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Woodworkers commonly perform operations like sawing, chipping, planning, shaping, nailing and drilling in daily work environment. This study focused the consequences of exposure to hand arm vibration among woodworkers working with handheld drill machine. Subjects’ hand grip strength was measured by a digital hand grip dynamometer. The vibration generated by a handheld drill machine was the main concern and hence the same handheld drill machine was used during this study. The results showed that workers exposed to hand arm vibration had higher prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Future studies should include other contributing factors also like ergonomic interventions and workers’ postures.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common work–related health issues among mobile device (MD) users due to long hour of working during homestay. Various researches have been carried out earlier for identifying the MSD risk factors, though the risk factors’ priority and weightage play an important role for risk management. OBJECTIVE: In the current study, the priority and weightage for MSD risk factor (individual factor, personal factor, psychosocial factor, and subfactors in each factor) were identified using the best–worst method (BWM) for MD users through a case study. METHOD: A framework was proposed for evaluating the risk hierarchy. The rating data provided by decision–makers was analysed using BWM for optimistic risk factor outcomes. A sensitivity analysis was also performed on the prioritized risk factors/subfactors for the consistency check. RESULTS: Research results revealed that personal factor was the most prominent risk factor of MSDs, followed by psychosocial factor and individual factor. Further, the total time spent and gender were identified as most and least dominating risk subfactor of MSDs respectively. The evaluated priority and weightage of MSD risk factors were further validated using sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: The obtained outcomes may be helpful in reducing the MSDs risk factors among the MD users by ergonomic improvement.

Washing bar soap is widely used and vital in everyday life, especially in developing countries where demand is increasing due to population expansion. However, the production and use of washing bar soap have negative impacts on the environment, and the sustainability of soap packaging is also a concern. This research focuses on measuring the environmental effects of the production phase of washing bar soap while accounting for the differences in soap consumption across brands and consumer behavior during the use phase. The research aims to quantify the ecological burden caused by the production and use of 1 kg of bar soap through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that follows ISO 14040 and 14044 standards. This study also addresses the resource-intensive aspect of soap packaging, particularly plastic packaging, and offers sustainability solutions through circular economy principles. GaBi v8.0 software is used to evaluate various environmental performance indicators, and the results show that eutrophication has the highest burden on the environment compared to other categories. This study highlights the importance of consumer behavior in reducing the environmental impact of washing bar soap, as the use stage of washing bar soap has the most significant impact in most categories.

Background: Lean Six Sigma is a fact-based, data-driven approach that avoids mistakes to improve quality and efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now evident in lean six sigma applications. AI waste elimination solutions can eliminate large amounts of waste that LSS couldn't. In lean six sigma, Six Sigma tackles process variance, whereas Lean reduces waste to improve process quality and efficiency. Objective: To describe new pieces, trends, and the adoption and implementation of new technologies like AI by examining the current literature across multiple aspects for a more instructive and piquant viewpoint. Method: This study is a combination of systematic and bibliometric review, where the systematic review was based on a class framework by selecting 97 articles from reputed journal databases, and the bibliometric review was conducted using a VOS viewer and web of science database for a period of 15 years (2007-2022). Result: By describing LSS's historical evolution, major concerns, prevalent research approaches, and application areas, the study helps practitioners and academics understand its present state for robust research. AI and other cutting-edge technologies help discover non-value-added operations that are difficult to recognize manually. Conclusion: This study has revealed the critical success factors for deploying LSS in numerous businesses. The motivations, barriers, and limits in the direction of the application of LSS are also discussed. The research trends in implementing modern technologies like AI showed a green wave. Future research may emphasize and dominate LSS implementation issues with modern technologies like AI.

Background: Handicraft workers usually carry out daily activities by adopting awkward postures. The most prevailing health issues among handicraft workers are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Objective: The current research aims to assess the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms and investigate risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders among metal sculpture artisans. Subsequently, the study highlighted the future scope of AI applications in ergonomic evaluation. Method: 144 male metal sculpture workers participated in the study. A modified Nordic questionnaire was adopted to determine the musculoskeletal problems among metal sculpture workers. The probable risk elements for MSD symptoms were identified by applying binary logistic regression. Result: Most workers faced discomfort in various body parts, particularly the wrist, lower back, and shoulders. The outcome of the logistic regression model revealed that job-related factors have significantly contributed to the development of MSD symptoms. Conclusion: This study concedes that awkward working postures for prolonged periods highly affect the health of metal sculpture workers, and there is a need for ergonomic intervention to minimize the risks of musculoskeletal disorders. The study also emphasizes the future scope of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications that can be used in ergonomically assessing working postures.

