Ergonomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Ergonomics - Essay Example The conveyors also can move the bottles over fixed distances. While the initial costs of installing the conveyor systems are high, this is countered in respect of the fact that they are used to transport high volumes of materials (bottles) within the processing plant. Given that the bottles that are conveyed have rigid surfaces, the conveyors are most appropriate also considering the fixed distances that they cover. In the company, a crane is used to transport materials over restricted area. In our organization, the crane is used to lift heavy materials such as metal blocks that are used in the maintenance of various process machines. The crane is controlled by one person stationed in an enclosure. The crane is applicable in its current setting considering that the flow of materials is low and often intermittent (Raouf, 1995). A conveyor would not be applicable in such a setting. Also, the crane is beneficial in that it offers greater flexibility in respect of material movement. The loads that are handled by the crane come in different shapes, weights and sizes. In the bottling plant, industrial trucks are used to carry pallets that contain empty or filled bottle crates. The trucks transport the materials from the shop floor to the warehouse or store. They are also used to load crates on trucks ready for distribution. The trucks are driven by individual drivers who have to control their movements. The industrial trucks are beneficial in that they have the capacity to transport materials over variable distances. They are more flexible in terms of effecting materials movement compared to the conveyors and crane as noted by Raouf (1995). The materials can be raised or lowered in terms of height as desired, which means that they are very versatile. Also, they are applicable where it would be impractical to install conveyors owing to the intermittence of work. Considering that the conveyors used in the company transport a lot of materials, there is