Dan
can complement your design teams to optimize the ergonomic features of
your products. He has the expertise to provide design criteria, evaluate
patterns of use, and facilitate user focus groups. He can furthermore
bring his creativity and outside perspective to bear in helping brainstorm
innovate design features.
Once
your product is completed, he can conduct scientifically sound evaluations
to document the benefits, framed in a manner that can be used in your
marketing efforts. He can provide a white paper to help your customers
understand the basis of the ergonomics features as well as to summarize
the evaluation results.
Toro T-Bar Steering
Dan
developed a test protocol and directed the evaluation of a new line of
mid-sized professional lawn mowers for the Toro Company. The company had
designed and introduced the mower, which they believed to be easier on
operators, but had no objective data. Dan and his team successfully
conducted a study that provided quantitative data that showed lower risk
for Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). Dan also wrote a lay-language
report of the findings, and in conjunction with Toro, developed a
videotape for professional landscape gardeners to explain and show the
results of the study.
The study showed that hand and arm fatigue was 29% less than
the competitors, a solid fact that was used in promotional literature.
Boise Cascade SPLOX
Dan
conducted an evaluation of Boise Cascade’s SPLOX (for Speed Loading Box).
Results showed that the box design reduced in an average of 55% less time
to unload a full box of paper into a photocopying machine, plus a 50%
reduction in physical demands related to lifting, bending, and awkward arm
postures. More study results are available on
the
Boise website.
This study
used Dan’s unique Time and Physical Demands Analysis to show both the
increase in efficiency and the reduction of strain on the body:
The study also involved
laboratory studies using biomechanics and electromyography:
Graco Flo-Gun
For
Graco, Inc., Dan participated in the design team to develop a new
generation of a power tool, a glue gun. Activities involved evaluating
past experience with the tool and providing criteria for the new design,
including:
-
evaluated patterns of standard use
-
facilitated user focus groups to identify needs
-
provided design criteria based on principles of ergonomics
Before After
The
new tool involved significantly less ergonomic stress than its predecessor
as well as competitors’ tools:
-
tool weight reduced from 5 lbs. to 4 lbs.
-
grip force reduced from 20 lbs. to 8 lbs.
-
wrist postures improved through better grip design
-
grip size was made adjustable to accommodate differing size users
-
contact stress reduced
-
pinch points reduced
-
maintainability improved
-
ease of use improved by better ability to control flow ("feathering in")
-
user surveys indicate greatly improved satisfaction