PURPOSE The coronavirus outbreak delivered the condition of dying from infection and forced people (especially university student computer users) to perform all working and non-working activities during homestay. In this situation, the device usage for a longer duration is mainly responsible for work-related health issues. This study aims to discover the effect of physical activity intervention (PAI) on computer users' musculoskeletal health during homestay. MATERIAL AND METHODS The investigation was performed on 40 university student computer users. To measure body discomfort before and after using the PAI, the body part discomfort scale of Corlett and Bishop was applied. RESULTS After implementing the PAI, the musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) decrement in major body regions was reported as: wrist/forearm (8.17 ± 1.45 to 4.57 ± 1.10), lower back (8.01 ± 1.42 to 4.40 ± 1.14), elbow (7.57 ± 1.71 to 3.49 ± 1.13), and neck (7.40 ± 1.71 to 4.02 ± 0.81). CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that PAI significantly decreased the discomfort among users in various body regions. This research suggested that PAIs may reduce the risk of MSDs in the long term for different body regions.

Objectives. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting people throughout the world. People are forced to conduct various activities at home using mobile devices (MDs) as a result of the outbreak. In this case, prolonged use of MDs is the major cause for work-related health problems. Methods. We used systematic cluster random sampling to sample a diverse group of Indians from India's various states. Subjects filled out a questionnaire with questions about their demographics, MD usage and musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs) faced. The relationship between MSSs and various factors was investigated using χ2 and binomial logistic regression analysis. Results. An online survey yielded 720 responses. More than half of employees registered MSSs in their upper body regions. Age, gender and MD usage were correlated with MSSs in various body regions. According to the binomial logistic regression findings, gender was significantly linked to MSSs in each body region. Conclusions. Results show that MDs can be used effectively in intermediate leisure activities if they are used in accordance with their basic needs.

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic is spreading in India and different parts of the world. The outbreak delivered not only the condition of dying from infection but also forced people (especially office workers and students) to perform all working (office work, classes, assignments, etc.) and non-working activities (leisure activities such as social media, gaming, etc.) at home using handheld devices (HHDs). In this situation, HHD usage for longer durations is mainly responsible for work-related health issues. Therefore, the paper aims to explore HHD usage patterns and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) amongst HHD users during homestay and the impact of individual and HHD usage–related factors on MSDs.Design/methodology/approachFrom different states of India, 651 people (especially HHD users from universities and industries) were sampled by using systematic cluster random sampling. In addition, an online questionnaire was used to collect data on the prevalence and risk factors of MSDs. Finally, mean comparisons and chi-square analysis was used to analyse the collected data.FindingsThe prevalence rate of MSDs was higher in upper body parts as compared to the lower body parts. The association of gender with MSDs in various body parts was substantial. The time spent on various working and non-working activities using HHDs was significantly associated with MSDs in upper body parts.Practical implicationsHomestay work may be used as an alternative working arrangement, and the risk factors that have the most significant impact on the health of HHD users may be identified by organizations. The findings suggest the proper use of HHDs as per their essential need with intermediate recreational activities.Originality/valueIt is observed that the musculoskeletal health of office workers and university students is a cause for concern during homestay. The current study provides the prevalence of MSDs experienced by HHD users and the association of individual and HHD usage factors with MSDs.

This work aims to define and rate essential criteria to improve an organization's success in implementing cellular manufacturing (CM) using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). A two-stage methodology is proposed for this work. First, the literature review and expert discussion recognize 15 criteria for adopting CM. Second, it suggests a simple model to rank the criteria using the FAHP. Under the fuzzy setting, the FAHP technique constructs weights of the recognized essential criteria. It will assist organizations in developing strategies for dealing with implementation of the CM and continuously ensuring performance enhancement. Research finding suggests that the top-ranking criteria are multi-skill employee, employee training, robotics, setup time reduction/elimination plans and group technology. The suggested model is seen as extremely beneficial for company managers and practitioners to take methodical decision to efficiently implement CM within the organization. The strength of this study is that examining the prioritization and ranking of CM implementation criteria is one of the first studies.

