Hi, I am Md Shafiqul Islam, a Ph.D. Student at the Industrial and Systems Engineering department of Virginia Tech. I am working under the supervision of Dr. Sol Lim at the Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics (OEB) Laboratories and conducting research in the field of Human Factors Engineering. I completed my B.Sc. in Industrial and Production Engineering from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. Prior to starting my Ph.D., I worked as a Production Engineer at Avery Dennison Corporation (A member of the Fortune 500 companies). Prior to that, I worked as an Industrial Engineer at the Textile Division of SQUARE Group (One of the largest groups of companies in Bangladesh). I think that better workstation design and doing research to make the work condition easier will help thousands of workers to avoid occupational injuries and disorders. That's one of the main reasons why I chose to pursue my research in Human Factors Engineering. By participating in different projects and research work in SLIM lab, I wish to make dealing with workload and working conditions better so that people in different types of professions can work easily and enjoy a long healthy life. I hope to utilize my industry experience in my research work for making effective research output. I am interested in an academic career after completion I want to continue my research work in the field of Ergonomics and Human Factors. My hobbies and interests include: Travelling, Reading, Watching TV shows and Movies and Exploring different types of Foods. I also play Soccer and Cricket. Supervisors: Dr. Sol Lim Address: Durham Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Participating in physical exercise using remote platforms is challenging for people with vision i... more Participating in physical exercise using remote platforms is challenging for people with vision impairment due to their lack of vision. Thus, there is a need to provide nonvisual feedback to this population to improve the performance and safety of remote exercise. In this study, the effects of different nonvisual types of feedback (verbal, vibrotactile, and combined verbal and vibrotactile) for movement correction were tested with 22 participants with normal vision to investigate the feasibility of the feedback system and pilot tested with four participants with impaired vision. The study with normal-vision participants found that nonvisual feedback successfully corrected an additional 11.2% of movements compared to the no-feedback condition. Vibrotactile feedback was the most time-efficient among other types of feedback in correcting poses. Participants with normal vision rated multimodal feedback as the most strongly preferred modality. In a pilot test, participants with impaired vision also showed a similar trend. Overall, the study found providing vibrotactile (or multimodal) feedback during physical exercise to be an effective way of improving exercise performance. Implications for future training platform development with vibrotactile or multimodal feedback for people with impaired vision are discussed.
Vibrotactile feedback can be effectively applied to motor (physical) learning in virtual environm... more Vibrotactile feedback can be effectively applied to motor (physical) learning in virtual environments, as it can provide task-intrinsic and augmented feedback to users, assisting them in enhancing their motor performance. This review investigates current uses of vibrotactile feedback systems in motor learning applications built upon virtual environments by systematically synthesizing 24 peer-reviewed studies. We aim to understand: (1) the current state of the science of using real-time vibrotactile feedback in virtual environments for aiding the acquisition (or improvement) of motor skills, (2) the effectiveness of using vibrotactile feedback in such applications, and (3) research gaps and opportunities in current technology. We used the Sensing-Analysis-Assessment-Intervention framework to assess the scientific literature in our review. The review identifies several research gaps in current studies, as well as potential design considerations that can improve vibrotactile feedback systems in virtual motor learning applications, including the selection and placement of feedback devices and feedback designs.
6th International Conference on Engineering Research, Innovation and Education (ICERIE 2021), 2021
Making continuous and significant improvement in manufacturing field is challenging. Many manufac... more Making continuous and significant improvement in manufacturing field is challenging. Many manufacturing industries around the world have achieved success after successfully implementing lean tools in their production system. Bangladeshi factories are still far away from achieving significant success in using lean tools. In this study we analyzed the scope of using lean tools in a dyeing unit of a textile factory. Based on the scopes, several lean tools were implemented to examine the effect they had on efficiency level. Before implementing the tools, efficiency level of the dyeing unit was recorded machine wise. That data was analyzed to identify the major root cause of the low efficiency problem. Based on those root causes, several lean tools were selected to mitigate those issues. The lean tools selected for the study were TPM, OEE, and 5S. The main objective was to reduce non-utilized time. After running the study for a total of nine months, it was observed that implementing the selected lean tools increased the efficiency level by 6.34%. Only selected lean tools were applied for this study. Integrating this system with other different lean tools in the future will produce different results.
