Explain the importance of aesthetic considerations in machine design. What is Ergonomics? Discuss its scope in machine design.

 While aesthetics and appearance have always played a role i n product and system design, this role will dramatically change in the 21st century as the society and. market become more sophisticated and the manufacturing technologies become further developed. To complete and succeed in the market place, manufacturers will have to look beyond reliability and physical quality, and pay more and more attention to the aesthetics and subjective quality of their products.

Aesthetics deals with the appearance of the product. I n a present day of buyer's  market, with a number of products available , in the market having most of the parameters identical, the appearance of the product is often a major factor in attracting the.! customer. This is particularly true for consumer durables like: automobiles, refrigerators (domestic), television sets, music systems etc.

Aesthetics is defined as a set of principles of appreciation of beauty. It deals with the appearance of the product.

Appearance is an outward expression of quality of the product and i s the first communication of the product with the user.

At any stage i n the product life, the aesthetic quality cannot be separated from the product quality.

The growing importance of the aesthetic considerations i n product design has given rise to a separate discipline, known as 'industrial design' . The job of an industrial designer is to create new shapes and forms for the product which are aesthetically appealing.

Ergonomics: Any engineer designing a produce or system will require exact information about material s, structures, tolerances, power and the capacities of various components and how to combine them when trying to meet a specification. However i n the past, designers relied on common sense when considering the needs of the people who would use and operate the products and systems they designed. Ergonomics is a relatively new science and can be described as 'The science of looking at how people relate to the products or systems that they use or come in to contact with'.

As well as trying to improve the design of new products and systems, ergonomics is also used to improve the efficiency of existing ones. It is very important to ensure that people who spend a long time in the same position do not develop painful and crippling problems such as repetitive -strain injury (RSI). Computer operators, for example sit for very long periods repeating very simple movements. One way of solving the problem may be to design a better chair. Most chairs are like the ones you sit on at school, they cannot be adjusted. We have to adjust ourselves to suit the chair which results in fidgeting, discomfort and loss of attention. Ergonomic designers believe that adjustable chairs would be ·better. If the operators were more comfortable, efficiency would be improved and there would be less chance of injury.

Ergonomics can be split up i n to three main areas:

1 )  Anthropometrics: The study of human measurements such as height, arm length, reach, etc.

2 ) Physiology: The study of bodily strength, fatigue, reaction times etc.

3 ) Psychology: The study of behaviour - especially the way we react to heat, light, texture, Colour, noise, etc.

Ergonomics can be defined simply as the study of work. More specifically, ergonomics is the science of designing the job to fit the worker, rather than physically forcing the worker 's body to fit the job .

Adapting tasks, work stations, tools and equipment to fit the ·worker can help reduce physical stress on a worker's body and eliminate many potentially serious, disabling work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Ergonomics draws on a number of scientific disciplines, including physiology, biomechanics, psychology, anthropometry, industrial hygiene and kinesiology.

Industries increasingly require higher production rates and advances i n technology to remain competitive and stay in business. As a result, jobs today can involve:

• Frequent lifting, carrying and pushing or pulling loads without help from other workers or devices;
• Increasing specialization that requires the worker to perform only one function or movement for a long period of time or day after day;
• Working more than 8 hours a day;
• Working at a quicker pace of work, such as faster assembly line speeds; and
• Having tighter grips when using tools.

These factors - especially if coupled with poor machine deign, tool and workplace design or the use of improper tools -create physical stress on workers' bodies, which can lead to injury.

A dramatic increase in MSDs began in the 1970s when these disorders increasingly

appeared on companies; injury and illness logs.

All these have contributed in considering ergonomics  aspect while designing.