Work Study – Method Study

Examples
Work Study

2
 Recording Techniques
in Method study

C harts Diagrams
Charts Indicating indicating
Process with a
time scale movements
Sequence
Multiple
Outline Flow
activity chart
process chart D iagrams

Flow process Simo chart String

chart D iagram
Man type chart P.M.T.S. C ycle
chart
Material type chart
Graph
C hrono-cycle
Machine type chart Graph
Two -Handed
process chart Travel Chart
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 Process Chart Symbols
1.Operation

Indicates the main steps in a process, method or procedure.

Usually the part, material or product concerned is modified
or changed during the operation.

2.Inspection

Indicates an inspection for quality and / or check for quantity

3.Transport

Indicates the movement of workers, materials or equipment

from place to place

4
4.Temporary Storage or Delay

Indicates a delay in the sequence of events : for example, work waiting

between consecutive operations, or any object laid aside temporarily
without record until required.

5.Permanent Storage

Indicates a controlled storage in which material is

received into or issued from a store under some form of

authorization; or an item is retained for reference purposes.

6.Combined Activities

Indicates a Two symbols may be combined when two activities are

performed concurrently operation and inspection.
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23
 Outline Process Chart
Definition:
An outline process chart is a process chart giving an
overall picture by recording in sequence only the
main operations and inspections.
➢While preparing the outline process chart we use
Symbols of Operation and Inspection
➢A brief note of the nature of each operation is
made beside the symbol
➢In an outline process chart, only the principal
operations and the inspections carried out are
recorded to ensure effectiveness

7
Example: Outline process chart of plywood manufacture is given

8
 FLO W PRO C ESS C H A RT

Definition:
➢Flow process charts are graphic representations of the
sequences of operations, transportation, inspections,
delays and storages occurring during a process or a
procedure and include information considered for analysis
such as, time required and distance moved.

➢To develop an understanding how a process or work

happening and clearly documenting how a particular job
is done, in addition of that mapping a process in flow
chart format helps us where the process can be improved.

9
 Types of Flow Process Charts
Material or product type.
Man type.
Machine type or
equipment.

Material or product type

flow process chart:-
Records what happens to the material or product i.e. the changes
the material or product undergoes in location or condition (includes
operation and transportation).

Man type process flow process chart:-

Records the activities of worker or operator i.e. what a worker or
operator does. In this type of chart usually storage term is not
applicable.
the manner in which a machine or an equipment is 27
STA N DA R D FORMATS USED FOR FLOW PROCESS CHART

Company
LOG
O
28
Man type flow process chart
Job:- Writing a letter using a shorthand typist

12
Example: Collection of materials from store (Man Type)

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Material type flow process chart

14
Machine type flow process chart

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 Material Type - Example

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 16

 Man Type - Example

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 17

 Two Hand Process Chart

Two-Handed Flow Process Chart, is a motion

study where the study is done to analyse the
motions used by the worker in performing an
activity.
In this chart the activities of a worker’s hands
(or limbs) are recorded in their relationship to
one another.
A Two-Handed Process Flow Chart individually
shows the movement of each hand in a manual
process. It is typically used for repetitive
operation when analyzing a manual assembly
process, to help make it easier to perform.
35
 Two Hand Process Chart

Operation An operation occurs when the hand grasps,

releases or assembles tool, material, component etc.

Transport Transport occurs when the hand moves from one

position to another at the work place.

Delay Delay occurs when the hand is Idle in the sense

that it is not performing any activity.

Hold The term storage is not used in connection with

the two handed process chart. Instead the symbol is
re designated as hold. A hold occurs when the hand
holds an object so that the other hand may be able
to do something to that object.

Inspection This symbol is not generally used in this.

19
Standard format of a Two-handed process flowchart

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Fig. 1. Example of a Two-handed process flowchart
Fixing Screw on a Assembly

Company
LOG
O
41
 Two Handed Chart (An Example)

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 22

 MULTPLE ACTIVITY CHART

Definition:
A Multiple activity chart is a form of process chart recording the related
sequence of work of a number of operators and/or machines on common
time scale. In it, the activities of more than one item, worker, machine or
equipment are recorded on a common time scale to show their inter
relation ship.
➢Multiple Activity Charts are very useful tool for understanding
the flow of work in a cyclic process and as a consequence
understanding which resource is controlling the overall progress of
the work.

➢The tool can be used to model different scenarios to determine the

optimum mix of resources for the work.