5th International Conference on Engineering, Research, Innovation and Education, 2019
5S is a Japanese technique for keeping the workplace in order, clean and deploy a self-discipline... more 5S is a Japanese technique for keeping the workplace in order, clean and deploy a self-discipline routine. Properly implemented 5S method can establish a visual control system in the workplace which will be vital to tackle the 8 wastes of lean. The aim of this paper is to implement 5S in a pharmaceutical factory and compare the results of before and after implementation. The following departments were chosen for the implementation project: Admin, Production (a particular section), Store and Quality Control. Before starting the implementation process, the current condition of these departments were recorded. For collecting the data, observation charts, previous audit reports and photographs were used. Relevant training in 5S was given to all the employees before the implementation phase. The target was to attach and involve everyone with the development process. During the implementation phase, the steps of 5S were followed accordingly: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. The areas that were part of this project were monitored and kept in observation for two months. In this observation period, new set of data were collected to justify the change. New observation sheets were prepared and new photographs were taken. The before and after implementation data were compared. The result showed significant reduction of cycle time in the areas where 5S were implemented. As the result was positive and satisfactory, some set of standard was set so that everyone in the factory will follow the same procedure. For sustaining this improvement, the factory was divided into several zones at the beginning. During the study period, the groups in the selected zones were audited and they received scores according to their performance. As the 5S implementation showed satisfactory positive results, top management decided to implement this throughout the factory. Each zone has a 5S committee consisting of a team leader and some group members. Their responsibilities are to implement the standardized format of 5S that was prepared for this factory regularly after the observation period. Continuous monitoring and regular 5S audit will help to sustain this technique at this factory.
5th International Conference on Engineering, Research, Innovation and Education (ICERIE, 2019), 2019
The use of statistical process control in a manufacturing industry can significantly improve the ... more The use of statistical process control in a manufacturing industry can significantly improve the quality and productivity. The objective of this paper is to initiate using statistical process control in a hygiene product manufacturing factory of Bangladesh. The product under consideration is sanitary pad (belt type). At present, the factory doesn’t follow statistical process control. The aim is to study statistical process control in that manufacturing system so that management can upgrade into a more effective and cost efficient one. So, statistical process control was initiated as a pilot project for the above-mentioned product line. In this paper, the application of control chart, Pareto analysis and DMAIC model and their importance for continuous quality improvement is shown. Attribute control chart (U chart) was generated using Minitab-17 software. It showed that the process is out of control. The data taken was for the number of non-conformance of the products in a 3-month period. Next, Pareto analysis was used for the defects to identify the few major types of defects that is responsible for most of the occurrences of the defects. From the Pareto analysis, a defect was chosen that was targeted for elimination form the process. A DMAIC model was used to further improve the quality. Key quality parameters were identified. DMAIC model was conducted with a team consisted of one people from top management, 3 production executives and 5 machine operators. Brainstorming sessions were conducted for successfully finishing the stages of DMAIC. The results showed that after completing one DMAIC cycle, the process showed significant improvement. After the first-time implementation of the DMAIC model, data was taken for another three months. The new U chart showed better results from previous data. Based on the result from the control chart, more brainstorming sessions needs to be conducted for completing more DMAIC cycle. The pilot run of the statistical process control tools was a success as it showed significant improvement opportunities.
International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 2018
RMG is the biggest manufacturing sector in Bangladesh, which contributes biggest part in the grow... more RMG is the biggest manufacturing sector in Bangladesh, which contributes biggest part in the growth rate of GDP. Though, this sector has some obstacles to overcome for greater outcomes. To ensure sustainable economic growth and compete in the global market, the garment industries should utilize their resources properly. Higher productivity ensures higher utilization of available resources i.e. man power, raw materials etc. In this paper we have studied and analyzed the productivity in sewing section of a garment factory. The focus of the study was labor productivity and defects in the production floor. Labor productivity was measured and analyzed using Kurosawa’s structural approach. It was found that the labor productivity is not up to the standard level. The reasons that reduce labor productivity and the factors for improving labor productivity were identified using questionnaires and observations. Occurrence of defects was analyzed using Pareto analysis which helped to identify the vital defects. Using root cause analysis, cause and effect diagram was generated and the reasons of the defects were identified. Based on that, the solutions for reducing those defects were recommended. Some of the techniques that the garment manufacturing factory can implement are six sigma, automation and nominal group technique.
