ERGONOMIC MANUFACTURING TRAY AND PROCESSING METHOD
A manufacturing tray and system for ergonomic operations includes a tray, conveyance system, and loading and unloading stations configured with optimal dimensions and placement to allow an operator to load and unload trays while maintaining ideal standing posture. A conveyor system and trays transported thereon have a width less than the length of an average human forearm, while lanes of a tray rack and a flow rack open in front of a tray loading position on the conveyor. The height of the conveyor has a height approximately the height of the hips of an average standing operator. The tray includes a sliding rail for low-friction sliding of the tray along the conveyor. The tray may also include a handle which allows an operator to flip the tray position from vertical to horizontal or horizontal to vertical depending on whether the tray is to be stored or used.
1 . An ergonomic manufacturing system for processing trays of articles of manufacture, comprising:
a conveyance system configured with a loading station, the loading station comprising a loading area for loading said trays with articles of manufacture, the loading area configured at a height approximately equal to a height of an operator's hips;
a tray rack comprising one or more tray lanes having respective tray lane openings positioned adjacent the conveyor facing the conveyor;
a flow rack comprising one or more blank article lanes having respective blank article lane openings positioned adjacent the conveyor facing the conveyor;
wherein the conveyance system and tray passing between tray lane openings and the blank article lane openings is characterized by a width that is less than a length of a forearm of an average operator.