Review Questions

10.1 What is motion study?

Answer: Motion study is the analysis of the basic hand, arm, and body movements of
workers as they perform manual work or other physical activity.
10.2 What is work design?
Answer: Work design is the design of the methods and motions used to perform a task, the
workplace layout and environment, and the tooling and equipment (e.g., workholders,
fixtures, hand tools, portable power tools, and machine tools). Work design is the design of
the work system.
10.3 What is a therblig?
Answer: A therblig is a basic motion element, the basic building block of virtually all
manual work. The 17 therbligs were defined by Frank Gilbreth, who devised the word
therblig by spelling his own name backwards (except for the “th”).
10.4 Identify some of the ineffective therbligs.
Answer: The eight therbligs classified as ineffective in the text are hold, pre-position,
position, search, select, plan, unavoidable delay, and avoidable delay.
10.5 What is the term sometimes used for the kind of analysis involving therbligs in a task?
Answer: Micromotion analysis.
10.6 What are the general objectives of micromotion analysis?
Answer: The general objectives listed in the text are the following: (1) Eliminate therbligs
that are ineffective if possible; for example, eliminate the need to search for parts or tools
by positioning them in a known and fixed location in the workplace. (2) Avoid the use of
the hand for holding parts; use a workholder instead. (3) Combine therbligs where
possible; for example, perform right hand and left hand motions simultaneously. (4)
Simplify the overall method; for example, by re-sequencing therbligs in the cycle. (5)
Reduce the time required for the motion; for example, shorten distances of therbligs such
as transport empty and transport loaded.
10.7 Name some of the principles of motion economy that deal with the use of the two hands.
Answer: There are five principles given in the text that are identified as principles of
motion economy that deal with the use of the two hands: (1) Design the work so that both
hands are fully utilized. (2) The two hands should begin their motions at the same time and
end their motions at the same time. (3) The motions of the hands and arms should be
symmetrical and simultaneous. (4) The work should be designed to emphasize the
worker’s preferred hand. (5) The worker’s two hands should never be idle at the same
time.

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Problems
Therbligs
10.1 The plumber, kneeling on the floor next to the sink, reached for the monkey wrench in his
tool kit, pushing around a few other tools before grasping the wrench and picking it up. He
then moved it to the pipe beneath the sink, positioned it onto the pipe fitting, and turned the
fitting one-third of a rotation to loosen it. Once loose, he put down the wrench and
continued turning by hand. Four rotations were required before the fitting was free of the
mating pipe threads, during which he had to grasp and regrasp the fitting ten times due to
the limited rotation ability of his own wrist. Write a list of the therbligs that comprise this
motion sequence and label each basic motion with a brief description.
Solution: List of therbligs with descriptions. We assume the plumber is right-handed and
the dominant motion elements are performed with the right hand. The sequence begins
with the plumber kneeling in front of the sink.
Seq. Therblig Therblig name Description
symbol
1. TE Transport empty Reach for monkey wrench
2. Sh Search Search for monkey wrench in tool kit
3. St Select Select the monkey wrench
4. G Grasp Grasp the monkey wrench
5. TL Transport loaded Move wrench to pipe beneath sink
6. PP Pre-position Position wrench onto pipe fitting
7. U Use Rotate wrench to loosen pipe fitting
8. TL Transport loaded Move wrench away from pipe fitting
9. RL Release load Put down wrench
10. TE Transport empty Move hand back to pipe fitting
11. G Grasp Grasp pipe fitting
12. DA Disassemble Turn pipe fitting by hand to separate

10.2 The secretary reached for the envelope with her right hand, picked it up and exchanged it
to her left hand. She then reached for the letter opener with her right hand, picked it up,
positioned the blade under the sealed lid of the envelope, and proceeded to slit the top of
the envelope open. Still holding the envelope in her left hand, she laid the letter opener
aside, and reached into the envelope with her right hand, pulled out the document, and
began to read. Write a list of the therbligs that comprise this motion sequence and label
each basic motion with a brief description.
Solution: List of therbligs.
Seq. Left hand Therbligs Right hand
TE Reach for envelope
G Grasp envelope
Reach to exchange envelope TE TL Move envelope to left hand
Grasp envelope G RL Release envelope
Hold envelope H TE Reach for letter opener
Hold envelope H G Grasp letter opener

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 Hold envelope H TL Move letter opener
Position envelope P P Position blade under seal
Hold envelope H U Use letter opener
1 Hold envelope H TL Lay the letter opener aside
1 Hold envelope H RL Release letter opener
1 Hold envelope H TE Reach into envelope
1 Hold envelope H G Grasp the document
1 Hold envelope H TL Pull out the document

10.3 The grocery store checkout clerk picked up the item from the checkout table and moved it
across the bar code scanner. Immediately, the scanner audibly responded that it had
successfully identified and recorded the item. Since this was the only item the customer
had brought into checkout lane, the clerk punched one of the buttons on the cash register to
print out the sales slip. While the register printed, the checkout clerk placed the item into
an open plastic bag in front of him, picked up and closed the bag, and handed it to the
customer. Write a list of the therbligs that comprise this motion sequence and label each
basic motion with a brief description.
Solution: List of therbligs.
Seq. Left hand The Right hand
TE Reach for item on checkout table
G Grasp item on checkout table
TL Move item across scanner
Move toward cash register TE H Hold item
Position finger over key P H Hold item
Punch button on register U H Hold item
Move to bag TE H Hold item
Grasp bag G H Hold item
Move bag toward item TL TL Move item toward bag
1 Hold bag H PP Position item into bag
1 Hold bag H TE Move to hold the bag
1 Release bag RL G Grasp bag
1 TL Hand bag to customer
1 RL Release bag to customer

10.4 Sitting at her desk, the writer reached for the mechanical pencil, picked it up, positioned it,
and then began to write on the pad of paper. After finishing one sentence, she lifted the
pencil, and read the sentence. She then put the pencil aside and reached for the rectangular
eraser nearby. Grasping and positioning it, she erased one of the words in the sentence.
Write a list of the therbligs that comprise this motion sequence and label each basic motion
with a brief description.
Solution: List of therbligs.
Seq. Therblig Therblig name Description
symbol

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1. TE Transport empty Reach for mechanical pencil
2. G Grasp Pick up pencil
3. TL Transport loaded Position pencil relative to paper
4. U Use Write on the pad of paper
5. TL Transport loaded Lift the pencil
6. H Hold Hold the pencil
7. I Inspect Read the sentence
8. TL Transport loaded Move the pencil to put it aside
9. RL Release Put pencil aside
10. TE Transport empty Reach for the rectangular eraser nearby
11. G Grasp Grasp the eraser
12. P Position Position the eraser over the word
13. U Use Erase one of the words in the sentence