Ergonomic design, like that used to craft Lindy’s Aircraft tugs, takes into account the many shapes and sizes of the human form. In designing material handling products, trucks, airplanes, industrial equipment, office chairs, desk heights and nearly everything else, manufacturers used to position seats, steps, controls, platforms, steering wheels, etc. to suit the “average man.”
The problem is there is no such thing as “average.” Men come in all shapes and sizes: tall or short, skinny or round, heavy-weights or bantams, muscled or not. Then, of course, designing for the “average man” completely ignores the physical needs of women, now 50% of the U.S. workforce. Researchers found that when workers had to stretch, strain and stoop to use equipment, injuries shot up and productivity plummeted. The need to correct these problems led to the development of ergonomics.
In an ideal world, equipment would be infinitely adjustable to accommodate any worker. However, as anyone with engineering or manufacturing experience knows, the ideal is rarely practical or cost effective. Ergonomics comes as close as possible by designing equipment that can be adjusted within reasonable ranges to accommodate a wide variety of workers.
How is this done? By takings hundreds, even thousands of measurements. There are firms that specialize in statistical measurement. Say a manufacturer wants to know how far from the seat to position a truck steering wheel. Technicians will measure the bodies of hundreds of working truckers. They break the body down into muscle groups and appendages and take dozens of measurements. Ergonomic engineers like those at Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. use these measurements to guide their designs. That’s how Lindy’s Aircraft Tugs can be used with equal ease by a skinny college kid, the grandma who mans your phones or your beefy operations manager.
Recent Comments