Furniture Design Ideas

In the past the information devices traditionally used in control rooms normally had only a single area of application. The instrument was normally electrically connected directly to some form of measuring device. In certain cases switches were used, which allowed the same instrument to be connected directly to several measuring devices. For example, this was […]

Certain types of information are better transmitted as sound signals rather than visu­als. This is the case in the following situations: 1. When the signal is originally acoustic. 2. Warning signals. The advantage is that the operator does not need to see the signal in order to detect it; that is, he does not need […]

The terms to be used in this section are defined as follows: Scales range—The numerical difference between the lowest and the highest value on the scale. Numbering interval—The numerical difference between two successive num­bers on the scale. Scale marking interval—The numerical difference between two scale markings. Before choosing a scale for an instrument, one must […]

The choice from amongst the many different types of visual instruments available depends on the information to be presented and how it will be used. Figure 3.1 shows some of the more common types of instruments. Figure 3.1a shows a digital instrument which displays the various numbers directly. The instrument may have mechanically or electronically […]

Traditional instruments are still the most common form of information device in the control room. In modern control rooms, however, more and more information is being transferred to VDUs. Traditional instruments may be divided into the follow­ing subgroups with regard to their areas of use: 1. Instruments with associated control devices: Control regulation instruments—The instrument […]

Toni Ivergard and Brian Hunt CONTENTS 3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45 3.2 Traditional Information Devices……………………………………………………………….. 47 3.2.1 Different Types of Visual Instruments………………………………………….. 48 3.2.2 Design of Scales and Markings…………………………………………………….. 49 3.2.3 Sound Signals……………………………………………………………………………….. 56 3.3 Visual Display Units (VDUs)………………………………………………………………………. 57 3.3.1 VDU Design…………………………………………………………………………………… 57 3.3.2 Design of Cathode Ray Tubes……………………………………………………… 60 3.3.3 Design of Tables……………………………………………………………………………. 62 3.3.4 […]

With reference to the above background, the operator will be allocated certain tasks and these will form the basis for determining the quantity and quality of person­nel staffing levels. Factors such as educational background, practical experience, skills, personality variables, and choice of the technical principles, job aids, and information presentation and controllability would be used […]

Action research (AR) is a methodology that allows employees in an organisation to enquire into problems that they perceive in their workplace in order to resolve these problems ‘from bottom up’. Action research is not new. The basic methodolo­gies were proposed by Kurt Lewin (1890-1947), who is generally regarded as ‘the founder of modern social […]

A general philosophy for the design of control centres and the involvement of ergo­nomic design factors will now be considered. This section presents a discussion of the principles as a complement to the recommendations for the different types of ‘knobs and dials’ to be found in some other parts of this handbook. Principles in the […]

As described earlier, the operator has stored in his or her memory a mental model of the physical surroundings. The process control room operator, therefore, has stored in his or her brain’s long-term memory a more or less effective and useful model of the process under supervision. The operator continuously updates this mental model by […]