WORK STUDY THE SYLLABUS

(demonstrated in your project reports)

INTRODUCTION TO WORKSTUDY APPLICATIONS & TECHNIQUES

SECTION 1 SECTION 2

- Intro to Work Study - Work Measurement

- Productivity - PMTS – MTM
- The Human Factor - Synthesis, Analytical Estimation &,
- Working Conditions & Activity Sampling
Environment - MODAPTS
- Method Study - Ergonomics
- Time Study - Value Analysis
- Work Study and Management
- Possibility Guides
 WORK STUDY 201

Predetermined Motion Time Systems

(PMTS)
So where does Industrial Engineering fit???
Referred also as Time and motion study. It is a business efficiency
scientific management or Taylorism technique that combines:

• Time Study work by Frederick Winslow Taylor (1910) with

• Motion Study work of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (1912)

Management applies Industrial engineering tools like WORK STUDY to

improve productivity.

WHAT IS WORK STUDY!!!

Work study is the systematic examination of methods of carrying out

activities so as to improve the effective use of resources and to set up
standards of performance for the activities being carried out.
 Aim of Work Study
• To minimise waste: For success, work study must be
applied continuously & everywhere in the organization

• What do we mean by waste?: “any resultant entity

within the system that does not add or progress value in
the system”

▪ i.e., waste, caused by all or one of the 4M’s:

• Man, Machine, Method, Material e.g.?

 Work Study Techniques

1. Method study is the systematic recording and critical

examination of ways of doing things in order to make
improvements

2. Work measurement is the application of techniques

designed to establish the time for a qualified worker to
carry out a task at a defined rate of working
 Select, record, examine and measure the quantity of work performed
Work using either one or a combination of the following methods:

Measurement Stopwatch Time

Study
Activity
Sampling
Analytical
Estimation
Synthesis MTM 1, 2,
MODAPTS

Techniques
Compile Compile

With appropriate allowances to get PMTS techniques that establish

standard time for operations standard data banks
 Predetermined Motion Time Systems (PMTS)*
• Predetermined Motion Time Systems is a work
measurement technique whereby times established for
basic human motions are used to build up the time for a
job at a defined level of performance.

▪ PMTS is in essence as a set of tables listing time

values that correspond to the basic motion
elements, the lowest level of classification of
movements

▪ PMTS movements include motions such as reach,

grasp, move, and release broken further to 9 basic
motions.
 Usefulness/Advantages of PMTS*
1. Developing effective work methods prior to production
2. Improving existing methods to increase production & decrease labor cost/unit
3. Establishing time standards as basis for wages & incentive plans
4. Developing time formulas or standard data for future use
5. Guiding product design for most efficient manufacture
6. Developing effective tool designs for most efficient manufacture
7. Selecting effective equipment for most efficient manufacture
8. Method and times are known before hand therefore costs can be predicted
9. One time is indicated per motion, irrespective of where the motion is done
10. Avoids both rating and direct observation, may lead to more reliability in
setting standard times
11. PMT systems are not too difficult to apply and can be less time consuming
than other methods
12. PMT systems are particularly useful for very short repetitive time cycles such
as assembly work in the electronics industry
 Disadvantages of PMTS?
1. Activity time may be influenced by motions preceding or

following it?

2. Application on ‘systems’ are restricted to repetitive jobs?

3. Has limitations when applied to restricted work*?

(Worker’s output limited by factors outside their control)
*“Restricted work”

“Example of restricted work occurs when a worker is running e.g., a single machine and
the machine works automatically for part of the work cycle.”
“The worker may perform the manual elements of the task at standard pace, or faster, or
slower; but while this will influence the rate at which the operation is completed, it will not
control it, because the time during which the machine is working automatically will remain
the same whatever the worker does.”
 PMTS measurement units*
• Predetermined motion time systems:

– Uses time measurement units (TMU) instead of

seconds for measuring time.

i.e.,

– 1 TMU = 0.00001 hours, or 0.036 seconds

(allow for accurate calculations without the use of decimals)

 Motion Time Measurement (MTM)
MTM is a technique which analyzes any manual operation or
method into the basic motions required to perform it, and
assigns to each motion a predetermined time standard which is
determined by the nature of the motion and the conditions
under which it is made