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 23

 Example on Man Machine Chart (Present Method)

TIME MAN MACHINE TIME

(MIN) (MIN)
0.2 Remove finished casting IDLE 0.2
cleans with compressed
air
0.4 Gauge depth of slot on IDLE 0.4
surface plate
0.8 PLACE in a box obtains IDLE 0.8
new casting
1.0 Cleans machine with IDLE 1.0
compressed air
1.2 Locates castings in IDLE 1.2
fixture, starts machine
1.4 IDLE Cutting slot 1 1.4
1.6 IDLE Cutting slot 2 1.6
1.8 IDLE Cutting slot 3 1.8
2.0 IDLE Cutting slot 4 2.0
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 EXAMPLE ON MAN MACHINE CHART
(Summary of Present method)

CYCLE TIME(MIN)= 2.0

Man – Working Idle Time Utilizatio

Machine Time (min.) n
(min.) (%)

MAN 1.2 0.8 60%

MACHINE 0.8 1.2 40%
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Example on Man Machine Chart (Improved Method)

TIME MACHINE TIME

MAN (MIN) (MIN)
0.2 REMOVED FINISHED CASTING
IDLE 0.2
CLEANS WITH COM PRESED AIR

0.4 CLEAN MACHINE WITH

IDLE 0.4
COMPRESED AIR

0.6 LOCATEES A NEW CASTING IN A

IDLE 0.6
FIXTURE START MACHINE

0.8 BREAKS SHARP EDGES WITH CUTTING 0.8

FILES CLEANS WITH SLOT 1
COMPRESSED AIR

1.0 GAUGE DEPTH OF SLOT ON CUTTING 1.0

SURFACE PLATE SLOT 2
1.2 PLACES CASTING IN A BOX PICKS CUTTING 1.2
UP NEW CASTING AND PLATE BY SLOT 3
MACHINE
1.4 IDLE CUTTING 1.4
SLOT 4

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 EXAMPLE ON MAN MACHINE CHART
(Summary of Improved method)

CYCLE TIME(MIN)= 1.4

Man – Working Idle Time Utilizatio

Machine Time (min.) n
(min.)
(%)

MAN 1.2 0.2 85.7%

MACHINE 0.8 0.6 57.0%
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 COMPARISION BETWEEN
PRESENT AND IMPROVED METHOD

CYCLE MAN IDLE

TIME MACHINE TIME(MIN)
(MIN) IDLE TIME
( MIN)
PRESENT 2.0 0.8 1.2
METHOD
IMPROVED 1.4 0.2 0.6
METHOD

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 Man-machine chart

 The worker and machine process chart (Man-machine

chart) is used to study, analyze, and improve one
workstation at a time.
 The chart shows the exact time relationship between the
working cycle of the person and operating cycle of the
machine.
 These facts can lead to utilization of both worker and
machine time, and a better balance of the work cycle.

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 29

 Worker-Machine Chart for a Gourmet Coffee Store

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 30

 Worker-Machine Chart for a Gourmet Coffee Store

The customer, the clerk, and the coffee grinder (machine) are involved in this
operation. It required 1 minute and 10 seconds for the customer to purchase a
pound of coffee in this particular store. During this time the customer spent 22
seconds, or 31 percent of the time, giving the clerk his order, receiving the ground
coffee, and paying the clerk for it. He was idle during the remaining 69 percent of
the time. The clerk worked 49 seconds, or 70 percent of the time, and was idle 21
seconds, or 30 percent of the time. The coffee grinder was in operation 21
seconds, or 30 percent of the time, and was idle 70 percent of the time.
February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 31
 Activity Chart for Two-Person

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 32

 Activity Chart of Emergency Tracheotomy

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 33

 Flow Diagrams
 A flow diagram is essentially a flow process chart drawn
to:
1. Show the layout of a facility.
2. Show the flow of work through that area
3. Show overcrowding areas, crossing worker paths,
total travel.
4. Identify how layout can be redesigned to reduce
travel, motion, collisions, etc.
5. Store materials near where they are used.
6. Increase efficiency and safety.
 Usually, the objective is to look for spatial relationships.
 It depicts the probable movement of materials in the floor
plant. The movement is represented by a line in the
drawing.
plant
February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 34
 Flow diagram
➢It’s a top view of the work area correctly indicating the
positions of machining and other locations affecting the
movement of subject.
➢Therefor it gives “on-the-spot observation” of the paths of
movement of product sometimes using symbols of process

78
 Flow Diagram (Cont.)

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 36

 STRING DIAGRAM
STRING DIAGRAM
We make use of flow diagram for
recording the movement of men or
material when the movement is simple
and the path is almost fixed. But when
the paths are many and are repetitive, it
may not be possible to record them in a
flow diagram. Here a string diagram is
used.
String diagram is a scaled plan of the
shop. Location of machines and various
facilities are drawn to scale in a drawing
sheet. Pins are fixed at the various work
centres in the drawing sheet. A continuous
coloured thread or string is taken round
the pins where the material or worker
moves during the process.

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 37

 STRING DIAGRAM
Constructions
1. Draw the layout of the shop to scale in a drawing sheet.
2. Mark the various work centres like machines, stores, work bench
etc. in the diagram.
3. Hold the drawing sheet on a soft board and fix pins at the work centres.
2. Tie one end of a coloured string to the work centre from which the movement starts.
2. Follow the path of the worker to different work centre and accordingly take the
thread to different points on the drawing board.
6.At the end of the session note down the number of movements from one work centre to
another.
6.Remove the string and measure the total length of the string. Multiply by the scale and get
the actual distance of movement.
Applications
1. It is used for recording the complex movements of material or men.
2. Back tracking, congestion, bottlenecks, under utilized paths are easily found out.
• It is used to check whether the work station is correctly located.
2. Used to record irregular movements.
• Used to find out the most economical route

February 9, 2015 Lab # 6: Method Study 38