3.1.2. Ergonomic appraisal
Sofas manufacturing was organized according to a functional model with workstations operated by specialized workers (Tayloristic model). Production starts with the assembly of the wooden frame, straps placement and foam gluing, which can be considered as part of a mini-plant (MP1). After foam gluing, the product heads to the upholstery and final assembly sectors seen as a second mini-plant (MP2). Carpentry and foam sectors provide the materials for MP1, and the sewing sectors provides for MP2. Expedition is the final stage. An illustration of the sofas manufacturing process is depicted in Fig. 1.