Abstract:
Within any developed nation a thriving manufacturing industry is a major driver behind
economic prosperity. Key to maintaining a competitive manufacturing capability is the
manufacturing system design process and the decisions made within it. The Ford Motor
Company manufacturing design teams recognise that key decisions, regarding the
physical working environment, can impact upon manufacturing workers, a key resource
in maintaining competitiveness. The current problem centres on the lack of confidence
among manufacturing system designers, in the tools and guidelines currently available
to assess these effects. The working environment can be considered to consist of
'variable' factors (light, noise, temperature, etc.) and 'fixed' factors (equipment layout,
hygiene facilities, resting areas, etc.).
The aim of the research presented in this thesis, has been to identify the impact of the
physical working environment upon manufacturing worker performance. Studies carried
out within United Kingdom manufacturing facilities, provided an assessment of the
impact of the variable and fixed physical working environment. The variable
environmental factors were measured simultaneously against manufacturing worker
performance and analysed for any relationships. The fixed environment factors were
assessed to see whether their effect upon manufacturing worker motivation could be
prioritised within a hierarchy. These studies have provided manufacturing system
designers with the ability to make a more confident assessment of the physical working
environment and its effect upon manufacturing worker performance.
The contribution of this research is therefore, within the context of manufacturing
system design, an improved understanding of the effects of the physical working
environment upon the performance of manufacturing workers. Specifically, key
findings identify the limits in which manufacturing worker performance is not affected
by the variable working environment. Also identified, are a set of fixed environmental
factors considered to impact the motivation of manufacturing workers. These findings
are then used to present manufacturing system designers with a set of guidelines, that
can provide assistance with the design of the physical working environment.