Like PMTS, MTM adopts and assigns any of the following 9

motions to activity elements:

Reach, Move, Turn, Grasp, Position, Release Load, Disengage,

Eye Time, & Body Leg and Trunk
 MTM measurement basic principles*
1. Motion ‘to use’: consists of 9 underlying motions(E.g., Reach ‘R’)
2. Condition of destination: Classes of motion, classified
according to the difficulty of the destination under which the
motion is done(E.g., Reach to object in a fixed location ‘A’ or ‘B’ etc.)
3. Distance travelled: Motion must take the true path and not
the straight line between two points
4. Type of motion: 3 basic motion types
i. Motion before and after object / body member(E.g., ‘mRm’)
ii. Motion only before or after object / body member(E.g., ‘mR’ or ‘Rm’)
iii. Motion neither before & / or after object / body member(E.g., ‘R’)
 Incorrect MTM coding examples
1. Cannot just be a Move M or Reach R etc.: code must
include motion, distance, class of motion, weight if motion
(i.e., M26B10 or mR20B)
is a ‘Move’ & where required type of motion

2. M26mB10: type of motion ‘m’ only happens as per step 4 of

MTM steps(i.e., mM26B10m, or mM26B10, or M26B10m, or M26B10)

3. M2610B10: weight in move always comes after class of

motion etc.(i.e., mM26B10m, or mM26B10, or M26B10m, or M26B10)

Note: “MTM has a very specific format for coding motions. There
is not other way to code other than as per MTM steps 1-4 / above”
 MTM motion symbols & description*
A REACH motion (MTM basic specifications, 1958) is defined as;
“the basic hand or figure motion employed when the predominant purpose is to move the hand
or fingers to some destination.”
REACH can require movement of the fingers, hand, and arm depending on the length of
REACH. MTM separately identifies five different classes of REACH motion. The classes are
labelled A through E and vary with the sizes of the object and the location variability of the
REACH destination.
Element times for various types of REACH motions appear in the following table.
In coding REACH motions for MTM analyses;
• the capital letter ‘R’ is used together with
• the actual distance travelled and
• the class of REACH being performed.
• The small letter ‘m’ is sometimes used at the beginning, end or at both ends of the
REACH codes to indicate movement prior, or following motions of the hand at the
beginning or end of REACH.
Example:
mR20B = Indicates a class B REACH of 20 inches / cm / mm with the hand in motion at the
beginning of the motion sequence.
Which would be your correct choices?: 1, 2, 3, or 4?

2) ?
1) ?

3) ? 4?
 MTM motion symbols & description*
A MOVE motion (MTM basic specifications, 1958) is defined as;
“the basic hand or finger motion employed when the predominant purpose is to transport an
object to a specific location.”
MOVE has 3 classes of the motion ‘move’ which depend on the configuration of the location
to where the object is to be moved.
Elemental times for the various types of MOVE motions are shown in the following table.
For object weights, in excess of 2.5 pounds (lb) i.e. 1 kg., additional time is allowed to
complete the motion. The additional time increases with increasing weight.
In coding MOVE motions for MTM analyses; Formula for MOVE tables:
• The capital letter ‘M’ is used together with TMU = Constant + Factor x
(TMU tabular value)
• the actual distance travelled and
• the class of MOVE being performed.
• The small letter ‘m’ is sometimes used at the beginning, end or at both ends of the MOVE
codes to indicate movement prior, or following motions of the hand at the beginning or
end of MOVE.
Example:
M26Bm10 = Indicates a class B MOVE of 26 inches / cm / mm. A weight of 10 pounds (lb) i.e.
4.5 kg. is moved and the hand in motion at the end of the operation.
Which would be your correct choices?: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6?

5) ?

2) ?
1) ?
6) ?

3) ? 4?
TMU =
Constant + Factor x
(TMU tabular value)
 Limiting Motions in PMTS
1. Simultaneous motions: motions that occur when two or
more different body members move together at the same
time to perform two different activities

2. Combined motions: motions that occur when one body

members moves to perform two or more motions together
in grouping to perform two combined activity elements

Therefore;

The limiting motion is the motion performed by the longer of

the two simultaneous or combined motions above.
 RECAP

What have we learnt today

???????????????????????

See sample MTM workouts on

Blackboard@
https://myclassroom.cput.ac.za/