Productivity and health issues in the automation of T-shirt turning

A t-shirt folding operation, subject to a high rate of cumulative trauma disorders, was videotaped and analyzed using MTM-2. Based on the frequency of extreme wrist deviations during the turning phase, a foot-controlled suction device was built to automate the actual turning (inversion) process. A trained operator using the automated turner maintained a standard performance of 12 t-shirts per minute, equivalent to the current performance within the manual turning phase. The remaining inspection and folding elements were left as manual operations. Both tasks could be integrated into the current production line without an increase in the workforce. Thus, productivity need not be compromised in implementing ergonomic solutions in the workplace.