SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Sept. 15, 2011 – The United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), the collaborative automotive technology company for Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors, will be participating with McMaster University in Ontario, Canada,  in a collaborative research project on manufacturing ergonomics, as announced by Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) Aug. 29.

Titled “Improving Automotive Manufacturing Design and Ergonomics through Work Simulation and Digital Human Modeling,” the project is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through APC. Leading the research is Jim Potvin, associate professor in McMaster’s Department of Kinesiology.

The research is designed to contribute to a reduction in workplace musculoskeletal disorders, which would help to protect workers from injury as well as improve the efficiency of the automotive manufacturing design and layout process. It is projected that both advances would provide a significant cost savings.

“We are proud to be invited to partner with APC on this innovative research and development project,” said Allison Stephens, chair of USCAR’s Ergonomics Task Force and technical specialist in Ford’s Vehicle Operations Manufacturing Engineering Department. “Ergonomics is vitally important to ensure the well-being of workers, which will lead to improvements in the product design and manufacturing environment.”

The project uses a Human Digital Model (HDM) that is placed in a number of virtual environments created by computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software. With this technology, a variety of proactive analyses can be performed to predict the effectiveness and potential injury risk associated with the product design and development of manufacturing operations, including the prediction of posture, reach, line-of-site, and joint demands.

USCAR’s Ergonomics Task Force, which is part of its Manufacturing Technology Leadership Group, will participate in project research and development activities providing knowledge transfer and guidance for automotive manufacturing technical expertise, strategies, methods and specifications. Additionally, the task force will facilitate validation, process development and implementation of resulting virtual models within engineering processes.

“We are excited to have USCAR participate in this program as collaborative partners with APC,” said Potvin. “USCAR’s Ergonomics Task Force provides an unparalleled level of expertise that will be a tremendous asset to our research program.”

“When Canadian researchers collaborate with industry, new technologies emerge that contribute to a sustainable automotive industry,” said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier. “The projects supported through Automotive Partnership Canada also contribute to training, attracting and retaining the highly qualified workers we need for a strong, resilient economy.”

About USCAR

Founded in 1992, USCAR is the collaborative automotive technology company for Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors. The goal of USCAR is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development. For more information, visit USCAR’s Web site at www.uscar.org.

About APC

Announced by the Government of Canada in April 2009, Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) is a five-year, $145-million initiative that supports collaborative research and development and pushes the Canadian automotive industry to greater levels of innovation. As an industry-driven initiative, automotive companies play a key role by providing both financial support and essential in-kind contributions to ensure the research projects’ success. APC’s funding partners include the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), National Research Council Canada (NRC), Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Program.

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