In the present research work, waste fly ash powder-filled chopped glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated. Conventional open mold casting technique is used for fabrication of composite samples. The fly ash powder is incorporated from 0 to 15 wt.% in the composite at an interval of 5 wt.% to analyze the physical (experimental and theoretical densities, void fraction and hardness), mechanical (tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, impact strength), thermo-mechanical (dynamic mechanical analysis, DMA), and three-body abrasive wear rate, respectively. From this study, it is clearly seen that density, void fraction, and hardness of the composites improved with fly ash content. The strength and modulus of the composites increased with filler content up to 10 wt.%. For the analysis of the homogeneity of composites, the storage modulus, loss modulus, and the cole-cole plot are drawn from dynamic mechanical analysis. Finally, a three-body abrasive wear test is conducted for composite samples, in a steady-state abrasive wear condition up to 10 wt.% fly ash filled composites shown better wear resistance with the variation in sliding distance and normal load. The Taguchi’s design of experiment method is used for designing of experimental runs having input controlling variables like sliding distance, normal load, filler content, and abrasive size.

The aim of this article is to investigate the interactions between the critical criteria of implementation of the cellular manufacturing system (CMS). In this article, 15 critical criteria are chosen on the basis of literature review and opinion of experts from the manufacturing industry, which was analyzed for their interactions and dominant relationships using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology and interpretive ranking process (IRP) methodology, respectively. These distinct modeling approaches have been employed to study the appropriate relationship among the CMS implementation criteria and their ranking considering key performance areas. The study marks is an attempt to fulfill the gap in the literature, as the literature majorly focuses on CMS implementation, but pays no attention to models considering such critical criteria. The ISM model particularly highlighted the importance of employee training over other critical criteria, which will in turn ensure the success of CMS implementation, while the IRP model revealed CAD/CAM as the most important criterion when evaluated against various performance areas. The study, thus, paves a new way for manufacturing organization's management to be aware of critical criteria and analyze those that might be important for the future survival of the organization.

In work-from-home (WFH) situation due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the handheld device (HHD) users work in awkward postures for longer hours because of unavailability of ergonomically designed workstations. This problem results in different type of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among the HHD users. An integrated multi-criteria decision-making approach was offered for identifying the risk level of MSDs among HHD users. A case example implemented the proposed approach in which, firstly, the best-worst method (BWM) technique was used to prioritize and determine the relative importance (weightage) of the risk factors. The weightages of the risk factors further used to rank the seven alternatives (HHD users) using Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) technique. The outcomes of the BWM investigation showed that the three most significant risk factors responsible for MSDs are duration of working, poor working posture and un-ergonomic design. The outcome of the VIKOR technique exhibited that computer professionals were at the highest risk among all users. The risk factor priority must be used for designing a working strategy for the WFH situation which will help to mitigate the risks of MSDs.

This paper aims to acquaint the readers about the research trends in machining of titanium alloy related literature based on the data collected from Web of Science (WoS) databases using bibliometric analysis. A total of 1291 results were obtained from WoS database. The results were analyzed based on aspects like distribution of the obtained research documents based on language, type, subject areas covered, total publications of authors, and citation counts of authors over the years in WoS database. Most of the publications are either in the engineering and material science domain. Further, lists of most productive authors, institutions, countries (along with geographical representation) are presented. China is the leading country in this research field but the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics of China have the highest number of publications among all other institutes around the world. The author's keywords co-occurrence analysis network is visualized using VOS viewer. The study shows that ‘Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL)’, ‘nanofluid’, ‘cryogenic machining’, ‘cutting temperature’, ‘CFD’, ‘microstructure’, ‘sustainable machining’, ‘green machining’, ‘tool wear’, ‘micromachining’, ‘optimization parameters’, ‘tool life’ with major machining process like turning, milling, grinding, drilling, EDM and WEDM, etc. are the most recent keywords that indicate the hot topics and future research directions in the machining of titanium alloy field. This study also shows that the annual growth rate in machining of titanium alloy research is 16.94%, which indicates that machining of titanium alloy research has gained rapid attention since 2016 and gradually evolved over the years. By referring to this paper, researchers will be able to make calculated decisions and will get useful information for future research directions.

