Ergonomics Simulation in Aircraft Manufacturing – Methods and Potentials

In aircraft manufacturing, despite automation, there is a high proportion of manual activities. Especially in the final assembly of the aircraft, the employees perform various tasks in adverse postures causing work-induced illnesses. Working in kneeing or overhead position are two posture, which often occur. This paper describes an approach on how to develop human-centered assembly tasks by using virtual ergonomics analysis. Within the approach, various scientific assessment methods are compared and their applicability to aircraft manufacturing will be presented.