Manual palletizing simulation: time and ergonomic study

Despite automation, manual palletizing is still common in the manufacturing and distribution industries. It can be time-consuming, cause a significant workload, and lead to poor time efficiency and health problems for operators. This paper presents a time and ergonomics study using Digital Human Modeling based on palletizing four layers of containers. Female and male human mannequins of the 5th and 95th percentiles were used. Time analysis, OWAS method, and OWAS Index were applied. The results showed that palletizing time, ergonomic indicators, and their variability were small across the four human models for each layer and the whole palletizing task. Additionally, palletizing the lower layers (Layers 1, 2, and 3) was more time-consuming than Layer 4. The OWAS Index of Layer 4 was significantly more favorable compared to OWAS Index of the lower layers (Layers 1, 2, and 3). This study indicates the potential to reduce palletizing time, time variability, and workload, which may lead to increased productivity and improved workplace sustainability. These results are highly significant for the industry, as they can help in designing and improving manual palletizing processes that are both efficient and ergonomic.