The main aim of this paper is to focus on the studies and researches performed from 2010 to 2020. Also, observe and interpret the pattern of agriculture supply chain management and identify the problems faced by this industry and draw the conclusion from the same as to what can be done to overcome the same. This paper tries to incorporate the most relevant information from all the prominent research papers and draw a conclusion on the limitations, observed patterns, and prospects in this theme. Therefore, during 2010–2020, 102 scholarly articles from journals and conferences were reviewed to capture research contribution knowledge, excluding 11 papers from unknown research methodology sources, the global dissemination of ASCM research, and the identification of various crucial components of ASCM. The literature is also classified by geographic area and publication year. Despite the growing demand for an efficient Agriculture Supply Chain, there aren’t many papers emphasizing this theme as a whole. The areas of perishability, food safety and quality, IT application in ASC, logistics, and post-harvest loss are often the priority. Small Data Granularity, Slowed Digital Transformation, Management of Conventional Inventory Strategies, Lack of Actionable Data and Insights can be summarized as Prime Challenges in the Agri-Supply Chain. Specifically, in the study, the selection of any ASC configuration in a specific context has not been accomplished, so a thorough review of various feasible ASCM configurations has to be carried out. There have been articles targeting a specific product or a region or are oriented via a particular approach. This paper binds the paper for the year 2010–2020 and provides an overview and transcends the viewpoint of the author, to provide a few parameters for future research in the unexplored domains of Agriculture SCM. The major outcome of this study is that organic agriculture, technological innovations in agricultural, IoT, Block chain and smart farming is the future of agriculture supply chain management. Moreover, small food value chains are also in the developing stage and may take over the traditional methods of ASCM

In India, wooden furniture is primarily made in small-scale workshops (SSW), and hand tools accomplish most of the tasks. The activities performed in awkward posture causes musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among the workers. However, the study of ergonomic assessment of work tasks and workers' posture during work is not explored for the Indian context. This study aims to recognize the MSDs and risky postures among SSW workers using ergonomic assessment methods. Based on the ergonomic assessment study outcomes, the hand tool is redesigned. The findings of the survey were used to explore further issues in employees. 70 randomly selected furniture workers from different workshops located in Kota participated in this research. The highest complaints were identified in the shoulders (75.14 percent), in the knees (54.28 percent). Ergonomic evaluation of posture was done, and workers' awkward posture was identified to improve the posture. After modifying the tool, the worker's comfort was evaluated and found satisfaction among the workers.

A comparative experimental analysis of resistance spot welded and weld bonded joint is done to confirm the superiority of weld bonded joint. The joints are observed at different weld nugget pitch distances by varying the distance between two weld nuggets to 10 mm and 30 mm for various weld nugget diameters. The effect of variation in weld nugget pitch distance for a particular weld nugget diameter has been significant in resistance spot welded joint while its effect on weld bonded joint is negligible. Weld nugget size at a particular pitch distance affect both the resistance spot welded joint and weld bonded joint. Finite element model for resistance spot welded and weld bonded joint have been developed at these weld nugget pitch distances to analyze these two joints in greater detail. It is found that in resistance spot welded joint, the weld nuggets bear the major fraction of the load applied and the maximum stress concentration develops at the edges of the weld nuggets which interact more at lower weld nugget pitch distance making the joint weaker. While in weld bonded joint the applied load is shared jointly by the adhesive layer and the weld nuggets with the generated stress being evenly distributed showing negligible effect of weld nugget pitch distance on the joint strength.

The current research work aims to optimize the waste fly ash powder filled glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites (i.e. EGF 0; EGF 5; EGF;10; EGF 15) by using hybrid AHP-TOPSIS technique. For determining the ranking order of composite formulations, following characteristics like: physical, mechanical, tribological and thermo-mechanical have been selected for performance determining criteria (PDC). As per AHP the order of PDCs is: PDC-1 (Tensile Strength) > PDC-5 > (Impact Strength) > PDC-2 (Tensile Modulus) ∼ PDC-3 (Flexural Strength) ∼ PDC-4 (Flexural Modulus) > PDC-8 (Tan δ) ∼ PDC-11 (Abrasive Wear Rate) ∼ PDC-12 (Cost) > PDC-6 (Hardness) ∼ PDC-7 (Storage Modulus) ∼ PDC-9 (Void) > PDC-10 (Experimental Density) respectively. The verification of consistency is also observed and the maximum Eigen value (λmax) ∼ 12; Consistency index (CI) = 0.004 and Consistency Ratio (CR) = 0.002.As per TOPSIS approach the ranking order of the selected compositions is: EGF-10 > EGF-15 > EGF-5 > EGF-0 respectively.