3rd International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Materials Engineering 2017 (ICMIME2017)
This paper presented the application of several statistical quality control tools. Using those, c... more This paper presented the application of several statistical quality control tools. Using those, continuous quality improvement can be achieved. The control tools used were variable control charts and attribute control charts. The process output of an RMG manufacturing factory was studied. Using " Minitab 17 " the above-mentioned control charts were developed. The control charts were used to analyze the current process stability. After analyzing it, Deming's PDCA cycle was used to identify and select opportunities for improving quality control. The PDCA cycle was developed based on the current state of the process and rate of defective products. Management personnel were involved with the generation of PDCA cycle. It was found that the process was not stable during the study period. The model of the PDCA cycle contains proposal for further improvement of the process.
3rd International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Materials Engineering 2017 (ICMIME2017)
Safety in workplace is a major issue for a manufacturing factory. Proper safety protocols can sav... more Safety in workplace is a major issue for a manufacturing factory. Proper safety protocols can save lives, reduce accidents, reduce downtime and increase productivity. In this paper, the current condition of safety in a pharmaceutical factory was measured and analyzed. The relation between safety and individual labor productivity of the selected factory was studied. 2 sets of questionnaires were developed for workers and management personnel for measuring and analyzing current state of safety. Individual labor productivity was calculated using Kurosawa's approach. After measuring both the factors, it was analyzed to see how much the labor productivity was dependent on the safety features of the factory. Minitab-17 was used for the analysis. It was found that significant relation exists between safety and labor productivity. Suggestions for improving the safety status were provided based on the analysis which would help to improve the individual labor productivity as well if implemented.
3rd International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Materials Engineering, 2017
Too much stress in the job and occurrence of fatigue during working will cause an increase in los... more Too much stress in the job and occurrence of fatigue during working will cause an increase in loss of productive work hour. In this paper, the amount of stress that an employee of a manufacturing industry faces was measured. The working condition at the workplace was observed and the effect it had on fatigue among the employees were studied. The study was done based on questionnaires and interviews. The productivity of the employee was also measured using the ratio of quantity produced and man-hour used. It was observed that productivity level did not reach the standard value set by the management. The job stress and fatigue factors were related with the cause of low productivity. Based on the interview and response from the questionnaire of the employees, some methods to reduce job stress and fatigue were proposed to the management.
Participating in physical exercise using remote platforms is challenging for people with vision i... more Participating in physical exercise using remote platforms is challenging for people with vision impairment due to their lack of vision. Thus, there is a need to provide nonvisual feedback to this population to improve the performance and safety of remote exercise. In this study, the effects of different nonvisual types of feedback (verbal, vibrotactile, and combined verbal and vibrotactile) for movement correction were tested with 22 participants with normal vision to investigate the feasibility of the feedback system and pilot tested with four participants with impaired vision. The study with normal-vision participants found that nonvisual feedback successfully corrected an additional 11.2% of movements compared to the no-feedback condition. Vibrotactile feedback was the most time-efficient among other types of feedback in correcting poses. Participants with normal vision rated multimodal feedback as the most strongly preferred modality. In a pilot test, participants with impaired vision also showed a similar trend. Overall, the study found providing vibrotactile (or multimodal) feedback during physical exercise to be an effective way of improving exercise performance. Implications for future training platform development with vibrotactile or multimodal feedback for people with impaired vision are discussed.
