Virtual Ergonomics and Time Optimization of a Railway Coach Assembly Line

The recent drive towards timely multiple product realizations has caused most Manufacturing Enterprises (MEs) to develop more flexible assembly lines supported by better manufacturing design and planning. The aim of this work is to develop a methodology which will support feasibility analyses of assembly tasks, in order to simulate either a manufacturing process or a single work-cell in which digital human models act. The methodology has been applied in a case study relating to a railway industry. Simulations were applied to help standardize the methodology and suggest new solutions for realizing ergonomic and efficient assembly processes in the railway industry. (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Professor D. Mourtzis and Professor G. Chryssolouris