The purpose of this paper is to gather insights about recent progress of scientific research associated with life-cycle assessment (LCA) using bibliometric analysis. A total of 10,524 and 7726 articles were extracted from Scopus data base and web of science (WoS) data base respectively. The findings were evaluated on the basis of aspects such as the distribution of the journal articles obtained on the basis of language, total publication, discipline wise, journal wise, and citation wise in both databases over the years. Almost all of the articles are either in the field of engineering and environmental science. In addition, lists are provided of the most active writers, organizations and countries. The USA is the top nation in this area of research, however among all other institutes worldwide, the Technical University of Denmark has the maximum number of articles. Author keyword network and document co-citation network is visualized using VOS viewer. Finally, a lists of top 50 highly influential papers were generated using WoS and Scopus databases. Researchers would be able to draw measured judgments for their future research work by referring this study.

The single lap joints were obtained with sheet metals of Al 6082-T651 alloy of thickness 2 mm and epoxy of two components. The strength of weld-bonded joints is found significantly higher than equivalent resistance spot welded joints. The role of elastic modulus of adhesive has been investigated computationally to find its affect on the pattern of stress distribution in the overlapped region. Prior to FE analysis experiments have been performed to find the weld characteristics to be utilized in the development of FE model.

The present research work study the effect of cenosphere particulate on the physical (density, void content, and hardness), mechanical (tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength), and thermal (thermal conductivity) characteristics of chopped basalt fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composites. The composite laminates are fabricated by traditional open mold casting technique. The cenosphere particulate is varying (0–15 wt%; @ step of 5 wt%) in the composites and percentage of basalt fiber is constant (40 wt%) in all the compositions (i.e. EBC 0, EBC 5, EBC 10, and EBC 15). Experimental results show that, the experimental density of the composites decreased with increase in cenosphere particulate percentage in the composite, whereas void content and hardness of the composites increased with increase in cenosphere percentage in the composite. Basalt-epoxy composite with 10 wt% cenosphere content (EBC 10) shows the maximum value of tensile strength (72.10 MPa), flexural strength (185.86 MPa), and impact energy (1.27).

Solar power is one of the main sources of renewable energy which helps for protecting the environmental and reducing pollution. Technologies and systems for utilizing solar power are the area of research and development for a number of decades. In a solar air heater (SAH), use of fabricated irregularities on its wide face is an effective technique to augment heat discharge for flowing air with a moderate rise in frictional conduct. The necessary conditions for building an effective roughness design are to pick roughness patterns and its geometrical factors such that they may govern the nature of fluid flow with a rise in the heat discharge and lowering pumping losses. Continuous efforts are being carried out by various researchers to optimize the roughness parameters that deliver high heat release rates with low cost of pressure penalty or better thermo-hydraulic performance parameter (THPP). The researchers dominantly studied V-shaped of roughness design because of its better performance characteristics. The main intent of the present paper is to appraise or compile the influence of various V-shaped rib roughness on the thermal behavior of SAH. The outcomes of different V-designed rib roughness in terms of Nusselt number (Nu), and friction factor (f), statistical correlations established related to geometrical parameters and THPP are summarized. A comparative study using different V-designed ribs are also discussed to guide the future research and improvements.

The study aimed to assess the hand-arm vibration (HAV), noise exposure, and shift in hearing threshold (SHT) due to the prolonged use of hand tools used in three different handicraft occupations. D...

