ABSTRACT
The dimensions of the product set lower bounds for assembly station sizing, but the line designer then has latitude in deciding how much wider and deeper than the product the station should be and how high the work surface will be. Products in this category include most manufactured goods for consumers—such as electrical razors or VCRs—as well as subassemblies or spare parts for larger products, ranging from shock absorbers for cars to cockpit switches for airliners. Observation of factories where assemblers have been sitting at the same stations for years shows, however, that the short-term comfort of sitting does not translate to long-term well-being but leads instead to weight and back problems. Adjustable platforms would be compatible with a uniform station height, but they would also be an impediment to assembler movement.
