• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.143-151
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• 2006

This paper deals with the simulation model for design and operations of A-Mart logistic center for low temperature products. In developed simulation model, receiving docks, digital classification system (DCS), shipping docks, material handling devices and manual sorting stations are considered. Five types of cargo such as fruits, palletized fruits, delicatessen and fisheries, vegetables and refrigerated cargoes are considered. The simulation model and process animation are developed using the simulation package ARENA. Among various design and operation alternatives consisting of the number of workers of receiving dock, allocation of receiving docks by cargo types, DCS capacity, the number of folk-lift, the number of manual sorting operators and overall layout, the best alternatives of each subsystem are selected by simulation analysis. The major performance measures such as DCS throughput, utilization of operators at each station, receiving docks utilization and folk-lift utilization are considered for the alternative evaluation.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2009

A main distributing frame(MDF) is an interface unit that is used to connect office equipment cables in a telephone company to subscriber cables. Until now, there is no automated switching system for MDFs in Korea. Manual handling of an MDF has some drawbacks; It is time-consuming, very cumbersome, and expensive. It also makes maintenance hard. An automated main distributing frame system is proposed and commercialized in Japan. In that system, a robot gripper inserts connecting pins into the cross point holes of a matrix board, which reveals several disadvantages in the aspects of space, maintenance, fault tolerance, and economical efficiency. This paper describes a newly developed robotic switch board system for MDFs. In the developed system, switches are placed at the cross point of a matrix board. There is one robot in between two switch units, so one robot deals with two switch units. In the system, positioning the robot, opening and closing switches can be done by using only a pair of motors and a pair of solenoids. The newly developed system is compact in size, reduces cost, and shows high reliability.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.123-129
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• 2013

Among various manual materials handling tasks, pushing/pulling was known to be one of the risk factors for the low back and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study was conducted to find out an optimal solution set of the handle height and distance for 4-wheel cart with two vertical handles. Ten male college students participated in the pushing force measurement experiment. The face-centered cube design, one of the central composite designs, was applied for the experiment, and the isometric voluntary pushing force was measured in 9 treatment conditions. The second order response surface model was predicted by using the pushing strength as a response variable, and the handle height and distance as independent factors. According to the 2nd order response model, the handle height and distance showed nonlinear relationship with the isometric pushing strength. To maximize the 2nd order response model (pushing force), the handle height and distance were optimized. The optimal handle height was 'xyphoid process height - stature', and the optimal handle distance was '$1.25{\times}shoulder$ width'. When calculated using the anthropometric data of the subjects of this study, the optimal handle height was $115.4{\pm}3.4$ cm, slightly higher than the elbow height, and the handle distance was $52.9{\pm}2.3$ cm.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 1999

The objective of this study was to make comparison of the physical work capacities(PWCs) for three different types of tasks. For this purpose, an ergometer exercise, a treadmill exercise, and lifting activities with four different frequencies (2, 5, 8, 11 lifts/min) for the lifting range from floor to 76cm were considered. Oxygen consumption rates and heart rates were measured during the exercises and lifting activities. The PWC values for ergometer exercise test was $2562.71ml-O_2/min$ and the one for treadmill exercise was $2874.89ml-O_2/min$. The value of lifting PWC increased from $1774.07ml-O_2/min$ to $2296.76ml-O_2/min$ as the lifting frequency increased from 2 to 11 lifts/min. The ratio of the lifting PWCs to the ergometer PWC increased from 69.36% to 89.77% as the lifting frequency increased. To the treadmill PWC, the ratio increased from 62.21% to 85.24% as the lifting frequency increased. From this result, it appears that the PWCs based on the lifting tasks rather than PWCs by ergometer or treadmill exercise should be considered to determine the physiological criterion for safe weights for lifting tasks. Therefore, the physiological criteria of the NIOSH Guideline should be reexamined.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.260-267
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• 2011

Nowadays, automobile manufacturers are faced with increasing global competition which is required low cost as well as high quality. To reduce shipping and handling cost and delivery time, lots of automobile manufactures tried to build their new factory in the neighborhood of market. Simultaneously, many factories are under construction in developing countries to make efficient use of low-wage workers. However, because systems are installed in developing countries as the same type of domestic facilities, systems have lots of problems such as high installation cost and inefficient use of manpower. To find core problems and generate optimal solution of these problems, thinking process of TOC(Theory Of Constrains) is used. In case of transmission gear machining system, semi-auto system is proposed as the best solution to increase manpower efficiency and system utilization. Semi-auto system consists of automatic machining process and manual transporting process. The system layout is generated based on semi-auto process concept. And, 3D simulation method using QUEST is used to verify production volume of generated system.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.337-342
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• 2007

