PROBLEMS OF FORMING THE FUNCTIONALITY AND SAFETY OF HAND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IN THE SYSTEM “WORK TOOLS-MECHANICS-MECHANICAL ENGINEERING”

Abstract

The article systematizes the requirements for hand protection for the system «tools and means of work-mechanic-professional environment» in view of the rapid digitalization of professional activity. The problem is relevant in the field of mechanical engineering, where the complex of tasks from the sketch of a computer model to the finished product is growing, where there is constant interaction between computer virtual reality and materialized (parallel) reality, which in general should contribute to increasing the accuracy of the workpiece/technological operation and the quality of the finished product. A systematic analysis of the nomenclature of quality indicators for hand protection equipment was conducted, taking into account its hierarchical structure and systemic connections. The analysis was carried out based on the results of interviews and a questionnaire survey of specialists of Flextronics LLC, where innovative, waste-free, “clean technologies” are prioritized. The study used methods of macroanalysis and customization of protective gloves at various stages of industrial production. It was established that the safety criterion for hand protection equipment, in modern conditions, when working with high-tech work equipment, must be considered at a qualitatively higher level in terms of both personnel safety, safety of expensive equipment, prevention of negative impact on the quality of the workpiece at the stages of production, and education and competence of specialists in the relevant technological processes of the mechanical engineering industry. Therefore, when choosing hand protection, it is necessary to take into account both the protective properties of gloves and the inconveniences (restriction of hand movements, kinesthetic sensations, deterioration of tactile sensations) caused by the usual physiological need associated with sweating of the skin of the palm and fingers. These issues can be resolved through customization, as an effective form of interaction between the object and the subject of commodity and production relations, aimed at improving the consumer properties of the product. A specific industry specialist can act as a partner in solving promising tasks for the manufacturer, who directly takes into account the relevant opinion of the consumer at all stages of the product life cycle.