| In Focus: Assembly Skills and Smart Assistance Systems

Maintaining assembly skills and providing long-term preparation for the assembly personnel for what is needed in Industry 4.0 – that was the goal of the PALM4.Q project (process and work-related learning in assembly procedures for future-oriented employee qualifications); it has been successfully concluded after running for a period of three years. Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG in Lüdenscheid and the MTM Institute developed an innovative training concept within the project and it connects current and future qualification needs with modern learning methods.

PALM4.Q and AIM Research Projects Successfully Conclude.

Maintaining assembly skills and providing long-term preparation for the assembly personnel for what is needed in Industry 4.0 – that was the goal of the PALM4.Q project (process and work-related learning in assembly procedures for future-oriented employee qualifications); it has been successfully concluded after running for a period of three years. Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG in Lüdenscheid and the MTM Institute developed an innovative training concept within the project and it connects current and future qualification needs with modern learning methods.

The concept was implemented in a training center at Kostal, which closely matches production techniques. More than 80 employees from the assembly department have already undergone the training. All those involved, the Kostal managers and many guests used the final event in Lüdenscheid in the fall to take a detailed look at the results. The huge interest expressed by other corporations too and the positive feedback from the Kostal training center illustrated the success of the project.

Funding information: The project was supported by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Method training with cell phones & co.
The Institute for Production Systems and the Institute for Sports and Sports Science at TU Dortmund University, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and MTM ASSOCIATION e. V. have developed a smart work assistance system in conjunction with the participating partners, Continental, the IG Metall trade union, the Wood and Metal Employers’ Liability Insurance Association as well as the South-West Metal Employers’ Association; this supports the individualization of work design and method training (AIM) and therefore makes a contribution towards maintaining employees’ health.

The software is capable of recognizing particular body and arm movements on smart devices using the movement data – a cell phone or smart watch – and assessing them in terms of the physical workload. Based on this data, the assistance system then suggests suitable measures as a new component for corporate health management – e.g. a variation in movement procedures and execution times. The software prototype has been developed by the MTM Software Center and tested at Continental. The results of an acceptance study were presented during the final event and discussions took place on possible usage scenarios and the ongoing development of the concept.

Funding information: The project was supported by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

If you also want to make your employees on the shop floor fit for the challenges of the future and rely on innovative methods and work-oriented learning concepts for qualification, then please contact us:
Prof. Dr. Peter Kuhlang, Head of MTM Institute, e-mail: peter.kuhlang@dmtm.com

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photo above: The PALM4.Q project team at the training center at Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG in Lüdenscheid

photo below: The AIM project team at the final event at TU Dortmund University

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