This research investigated whether synthetic ropes could reduce operator workload in winching operations.
The research was published in the Small-scale Forestry Journal, Volume 10, Number 4 (2011), and was titled “Replacing Steel Cable with Synthetic Rope to Reduce Operator Workload During Log Winching Operations”. The authors were Natascia Magagnotti and Raffaele Spinelli. Wire ropes used for winching are heavy, which would theoretically require more work effort to handle than synthetic rope. Heart-rate monitors were used to quantify the workload differences between operators handling wire and synthetic ropes.
Three comparative tests were carried out on seven operators. Test one occurred under simplified and controlled conditions, while test two and three simulated two different actual operational conditions, where operators had to handle wire and synthetic ropes for the same type of task. The results of test 1 (controlled conditions) showed that there was a significantly reduced operator heart-rate when using synthetic ropes. However, test 2 and 3 (operational conditions) did not show conclusive results. This was due to the many other operational factors which could influence operator workload, which are difficult to capture under operational conditions. Regardless of the rope type, the heart-rate of the choker setters ranged from 90 to 110 beats per minute, which corresponds with other research, and is classified as moderate work.
The research was only carried out on small wire ropes (diameter of 10 mm/0.39 in), and the results could be different with larger wire rope diameters. All operators preferred the synthetic rope over the wire rope.
Please access the journal article for a more complete account of the research.
Source: http://www.springerlink.com/content/120445/
The research was published in the Small-scale Forestry Journal, Volume 10, Number 4 (2011), and was titled “Replacing Steel Cable with Synthetic Rope to Reduce Operator Workload During Log Winching Operations”. The authors were Natascia Magagnotti and Raffaele Spinelli. Wire ropes used for winching are heavy, which would theoretically require more work effort to handle than synthetic rope. Heart-rate monitors were used to quantify the workload differences between operators handling wire and synthetic ropes.
Three comparative tests were carried out on seven operators. Test one occurred under simplified and controlled conditions, while test two and three simulated two different actual operational conditions, where operators had to handle wire and synthetic ropes for the same type of task. The results of test 1 (controlled conditions) showed that there was a significantly reduced operator heart-rate when using synthetic ropes. However, test 2 and 3 (operational conditions) did not show conclusive results. This was due to the many other operational factors which could influence operator workload, which are difficult to capture under operational conditions. Regardless of the rope type, the heart-rate of the choker setters ranged from 90 to 110 beats per minute, which corresponds with other research, and is classified as moderate work.
The research was only carried out on small wire ropes (diameter of 10 mm/0.39 in), and the results could be different with larger wire rope diameters. All operators preferred the synthetic rope over the wire rope.
Please access the journal article for a more complete account of the research.
Source: http://www.springerlink.com/content/120445/