Kian Siong Jee

Pinch Techniques and their Effects on Pinch Effort: A Pilot Study

Hands are important tools for manual work. Although researchers have identified factors that influence the grip efforts of an entire hand, there appears to be limited research concerning the use of different pinch techniques and how they affect the performance of pinch effort. Therefore, the aim for this pilot study is to determine the effects of different pinch techniques on pinch effort. A total of 110 manual workers from a wooden pallet manufacturing firm participated in this study, which involved an experiment and survey to investigate the most preferred pinch technique applied on screw knobs. The techniques used were the 3-jaw chuck, pulp-2 and lateral pinch. A total of 6 screw knobs of different shapes and sizes were used. After the data were collected, descriptive and Cronbachs alpha reliability analyses were carried out. The results show that the preferred pinch technique for the small cylindrical knob, small sphere knob and all large knobs is the lateral pinch. However, the 3-jaw chuck pinch is preferred for the small 5-lobes knob. This study provides preliminary information for further research on pinch techniques and their influences on the pinching outcomes of individuals.

The Effects of Different Tactile Sensations on Pinch Effort

Failure in proper design of ergonomic hand tools can lead to the prevalence of hand-related injuries. In order to improve the ergonomics of hand tools, numerous studies have been done on causal factors related to these injuries such as grip postures, grip forces and torque directions. Nevertheless, there appears to be limited studies concerning how pinch effort can change with different types of tactile sensations. Therefore this study aims to determine the effects of different tactile sensations on pinch effort. A total of 110 manual workers from the wooden pallets and furniture manufacturing firm participated in the study. The descriptive analyses were conducted in Microsoft Excel 2010 and the reliability of data was verified using Cronbachs alpha reliability analyses. The results show that individuals can produce a greater pinch effort while gripping objects that have a high friction coefficient between the fingers and the grip surface. This study improves our understanding on the implications of different tactile sensations and potentially decreases workplace hazards for eventual improvements on safety, health and medical costs.

Innovating TQM, CE and KM for productive manufacturing in a Malaysian firm

In order to improve manufacturing performance, approaches such as total quality management (TQM), concurrent engineering (CE) and knowledge management (KM) have been adopted. Even so, their influence on technical and business challenges may depend on the type of innovation employed. Hence, this study aims to investigate the effects of TQM, CE and KM on manufacturing performance, with an emphasis on different types of innovations in a Malaysian firm. Two hundred and twenty-six surveys were collected back from manufacturing personnel and analysed using linear regression, multiple linear regression and moderated multiple linear regression. It was found that manufacturing performance only is significantly related to CE when intervention was made by the innovation moderator. Also, in the context of projects involving radical innovation rather than incremental innovation, CE has a higher correlation with manufacturing performance. This study provides evidence for manufacturing managers to enhance their firms CE practices, especially if they are opting to undertake more projects that involve radical innovations for a more sustainable competitive advantage.

Ergonomics aspects of knob designs: a literature review

Hand-related apparatus designs that fail to accommodate appropriate hand postures can cause hand-related musculoskeletal disorders. While there have been studies on the handling and design of various hand-related apparatus, little has been written on the ergonomics aspects of knob designs. The aim of this paper is to review various knob designs and their ergonomics aspects. The literature review suggests that gearshift knobs, door knobs, gas valve knobs, butterfly nuts and screw knobs are common knobs used for daily living activities. Other knobs like the convex, knurled, spherical, cone-shaped and ridged knob are often used for industrial-related applications. The ergonomics considerations identified in knobs include aesthetic attraction, position, torque requirement and shape-coding. This literature review can be used as groundwork for the development of ergonomics theory and hand-related studies. Engineers can use this literature review to identify certain ergonomics aspects in knobs to improve equipment designs, operating efficiency and working comfort.

Primary TQM practices and their effects on engineering performance in a Malaysian semiconductor firm

This study aims to identify the key components of TQM practices in a Malaysian semiconductor manufacturing firm and determine their effects on the firms engineering performance. A review was first conducted on the components of TQM practices. Surveys were then distributed to the engineers of the firm. After collecting 226 survey responses, data reduction was conducted using reliability and factor analysis. The components were reduced to four underlying components. The relationship between these components and engineering performance was tested using correlations and multiple linear regression analysis. It was found that all components have a positive and significant relationship with engineering performance, with organisational continuous improvement having the strongest correlation. The major success of TQM practices in this firm came from productive teamwork, synergy and support from all engineers. This study provides an exemplary guideline for most Malaysian semiconductor firms to refine their focus in TQM practices for improved engineering performance.