Conventional methods for pathogen detection and identification are labor-intensive and take days to complete. Biosensors have shown great potential for the rapid detection of foodborne pathogens. Fiber-optic biosensors have been used to rapidly detect pathogens because they can be very sensitive and are simple to operate. However, many fiber-optic biosensors rely on manual sensor handling and the sandwich assay, which require more effort and are less sensitive. To increase the simplicity of operation and detection sensitivity, a binding inhibition assay method for detecting Listeria monocytogenes in food samples was developed using an automated, fiber-optic-based immunosensor: RAPTOR (Research International, Monroe, WA, USA). For the assay, fiber-optic biosensors were developed by the immobilization of Listeria antibodies on polystyrene fiber waveguides through a biotin-avidin reaction. Developed fiber-optic biosensors were incorporated into the RAPTOR to evaluate the detection of L. monocytogenes in frankfurter samples. The binding inhibition method combined with RAPTOR was sensitive enough to detect L. monocytogenes ($5.4{\times}10^7\;CFU/mL$) in a frankfurter sample.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2010

This technical report was developed to suggest the guideline to assess the safe use and handling metalworking fluids (MWFs) in machining operation. The basis of this method developed in this study was based on self assessment procedure recommended by Organization Resources Counselors (ORC) of the United States (US). In addition, various MWF management elements obtained from the review on various articles, reports and author's experience regarding MWF were newly added to the evaluation guideline. A total of four areas were finally selected in order to control exposure to MWF used in machining operations. They are all related to the presence and efficiency of the control measures, exposure assessment, management on tank and sump, and safe treatment of chips and metal fines generated during machining operations. Each area is consisted of several related elements. Several evaluation areas and elements used in this study could be revised, replaced, added and deleted according to the process environment, evaluation objectives and evaluator's (manager) criteria etc. This evaluation guide manual could be used for safe management of MWF in metalworking operation. In addition, industrial hygienists can use this evaluation method for auditing and evaluating the management status on MWF.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.49-60
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• 1997

Although the tasks are being mechanized or automated today, many tasks are still performed manually in several industrial settings. Manual materials handling and improper sorking postures are known to be a major cause of low back injuries, which are one of the major problems in the economic and public health aspects. In this study, two machine repair shops of a manufacturing company in Pohang were recommended by the company health care center to investigate the potential risk factors that may cause low back injuries. Five machine repair tasks were selected from each machine repair shop, which are accountable for relatively high complaints of low back pain. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the hazards of the tasks, and finally to recommend the improved methods and guidelines for safe work practices. In order to accomplish this goal, the questionnaire study and ergonomic evaluations were carried out and the results were analyzed. For most of the tasks under study, workers were found to be exposed to relatively high biomechanical stresses in low back, mainly due to the heaby objects handled and the improper working postures.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to make a comparison of the oxygen consumption rates during the lifting activities and the physiological criteria of the recommended weights of RWL, AL, and MPL by NIOSH Guideline. The physical Work Capacity (PWC) based on the bicycle ergometer was 2562.71ml/min, and the one based on the treadmill was 2874.89ml/min for the college male students of Korea. Lifting activities with four different lifting frequencies(2, 5, 8, 11 lifts/min) for one lifting range from floor to 76cm height were studied. The oxygen consumption rates and the heart rates were measured or recorded while subjects were lifting the weight of RWL, AL, and MPL. The heart rates and the oxygen consumption rates increased as the frequency increased from 2 to lifts/min. However, those slightly decreased at the frequency of 11 lifts/ min. The measured oxygen consumption rates were ranging from 2.3% to 29.6% higher than the physiological criteria 620, 700, and 1000ml/min, respectively, of the RWL, AL, and MPL for all the lifting frequencies (5, 8, 11 lift/min) except 2 lifts/min. It si suggested that the physiological criteria of NIOSH Guideline should be based on the lifting PWC, which can consider the type of lifting activity and the frequency of the task, rather than using the PWC by ergometer or treadmill. The measured oxygen consumption rates were ranging from 13.26% to 40.11% higher than the values estimated using the models by Garg and Kim. From these findings it is suggested that the NIOSH Equation should not be directly applied to Korean without resonable modifications.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.484-492
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• 2011

Power system analyses, which involve the handling of massive data volumes, necessitate the use of effective visualization methods to facilitate analysis and assist the user in obtaining a clear understanding of the present state of the system. This paper introduces an interface that compensates for the limitations of the visualization modules of dynamic security assessment tools, such as PSS/e and TSAT, for power system variables including generator rotor angle and frequency. The compensation is made possible through the automatic provision of dynamic simulation data in visualized and tabular form for better data intuition, thereby considerably reducing the redundant manual operation and time required for data analysis. The interface also determines whether the generators are stable through a generator instability algorithm that scans simulation data and checks for an increase in swing or divergence. The proposed visualization methods are applied to the dynamic simulation results for contingencies in the Korean Electric Power Corporation system, and have been tested by power system researchers to verify the effectiveness of the data visualization interface.