resulting in the least machine downtime. The most
satisfactory assignment is usually the arrangement showing the least total
expected cost per piece, while the total expected cost per piece for a given
arrangement is computed by the expression:
K1 + nK 2
TEC =
R
Where: K1 = hourly rate of the operator
K2 = hourly rate of the machine
n = number of machines assigned
R = rate of production, pieces from n machines per hour
The rate of production, in pieces per hour, from n machines is computed
with the mean machine time required per piece, the average machine servicing
time per piece, and the expected downtime or lost time per hour.
 Practice Problems: Random Servicing
1. Determine the minimum proportion of machine time lost for various
numbers of turret lathes assigned to an operator in an eight-hour day
where the average machine runs unattended 60 percent of the time.
Operator attention time (machine is down or requires servicing) at irregular
intervals is 40 percent on average. The analyst estimates that three turret
lathes should be assigned per operator on this class of work.
 Practice Problems: Random Servicing
2. Assume the operator is paid $10.00/hr and the CNC-Robotic cell cost
$500/hr to run, but produces 120 units per hour. What man – machine
assignment is optimal if n =3, p = 0.1, q = 0.9?