Industrial accidents are grave mishaps that result in injuries and fatalities to people and damage to property as well as the environment. The impact of the accident is exorbitant and society has to pay for decades. In most of the developed countries, the wellbeing of people and the environment is a top priority. The noble mission for every nation should be to reduce the level of the accident to "Zero" by adopting the Zero Accident Vision (ZAV) to prevent the same. The Zero Accident Vision is the spirit and commitment to create and ensure a safe workplace and prevent significant accidents in order to achieve safety excellence. This review paper aims to explore the research work performed towards ZAV and to study the status of present safety regulatory mechanisms in detail, safety culture, and awareness in the Indian context. In the first stage of the study, a systematic review approach was adopted using the Scopus database to explore past research on ZAV. In the second stage, various policy documents available from government regulatory bodies including their functions and adequacy of accident prevention, have been studied. The literature revealed that no significant research has been carried out on ZAV in India. From the study of various policy documents, it is evident that the country is far behind to achieve the ZAV and it will require efforts from government, private and non-government organizations to reduce the same. The planned and phase-wise efforts are needed to reduce the accidents and finally to achieve the ZAV. The Changes in national safety policy, various acts regulating occupational health and safety need to be amended suitably to incorporate the core values of ZAV. The mechanism of motivation by giving suitable grading to the industries adopting ZAV as a vision in their safety policy needs to be devised and followed.

This paper investigates the fly ash content effect on physical and mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy composites. The composite samples with different fly ash content (0–15 wt-% in step of 5 wt-%) were prepared by Hand lay-up technique. The effect of fly ash content on the physical (densities and void content) and mechanical (tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength) properties of the composites have been analyzed experimentally. Void contents of the composites increased with fly ash percentage and 10 wt-% fly ash filled basalt-epoxy composite shows better mechanical properties than others.

The aim of the study was to investigate the occupational use of low-cost intervention for carpet trimming occupation. This study quantifies the effect of hand-arm vibration and noise exposure to loss in hearing threshold among trimming workers. Ten male participants (right handed) involved in carpet trimming volunteered to participate in this interventional experiment. The participants were queried about the usability of prototype handle based on their subjective perception evaluated through the use of scoresheet/questionnaire. Results demonstrated that the handle intervention reduced the total value of root mean square frequency-weighted vibrations by more than 40% when compared with the conventional handle. The workers were exposed to noise levels ranging from 87.2 to 91.8 dB(A) (mean 89.55 dB(A)). They exhibit mild-to-moderate hearing impairment in the frequency range of 3000–6000 Hz. Based on this preliminary work, we have found that prototype handle was effective in curtailing hand-arm vibration. The prototype handle showed a positive effect on the usability ratings. More practical applications should be explored to prevail the combined effect of hand-arm vibration and noise.

In the present technological era, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) aim to enhance productivity with improve quality and reduce costs. They are focusing on value-adding activities through lean manufacturing, but there is a need to access technologies through the fourth industrial revolution for overall organization performance. The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the critical success factors for effective implementation of lean with industry 4.0 in SMEs. The analytical hierarchy process technique is selected to identify the most important CSF which needs to focus more, while the implementation phase. The total 12 critical success factors (CSFs) are identified through literature review and clustered into four dimensions: Management, technological, organizational, and economics. A hierarchical structure has been developed based on these CSFs. The finding of the study shows that CSFs dimension ‘technological’ is found most important for SMEs to successfully implement lean production with industry 4.0. This is followed by the CSFs dimension ‘management’. From level 3 CSFs, digital manufacturing found most significance, followed by top management support. The present study will provide an accurate decision tool to the SMEs to implement lean with industry 4.0 technologies in a more effective and systematic way for organization benefits.

A mechanical workshop is an integral part of any engineering institution. Improper design of workstations and hand tools in workshop can significantly affect student's comfort and concentration. Ergonomics science plays an essential role in improving working conditions, productivity, efficiency and reducing worker fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Poor working postures, repetitive tasks and heavy workloads lead to increased risk of workplace injuries. An ergonomic assessment can identify these risk factors for further improvements. The objective of this paper is to find out comfort levels and work-related musculoskeletal disorders of engineering students working in mechanical workshops. A case study was conducted with a modified version of the Standard Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) to collect the data regarding demography, MSDs and work comfort of students. The data were analyzed using Minitab 16.0 software. A total of 180 students (male and female) were asked to fill the questionnaire out of which 152 were found valid. According to the data analyzed, average comfort score was found to be 2.16 (1—Not comfortable at all, 2—Moderately comfortable, 3—Very comfortable). The minimum comfort score (1.78) was found in the fitting shop, closely followed by the carpentry shop (1.96). Results of the survey showed that 33.5% of students reported pain in shoulders, 32.2% in fingers and 29.6% in the wrist after working. The average rapid entire body assessment (REBA) score was found to be 8.5, indicating the high-risk level of tasks involved. From the study, it was concluded that un-ergonomically designed workstations and hand tools in mechanical workshops lead to reduction in the comfort level of students and further may even lead to MSDs. The study concludes that there is a large scope for ergonomic design of hand tools as well as workstations in mechanical workshops of engineering institutions. Well-directed research toward this end could result in substantial reductions in postural discomfort of students training in such workshops.