The Effects Of Office Equipment Familiarity In Reducing Human Errors And Accidents

Although the advancement of technology can provide a better and safer working environment to people, sometimes, overconfidence in technology can lead to unavoidable accidents and human errors in the workplace. This study aims to determine the effects of familiarity with office equipment on human errors and accidents in the workplace. A total of 150 surveys were collected and analysed with correlations analysis usingSPSS software version 19.0. The results show that although familiarity can reduce the occurrence of human errors, it cannot reduce the occurrence of accidents in the workplace. While it is now understood that improving ones familiarity with office equipment can potentially reduce their mistakes at work, companies should still be observant of other factors that can potentially reduce accidents in the workplace. This study sheds light on potential possibilities to improve the occupational safety, health and environment of organizations.

A Review of Ergonomic Tools and Apparatus for the Ageing Population

This paper presents a review of ergonomic garden tools and kitchen apparatus for the ageing population. The purpose of this review is to enable the ageing population to carry out daily activities in the garden and in the kitchen in a less strenuous manner. First, a general review was made on the ergonomic aspect of the garden tool known as Appel Spade. Another review on the ergonomic aspect of the kitchen apparatus was done on the Eggcurate Digital Kitchen Scale. With these reviews, both ergonomic advantages and disadvantages of the Appel Spade and Eggcurate Digital Kitchen Scale are highlighted and then tabulated. Based on the reviews, recommendations are proposed for future potential enhancements in terms of the ergonomic aspects to provide the ageing population a more comfortable experience using these tools and apparatus.

Roles of Pinch Grips in Different Knob Selections among Malaysian Manufacturing Workers

The development of hand-related musculoskeletal injuries can be caused by pinch grips that fail to accommodate different control interfaces. One of the frequently used control interfaces in manufacturing industries is the knob. To date, there are limited statistical studies that investigate and support how different ways of executing pinch grips affect the selections of different knobs, even though there have been some studies theoretically suggesting a relation between different pinch grips and shapes of knobs. The purpose of this paper is to determine the roles of different pinch grips on the knob selections of a number of manual workers from Malaysian manufacturing firms. Regression analysis is used for this study. Survey responses were entered into Minitab 16 for analysis. The findings show that majority of the workers normally use the pulp pinch and lateral pinch, and prefer to use the lateral pinch for their manual tasks. The selection of these pinch grips also considerably affects the selection of the knobs that the workers control. The findings are valuable preliminary guidelines for identifying the ideal pinch grips that accommodate different knobs to potentially reduce hand-related injuries in Malaysian manufacturing industries.

Influences of Body Position Selections on Knob Selections in Malaysian Manufacturing Industries

Muscle fatigue and the development of hand-related musculoskeletal injuries can be caused by body positions that fail to accommodate control interfaces such as control knobs. There appear to be limited studies that investigate how different selections of body positions affect various selections of knobs, despite the fact that some articles have presented theoretical associations between different body positions and knob shapes. The goal of this paper is to determine the influences of body position selections on the knob selections of manual workers from several Malaysian manufacturing industries. A survey and observational studies were conducted, with over 70 responses collected for the survey and 79 responses collected for the observation. The survey responses were entered into Minitab 16 for the analysis, while the observation responses were sorted by frequency. The results show that the majority of the workers normally and preferably use the standing, seated and kneeling position for their manual work. The selections of the body positions that the workers assume also considerably affect the knob selections.

Design Innovation and Validation of a Non-Electric Hearing Aid for Improved Usability

This study aims to innovate and validate the design of a non-electric hearing aid for improved usability. Studies on conventional and existing hearing aids were carried out before the actual study on developing this non-electric hearing aid was done. The final product underwent a series of evaluations in order to verify its viability and usability. Conceptualisation, material selections and concept selections were carried out in order to select the most appropriate concept for this study. The material selection process ensures that the choice of material is appropriate for the specific requirements of the components to be achieved. Subsequently, a detailed cost analysis was carried out to ensure that the manufactured product would be affordable to the customers. Several experiments and tests were performed to evaluate the product’s performance. Although a validated prototype for a non-electric hearing aid is in hand, future improvements on the fabricated product are still needed in order to ready the product for its future commercialisation phase.