MTM analysis at the workstation: ergonomics and workstation design explained clearly

MTM analysis at the workstation helps you design new stations and existing assembly stations on a solid basis. You spot early where time, routes, and strain arise, and bring ergonomics, efficiency, and quality together in stable decisions. Planning in VR makes variants walkable and speeds up validation, without you having to wait for complete CAD data.

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How do you connect MTM at the workstation directly with ergonomics?

MTM (Methods-Time Measurement) provides methodically sound target times. The method breaks manual tasks down into standardized motion sequences and assigns them reproducible standard times. Time studies according to REFA complement the picture with actual performance, disruptions, and learning curves. In practice, you use MTM to derive planned values and standards and REFA to capture real deviations and variable sections. This creates a consistent interplay of target and actual that makes layout decisions reliable.

MTM basics in brief

Reach, move, position, and release are the basic motions you use to describe a task. The standard time of an element depends on reach, precision, type of grasp, and other conditions. What matters is consistent assignment with clear start and end points, so that identical conditions are always assessed the same way. This structure creates transparency about time shares, hand changes, regripping, and routes, and it is the ideal basis for considering ergonomics and quality at the same time.

Good ergonomics pays off in health, quality, and stability. Grasping areas, reaches, and fields of view determine how smoothly and with how few errors work runs. Posture risks such as overhead work, trunk rotation, and frequent bending can be spotted early and reduced in a targeted way. MTM quantifies how a changed arrangement affects time, the ergonomics analysis assesses the strain, and quality characteristics secure process capability. This makes typical trade-offs visible: shorter routes must not worsen visibility, and higher grasp positions must not lead to overhead work.

Ergonomics criteria that count

• Aim for neutral grip heights where grasp frequency is high.
• Keep critical features in the primary field of view.
• Limit overhead time to well below ten percent of a cycle.
• Avoid unnecessary regripping and plan routes to be short, straight, and without frequent changes of direction.
• Make realistic assumptions about weights, grasp types, and contact forces, and check peak loads during repeated execution.

These guardrails help you set priorities and compare variants in a targeted way.

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How do you get from the as-is assessment to a validated variant?

A practical process combines structured observation, MTM assignment, and walkable checking in VR or on the desktop. This gets you from hypothesis to decision quickly, step by step and traceably.

1. Capture the as-is situation: process, material flows, tools, cycle time, and variants. Short photos or videos help record motion sequences and postures objectively.
2. Break the task down: into clear sections with start and end points. Record the conditions for reach, visibility, and precision so that the later assessment stays consistent.
3. Assign MTM elements: and document the parameters transparently. A short peer review prevents double counting and misassignments at the transitions between move and position.
4. Assess ergonomics: systematically via posture angles, duration, and frequency. Mark risks such as overhead work, twisting, or bending and prioritize them by severity and frequency.
5. Design variants: for grip heights, arrangements, routes, and sequences. Formulate hypotheses about the effect on time and ergonomics that you test in the next step.
6. Check variants in VR or on the desktop: Halocline is the planning platform for production layouts and workstations. You rebuild the workstation to scale from library elements, with no training required and without CAD data. Grasping area avatars show the optimal and maximum grasping area for the body height you set, according to DIN 33402-2 and DIN EN ISO 14738. This lets you see, walkably, how routes, postures, and grasping zones change when you move a tool station 80 cm closer to the person, raise the container height from 70 to 95 cm, or change the aisle width in a U-cell from 900 to 1,200 mm. You run through the workflow in VR and record it: the spaghetti diagram shows the routes, the ergonomics analysis based on the key indicator method marks problematic object movements, and you export the recording data as a tabular report.
7. Decide and secure the standard: With the MTMmotion export, you transfer recorded processes directly into MTM analyses; the time values are then calculated according to MTM rules in MTMmotion. Use unique identifiers for sections and elements so that the handover to your work measurement system goes smoothly, and document the variant, measurements, and justification with a version status. Involve production, ergonomics, industrial engineering, supervisors, and the works council in short reviews to secure acceptance and feasibility.

At Festo, assembly and logistics processes are assessed with the MTM method and tested in VR, with automatic MTM evaluation and concept design that is 75% faster compared to cardboard engineering.

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Which metrics and examples lead you to a decision?

Break the cycle time down into value-adding shares, grasp and joining times, and walking times, and set achievable reduction targets. Track the number of grasps and regrips per cycle and aim for at least 80 percent of grasps in the neutral zone. Limit overhead time to under ten percent, secure a clear view of quality-critical features, and plan routes in short, unambiguous sections. Only decide once the minimum ergonomic standards are met and the time targets have been realistically confirmed.

Assembly workstation example: The starting point is 120 grasps per cycle, 35 percent of them outside the neutral zone, and a cycle time of 54 seconds. In the model, the tool cart moves closer to the grasping area, and the container height rises from 75 to 95 cm. The result is 96 grasps per cycle, 85 percent of them in the neutral zone, 2 percent overhead work, and a cycle time of 50 seconds. The variant becomes the standard, followed by training and an audit of the parts supply.

U-cell example: The starting point is 28 m of walking per cycle and a walking time share of 24 percent. With aisle widths of 1,100 mm and a central material buffer, routes and evasive movements get shorter. The result is 18 m of walking, a 17 percent walking time share, and 6 seconds less cycle time. The new setup with a central buffer and marked walkways is introduced, and regular shopfloor reviews secure it.

Line station example: The overhead share is 14 percent, and frequent bending leads to quality defects on hidden features. In the model, the upper compartments are lowered by 200 mm, a tool balancer is added, and inspection features are rotated into the primary field of view. The result is 4 percent overhead time, 40 percent fewer bending events, and 25 percent less rework. The rebuild is approved and its effect is reviewed after four weeks.

The combination of MTM target times, ergonomic guardrails, and walkable checking in VR leads to fast, traceable, and well-documented decisions.

Want to plan your workstation with MTM and ergonomics together before you rebuild? Get started for free with Halocline Free and build your first workstation in 3D. For process analysis, the ergonomics check, and the MTMmotion export, get in touch and we'll show you the right scope.