A manual worker has to apply a push/pull force in the horizontal plane while doing work. However, no such data are available on push/pull strength for Indian participants at three handle heights. Therefore, current research was done for collecting the data of push/pull strength for Indian male participants. A push/pull strength measurement specific setup established at MNIT Jaipur was utilized for data collection, and data for 20 male participants were collected. The mean age, stature, and weight of the participants were 27 ± 7.08 years, 1695 ± 74 mm, and 56.2 ± 3.31 kg. The highest isometric push and pull strengths at low handle height with both hands were 352.9 ± 76.4 and 308.2 ± 55.3 N. The determined values can be utilized as a dataset for the design of manually operated tools and equipment.

Indian wooden furnitures are generally manufactured in small-scale workshops, where most exercises are performed manually. This examination was led among the laborers of furnishing wooden workshops to check pervasiveness of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The objective of this study was to understand the MSDs and postures involved among the workers during furniture manufacturing. Survey questionnaire and indices were statistically analyzed to investigate further problems in the workers. In this study, 103 male workers working in workshops located in Jodhpur district were randomly selected for participation in the study. The Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and checkpoints consisting of 11 body regions were used as information assortment tools. A VAS score was calculated for each section of the listing. Ergonomic evaluation of postures from 150 still photographs from 30 workers was done using ImageJ freeware and awkward posture of workers identified to improve the posture. Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) technique was used for the postural assessment. Work table modeling in Autodesk Inventor with adjustable height was done, and the postures were reanalyzed. The highest prevalence of symptoms was reported within the lower back (71.5%), upper back (52.17%). Lower back was among the highest priority as it has the highest VAS score following the upper back and knee. It was found that the RULA score for modified work table indicated reduction by around 87% when compared to the conventional postures. After modification of table, the worker’s priority scores (mean 3.1; SD 0.58) were curtailed to an extent.

There are extreme wear surface phenomena such as abrasion, corrosion, erosion and oxidation. They create a number of performance and life issues in mechanical components whether stationary or in relative motion. Various surface treatment techniques are used in industrial practise to resolve these problems. Recently, coating techniques have been described as a cost-efficient way for surface alteration. Technique of physical vapour deposition proves to be one of the most popular methods among a wide range of available processes. The PVD system is generally recognized across industries because of its ability to provide wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings with characteristics such as superior thermal stability, hardness and better hardness-to-elastic modulus ratio (H/E ratio). PVD coatings can also be used in the development of thermal barrier coatings for high-temperature applications. Deposition parameters, like N2 flow rate, base pressure, bias voltage, deposition temperature and deposition time, tend to have a major influence on coating properties. In this paper, a review of the mechanical aspects, wear behaviour, phase and chemical composition of the PVD coatings is done, in the light of the microstructure obtained. The review is relevant both from the industrial and research viewpoints.

Recently, Participatory Ergonomics (PE) approach has been broadly accepted as a system to minimize musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and associated injuries among the workers. This review emphasizes on specific topics such as critical success factors of PE approach, conceptual framework for implementation of PE programs, effectiveness and measure elements for successful implementation of PE programs. The literature is preferred from reputed ergonomics journals by refining abstracts and titles utilizing selected words such as ‘intervention’, ‘ ergonomic’, and ‘participatory’, and by analyzing the abstracts and findings the 62 articles have been preferred for this review. The review aims to analyze the usual elements and obstructions associated with PE intervention program, thereby giving the recommendations for future research.

