Optimization of Productivity and Worker Well-Being by Using a Multi-Objective Optimization Framework

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Occupational Health and Safety

Background:

• Current production line design tools often neglect worker well-being, focusing solely on productivity metrics like line balancing and cycle time.
• Existing practices fail to address the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and do not account for anthropometric diversity within the workforce.
• The potential of multi-objective simulation-based optimization techniques is underutilized in current industrial design processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a framework and digital tool for the proactive design of workstations.
• To concurrently consider both worker well-being and productivity in the design of production lines.
• To leverage advanced optimization techniques for efficient workplace design solutions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel framework integrating a workflow and a digital tool.
• Implementation of multi-objective simulation-based optimization techniques.
• Validation through a case study demonstrating the framework's application.

Main Results:

• The framework successfully integrates productivity and worker well-being considerations.
• The digital tool facilitates quicker identification of optimal workstation designs.
• The case study demonstrated the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework offers a significant advancement over traditional production line design methods.
• Proactive workstation design considering both well-being and productivity is achievable with advanced tools.
• This approach supports the creation of healthier and more efficient work environments.