MD Adams and LifeMOD used to assess Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk during Automotive Assembly Tasks

SANTA ANA, CA – MSC Software has announced that The Center for Occupational Health in Automotive Manufacturing (COHAM) at Ohio State University has fully implemented MD Adams and LifeMOD in its recent study of Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk during automotive assembly tasks.

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) have become a prominent, prevalent, and costly problem, especially in the manufacturing sector and the auto industry in particular. The Biodynamics Laboratory and Center for Occupational Health in Automotive Manufacturing (COHAM) are interested in quantifying the motions and forces to which the human body is exposed while doing work.

MD Adams was used in tandem with LifeMOD's biomechanical plugin to simulate the dynamic loads on the human body due to spinal or back muscle loads or awkward postures. The software allowed COHAM to estimate the spinal forces as well as any stresses that were exerted on several of the back, shoulder, and other proximity muscles for the aforementioned cases.

"We have been quite pleased with the ability that Adams affords us to model different types of exertions and examine different structures in the body in more detail," said Gregory Knapik, Senior Researcher for the Biodynamics Laboratory at The Ohio State University. "We have also combined MD Nastran and Patran with Adams to develop a higher-fidelity model of the human spine. Most recently, we have started looking at the biomechanical consequences of different types of surgery as discussed in "Motion Preservation Surgery of the Spine: Advanced Techniques and Controversies" in the chapter titled "The Development of a Personalized Hybrid EMG-Assisted/Finite Element Biomechanical Model to Assess Surgical Options."

"The biomedical and biomechanics industry has witnessed dramatic benefits in using computer modeling and analysis methods over the past five years," said Leslie Rickey, Director Global Marketing at MSC Software. It is continuously inspiring to see MSC's simulation products and services increasingly used as a means to improve the quality of life for humans. We can't wait to see where the technology is applied next."