Ranking the effects of cycle time parameters, shoulder posture and load, on shoulder discomfort in a single experiment using Taguchi methods

The purpose of this study was to use the Taguchi Design of Experiments approach to investigate the effects of five risk factors on ratings of shoulder discomfort in a single study. The development of shoulder MusculoSkeletal Disorders is complex as they are caused by several risk factors occurring simultaneously. In this study, five independent variables were tested (shoulder flexion, shoulder horizontal abduction, duty cycle regime, repetition rate, and load), each at four levels. Signal to noise ratio analysis was performed on the data to rank the magnitude of effects of the risk factors on shoulder discomfort. The results indicated repetition was first, with load second, flexion third, W/R regime fourth and abduction fifth. Therefore, the results indicated that repetition had the strongest effect on discomfort, while shoulder abduction had the least effect, for the combinations and levels of treatments studied.