Vibrotactile feedback can be effectively applied to motor (physical) learning in virtual environm... more Vibrotactile feedback can be effectively applied to motor (physical) learning in virtual environments, as it can provide task-intrinsic and augmented feedback to users, assisting them in enhancing their motor performance. This review investigates current uses of vibrotactile feedback systems in motor learning applications built upon virtual environments by systematically synthesizing 24 peer-reviewed studies. We aim to understand: (1) the current state of the science of using real-time vibrotactile feedback in virtual environments for aiding the acquisition (or improvement) of motor skills, (2) the effectiveness of using vibrotactile feedback in such applications, and (3) research gaps and opportunities in current technology. We used the Sensing-Analysis-Assessment-Intervention framework to assess the scientific literature in our review. The review identifies several research gaps in current studies, as well as potential design considerations that can improve vibrotactile feedback systems in virtual motor learning applications, including the selection and placement of feedback devices and feedback designs.
6th International Conference on Engineering Research, Innovation and Education (ICERIE 2021), 2021
Making continuous and significant improvement in manufacturing field is challenging. Many manufac... more Making continuous and significant improvement in manufacturing field is challenging. Many manufacturing industries around the world have achieved success after successfully implementing lean tools in their production system. Bangladeshi factories are still far away from achieving significant success in using lean tools. In this study we analyzed the scope of using lean tools in a dyeing unit of a textile factory. Based on the scopes, several lean tools were implemented to examine the effect they had on efficiency level. Before implementing the tools, efficiency level of the dyeing unit was recorded machine wise. That data was analyzed to identify the major root cause of the low efficiency problem. Based on those root causes, several lean tools were selected to mitigate those issues. The lean tools selected for the study were TPM, OEE, and 5S. The main objective was to reduce non-utilized time. After running the study for a total of nine months, it was observed that implementing the selected lean tools increased the efficiency level by 6.34%. Only selected lean tools were applied for this study. Integrating this system with other different lean tools in the future will produce different results.
5th International Conference on Engineering, Research, Innovation and Education, 2019
5S is a Japanese technique for keeping the workplace in order, clean and deploy a self-discipline... more 5S is a Japanese technique for keeping the workplace in order, clean and deploy a self-discipline routine. Properly implemented 5S method can establish a visual control system in the workplace which will be vital to tackle the 8 wastes of lean. The aim of this paper is to implement 5S in a pharmaceutical factory and compare the results of before and after implementation. The following departments were chosen for the implementation project: Admin, Production (a particular section), Store and Quality Control. Before starting the implementation process, the current condition of these departments were recorded. For collecting the data, observation charts, previous audit reports and photographs were used. Relevant training in 5S was given to all the employees before the implementation phase. The target was to attach and involve everyone with the development process. During the implementation phase, the steps of 5S were followed accordingly: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. The areas that were part of this project were monitored and kept in observation for two months. In this observation period, new set of data were collected to justify the change. New observation sheets were prepared and new photographs were taken. The before and after implementation data were compared. The result showed significant reduction of cycle time in the areas where 5S were implemented. As the result was positive and satisfactory, some set of standard was set so that everyone in the factory will follow the same procedure. For sustaining this improvement, the factory was divided into several zones at the beginning. During the study period, the groups in the selected zones were audited and they received scores according to their performance. As the 5S implementation showed satisfactory positive results, top management decided to implement this throughout the factory. Each zone has a 5S committee consisting of a team leader and some group members. Their responsibilities are to implement the standardized format of 5S that was prepared for this factory regularly after the observation period. Continuous monitoring and regular 5S audit will help to sustain this technique at this factory.
5th International Conference on Engineering, Research, Innovation and Education (ICERIE, 2019), 2019
The use of statistical process control in a manufacturing industry can significantly improve the ... more The use of statistical process control in a manufacturing industry can significantly improve the quality and productivity. The objective of this paper is to initiate using statistical process control in a hygiene product manufacturing factory of Bangladesh. The product under consideration is sanitary pad (belt type). At present, the factory doesn’t follow statistical process control. The aim is to study statistical process control in that manufacturing system so that management can upgrade into a more effective and cost efficient one. So, statistical process control was initiated as a pilot project for the above-mentioned product line. In this paper, the application of control chart, Pareto analysis and DMAIC model and their importance for continuous quality improvement is shown. Attribute control chart (U chart) was generated using Minitab-17 software. It showed that the process is out of control. The data taken was for the number of non-conformance of the products in a 3-month period. Next, Pareto analysis was used for the defects to identify the few major types of defects that is responsible for most of the occurrences of the defects. From the Pareto analysis, a defect was chosen that was targeted for elimination form the process. A DMAIC model was used to further improve the quality. Key quality parameters were identified. DMAIC model was conducted with a team consisted of one people from top management, 3 production executives and 5 machine operators. Brainstorming sessions were conducted for successfully finishing the stages of DMAIC. The results showed that after completing one DMAIC cycle, the process showed significant improvement. After the first-time implementation of the DMAIC model, data was taken for another three months. The new U chart showed better results from previous data. Based on the result from the control chart, more brainstorming sessions needs to be conducted for completing more DMAIC cycle. The pilot run of the statistical process control tools was a success as it showed significant improvement opportunities.
