• 한국기계가공학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.146-150
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• 2015

Steel is produced through the steel-making process with a desired shape by a rolling press. Scrap is removed according to the sheet edge to improve the quality of the product. This machine is called a side trimmer. This study aimed to develop a side trimmer for automatically changing the width of the trimming knife without line stopping. This machine consists of a housing opening device and a turning device. The measuring technologies of sheet width, trimming knife rotation angle, and knife gap for increasing the control accuracy. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed technologies. It was reduced by 10% compared with the operation time of the conventional method.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.440-447
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• 2022

Background: Agricultural handle equipment is present on all production areas' farms. They are handy and portable; however, excessive use can lead to acute traumas or accidental injuries. Repetitive movements, awkward postures, and hand-arm vibrations predispose them to pain and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to observe the interaction of handle equipment in terms of electromyographic activity and analyze the postural work-related alterations. Materials and methods: Twenty male agricultural operators, mean age 24±1.54 years, underwent the electromyographic analysis testing their muscular activities with a brushcutter, electric saw, and hedge trimmer in four different test conditions. Results: The brushcutter proved to be the agricultural handle equipment with the higher mean frequency (3.37±0.38 Hz) and root mean square (5.25±1.24 ms^-2). Furthermore, the digital postural analysis showed a general asymmetry of the main arm and the respective side of the trunk. The head resulted right inclined in the anterior frontal plane by 5.7°±1.2°; the right scapula lower than the left in the posterior frontal plane (8.5°±1.8°), and a working trunk inclination of 34.15°±5.7°. Conclusions: Vibrations of handle equipment and awkward working postures represent a risk for agricultural operators. Preventive measures are required to avoid young operators from experiencing musculoskeletal disorders all lifelong.