Ford factory injuries down by 70 percent - LeftLane News
A virtual simulation of the entire assembly process is established two to three years ahead of a new-vehicle launch. "We have made data-driven decisions through ergonomics testing that has led to safer vehicle production processes and resulted in greater protection for our employees," said Ford assembly ergonomics team leader Allison Stephens. An average of 900 virtual assembly tasks are studied for each vehicle launch. The team uses full-body motion capture to track balance and strain on an employee's arms, back, legs and torso, while 3D printing is used to validate clearance for different hand sizes in tight spots. Ford's ergonomists have so far worked on more than 100 new-vehicle launches globally, including the latest Mustang, F-150 and Explorer. Source: www.leftlanenews.com
