{"83731":{"#nid":"83731","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Creates Ergonomically Superior Interface for International Company","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EToday\u0027s competitive manufacturing environment requires the highest levels of efficiency. And though sophisticated automation can give manufacturers an edge, that equipment is only as effective as the humans operating it. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJeffrey M. Gerth, a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), has been working with DEK, an international machine manufacturer headquartered in Weymouth, England. Gerth\u0027s mission: to improve the user interface on screen printers that DEK produces for the circuit-board and electronics-assembly industries worldwide.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUser interfaces - the commands or menus that allow people to communicate with a computer or electronic device - are critical to nimble manufacturing. \u0022The job of operators is to monitor machines so they\u0027re in constant operation,\u0022 says Gerth, who specializes in human factors at GTRI\u0027s Electronic Systems Laboratory. \u0022If production stops or isn\u0027t going as fast as intended, then a manufacturer is losing money.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDEK approached Gerth in 2001 after seeing a project from Georgia Tech\u0027s Manufacturing Research Center demonstrated at a trade show. The project included an Internet portal and user interface that Gerth had designed for surface-mount technology (SMT) manufacturing - one of DEK\u0027s domains.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow in its final stages, Gerth\u0027s redesigned interface saves time and streamlines production. Some of its advantages include:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 \u003Cem\u003EEasier to use\u003C\/em\u003E. Whereas DEK\u0027s former interface was text-based, the new interface uses graphics to reduce dependency on language, which is important for an international player like DEK. What\u0027s more, the new interface accommodates a number of functional adjustments made to screen printers over the years - customer requests that didn\u0027t take machine operators into account until now. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 \u003Cem\u003EDecreases training time\u003C\/em\u003E. Training materials are embedded in the interface, saving operators from having to reach for a manual whenever they have a question.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0095 \u003Cem\u003EReduces errors\u003C\/em\u003E. The new interface is geared to support best practices and circumvent problems. For example, a new alert system tells operators when replenishments, such as cleaning solvents, are dropping too low.  The interface not only reports errors, but also provides troubleshooting tips to help operators take appropriate action instead of calling on a process engineer. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, the new interface is so user friendly, DEK has dubbed it the \u0022Instinctiv\u0099.\u0022 A beta version of Instinctiv debuted this spring at the APEX manufacturing show in Anaheim, Calif., and is now being tested in two of DEK\u0027s critical markets.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The project has been a great success,\u0022 says Dick Johnson, DEK\u0027s software manager. \u0022DEK Instinctiv is a new and easier way of interacting with DEK printers. It\u0027s an interface designed for machine operators -- not just engineers.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have helped an international company improve the interface system for the screen printing equipment it builds for electronics manufacturers worldwide.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2003-08-11 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:41","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2003-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2003-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/newsrelease\/dek.htm","title":"Designing a new interface"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=\u0022\u003EContact  \u003C\/a\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}