Unergonomically designed workstations are often the cause of health problems for employees. This is particularly true for people with disabilities. In addition to preventing health problems, special requirements apply to workstations for people with disabilities. Ergonomic workstations and worker assistance systems have been a core competence of MiniTec for many years. The specialists for workplace design at MiniTec develop workplace systems according to the latest findings, also with regard to the requirements of digitalisation.

For people with disabilities in particular, the systems open up new opportunities for professional participation in companies or workshops for people with disabilities (WbfM). With the help of suitable assistance systems from MiniTec, employees are enabled to carry out work independently - even after a short familiarisation period. This is because independent work is an important step towards increasing or regaining the ability to perform or work and integration into working life. This often also supports appropriate professional development and the further development of the employee's personality.

MiniTec specialises in workplace systems and thus contributes to the integration of people with disabilities.

Individually customised Workshops for people with disabilities (WfbM) focus on the participation of employees in working life. This can look very different depending on the disability. Accordingly, the workstations must fulfil the special requirements and personal abilities of the individual. This ranges from ergonomic adaptations to interactive assistance systems. In some cases, special tasks are even created and suitable equipment developed to integrate an employee into the working environment. 

MiniTec has been equipping workshops with customised workstations for many years. These are not off-the-shelf solutions; rather, the solutions specifically address the limitations and needs of the employees in the context of their tasks.

Workstations with a system
All MiniTec workstation systems are based on the proven and flexible MiniTec modular profile system. A comprehensive range of accessories and the complete design freedom of the MiniTec modular system enable the individual realisation of single or team workstations that are precisely adapted to the specific needs of the employees.

This is a fundamental requirement, especially in workshops for disabled people (WfbM). Height-adjustable workstations prevent tension and postural damage caused by incorrect sitting positions and allow alternating work in sitting and standing positions. The workstations must also offer a variable underride height for wheelchair users. At the same time, the arrangement of tools, measuring equipment and workpieces must be adaptable to the physical conditions of the employees.

The workstations can be supplemented with Pick2light, a system that uses different coloured light signals to show the employee the required components in the supply rack. This makes it possible to recognise the storage locations and the required number of items in the shortest possible time and with a high degree of reliability. The modular system is robust and is characterised by high user-friendliness and simple installation. The system can be put into operation in a very short time without any programming knowledge.

Worker assistance at the workplace

MiniTec SmartAssist opens up completely new possibilities for interactive employee support in workshops. The assistance system ensures faster learning of assembly processes and individualised support during work. It guides the worker step by step through the assembly process by displaying the required activities on the screen with the help of text, graphics, photos or videos.

There are various options for process support and interaction, as the system has a modular design and allows the control of a wide range of hardware components, such as PickToLight light strips, touch monitors, laser projectors or hand scanners. At the same time, MiniTec SmartAssist is used for quality inspection or documentation. It can also be used to realise orders in smaller batch sizes or more complex tasks. A special feature is the intuitive MiniTec SmartEdi editor. This enables workshops to create the relevant work instructions themselves very easily.