A case study of a principally new way of materials kitting -: an evaluation of time consumption and physical workload

This article presents a materials kitting case study, using an alternative method for materials killing: the traditional picker-to-material principle was replaced with a material-to-picker approach. The Study was made in a materials supply workshop of an automobile plant shortly after this kitting process had been introduced. The materials kitting was video recorded and the material pickers' physical exposure was assessed using ambulatory equipment to make an integrated registration of muscular activity, work postures and movements. The material pickers assessed work situations perceived as physically stressful. The materials kitting showed improved productivity as compared with other kitting methods. The study indicated that the work situation offered pickers low levels of physical exposure. The picking work was rather light but involved great repetitiveness in arm movements. The material pickers experienced the work as repetitive and having some physically stressful work situations. The integrated analyses showed: (1) that exposure in picking operations was similar to, but could be distinguished from, other work activities and (2) that picking from one type of storage package, Euro pallets, resulted in higher exposure than picking from plastic containers. More studies are needed on the implications of exposure levels in materials picking.