In present, travelling salesman problem (TSP) has given more priority due to its analogy real applications like transportation of goods, distribution of the supplies, power cable distribution, tourism, routing of public transport, laser printing, drilling operation. Genetic algorithm (GA) class is used to find the optimal solution but as problem increases, robustness decreases due to very slow convergence rate. In this study, a hybrid GA is proposed in order to optimize the TSP efficiently. The robustness was increased at higher distance by the developed hybrid GA.

Indian clay brick industry is very vast and unorganized in which manual work is performed with traditional methods and un-ergonomically designed tools. The clay brick manufacturing process includes various manual activities like clot preparation, moulding, carrying bricks to brick kiln and arrange them inside kiln for firing and then carrying out fired bricks from kiln. Due to lack of awareness regarding ergonomic principles and repetitive working with awkward postures, brick kiln workers suffer from MSDs and other occupational health problems. The purpose of the present study is to analyse the body posture and identify the severity of occupational risk among workers engaged in manual clay brick making task. Posture analysis was done by using REBA score method. According to the result, most of the workers were found having less than five years of experience. Workers generally leave this job due to various health issues. Average REBA scores for various tasks were very high. A significant decrement in hand grip strength was found after repetitive work. If the workers will continue working in the present situation, health problems and MSDs will become chronic after a time. To improve the health of brick kiln workers along with awareness regarding ergonomic principles, use of ergonomically designed hand tools and protective aids should be used.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to visualize the prioritization among essential factors of cellular manufacturing system (CMS) implementation using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and analytic network process (ANP) methods. Design/methodology/approach Based on literature review, 4 enabler dimensions and 17 CM factors were identified which were validated by experts from academia and industry. Then, AHP and ANP models are proposed in evaluating CMS implementation dimensions and factors. The results are validated using sensitivity analysis. Findings These models give firms a straightforward and simple to utilize way to deal with CMS efficiently. The two strategies were appeared to be powerful in choosing a strategy for CMS implementation. The two strategies brought about nearly similar outcomes. Both methods consider the particular necessities of the organization through its own accessible ability. Practical implications The techniques exhibited in this paper can be utilized by a wide range of organizations for adopting CMS that have a higher impact on performance and thus overall productivity. The two techniques are explained in a step-by-step approach for easier adoption by practitioners. Originality/value The strength of the present study is that it is one of the first few to be conducted in perspective for CM implementation factors analysis.

An ergonomic assessment of static muscular strength like hand grip-and pinch strength in handicraft occupation was made. In total, 170 female participants were selected for the case-control study, out of which 120 handicraft and 50 office workers were examined as exposed and control groups. Their maximum static handgrip- and pinch strength were measured using hand and pinch dynamometers. We analyze our findings to indicate static muscular strength varies significantly due to repetitive use of hand tools. The decrement in pinch grip strength was evident due to long cycle repetitive pinching movements of distal phalanx during hand knotting and pearl drilling. Based on our results we propose the need for ergonomically designed hand tool interventions that may reduce the accumulation of loss in static muscle strength.

Purpose Prolonged working in repetitive and awkward postures can result in musculoskeletal disorders among workers involved in labour-intensive jobs like those of brick kiln workers. Unlike other labour-intensive sectors, workers in this particular sector have a lack of awareness about musculoskeletal problems. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore musculoskeletal issues and associated risk-factors among brick kiln workers. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was conducted among 217 male and 111 female workers aged between 17 and 53 years. They were employed in traditional brick kiln units situated in Rajasthan, India. Postures were analysed by Rapid Upper Limb Assessment and Rapid Entire Body Assessment methods. Binary logistic regression was used to find the association between musculoskeletal problems and risk-factors. Findings For the mould evacuating task, wrist (76.2 per cent) and lower back (56 per cent) issues were the most frequently reported musculoskeletal problems, while in spading task, lower back (62.4 per cent) and shoulder (57.7 per cent) problems were prominent. Musculoskeletal symptoms in one or more body regions were associated with personal and work-related factors including the type of task and experience. Research limitations/implications Kiln workers are exposed to high musculoskeletal and postural risks, particularly in spading and mould filling tasks. To reduce these risks, ergonomic interventions are needed. Originality/value It is recognised that the musculoskeletal health of brick kiln workers is a cause for concern. The present study provides the evidence of the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms experienced by brick kiln workers and the association of symptoms with various risk-factors, which has not been addressed in previous studies.