International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 2018
RMG is the biggest manufacturing sector in Bangladesh, which contributes biggest part in the grow... more RMG is the biggest manufacturing sector in Bangladesh, which contributes biggest part in the growth rate of GDP. Though, this sector has some obstacles to overcome for greater outcomes. To ensure sustainable economic growth and compete in the global market, the garment industries should utilize their resources properly. Higher productivity ensures higher utilization of available resources i.e. man power, raw materials etc. In this paper we have studied and analyzed the productivity in sewing section of a garment factory. The focus of the study was labor productivity and defects in the production floor. Labor productivity was measured and analyzed using Kurosawa’s structural approach. It was found that the labor productivity is not up to the standard level. The reasons that reduce labor productivity and the factors for improving labor productivity were identified using questionnaires and observations. Occurrence of defects was analyzed using Pareto analysis which helped to identify the vital defects. Using root cause analysis, cause and effect diagram was generated and the reasons of the defects were identified. Based on that, the solutions for reducing those defects were recommended. Some of the techniques that the garment manufacturing factory can implement are six sigma, automation and nominal group technique.
3rd International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Materials Engineering 2017 (ICMIME2017)
This paper presented the application of several statistical quality control tools. Using those, c... more This paper presented the application of several statistical quality control tools. Using those, continuous quality improvement can be achieved. The control tools used were variable control charts and attribute control charts. The process output of an RMG manufacturing factory was studied. Using " Minitab 17 " the above-mentioned control charts were developed. The control charts were used to analyze the current process stability. After analyzing it, Deming's PDCA cycle was used to identify and select opportunities for improving quality control. The PDCA cycle was developed based on the current state of the process and rate of defective products. Management personnel were involved with the generation of PDCA cycle. It was found that the process was not stable during the study period. The model of the PDCA cycle contains proposal for further improvement of the process.
3rd International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Materials Engineering 2017 (ICMIME2017)
Safety in workplace is a major issue for a manufacturing factory. Proper safety protocols can sav... more Safety in workplace is a major issue for a manufacturing factory. Proper safety protocols can save lives, reduce accidents, reduce downtime and increase productivity. In this paper, the current condition of safety in a pharmaceutical factory was measured and analyzed. The relation between safety and individual labor productivity of the selected factory was studied. 2 sets of questionnaires were developed for workers and management personnel for measuring and analyzing current state of safety. Individual labor productivity was calculated using Kurosawa's approach. After measuring both the factors, it was analyzed to see how much the labor productivity was dependent on the safety features of the factory. Minitab-17 was used for the analysis. It was found that significant relation exists between safety and labor productivity. Suggestions for improving the safety status were provided based on the analysis which would help to improve the individual labor productivity as well if implemented.
3rd International Conference on Mechanical, Industrial and Materials Engineering, 2017
Too much stress in the job and occurrence of fatigue during working will cause an increase in los... more Too much stress in the job and occurrence of fatigue during working will cause an increase in loss of productive work hour. In this paper, the amount of stress that an employee of a manufacturing industry faces was measured. The working condition at the workplace was observed and the effect it had on fatigue among the employees were studied. The study was done based on questionnaires and interviews. The productivity of the employee was also measured using the ratio of quantity produced and man-hour used. It was observed that productivity level did not reach the standard value set by the management. The job stress and fatigue factors were related with the cause of low productivity. Based on the interview and response from the questionnaire of the employees, some methods to reduce job stress and fatigue were proposed to the management.
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