Jeppe Finnemann | Ben Irving | Laura Garcia | Bram Heerschap
DYNAMIC EAR COMPANY ANNOUNCES AUTOMATED PRODUCT ASSEMBLY TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION WORKER WELL-BEING
The new technology aims to reduce workload on hands and fingers, targeting the reduction of joint and muscle pain.
DELFT, NETHERLANDS — April 13, 2026
This april, production floor workers at Dynamic Ear Company can expect to see a prototype, which could lead to a significant reduction in manual labor for switch filter assembly in the future. Dynamic Ear Company is testing a new collaborative robot (Cobot) solution, equipped with specially developed tooling designed specifically for the intricate movement and assembly of product components. This initiative marks a shift toward balancing high-quality manufacturing with modern ergonomic standards. The system is developed by students from the Smart Manufacturing and Robots minor (SMR), at The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
For several years, workers at Dynamic Ear Company have performed the manual assembly of switch filters. While this manual process has consistently yielded a high pass rate in quality control, it has come at a physical cost. The repetitive nature of the task poses risks for joint and muscle pain, and maintaining consistent production speeds throughout a full shift remains a challenge due to natural human fatigue.
The SMR solution introduces a semi-automated assembly system that integrates machine vision guided tooling to improve both productivity and worker well-being. The system streamlines repetitive steps in the switch filter assembly process, reducing physical strain while maintaining the high quality standards previously achieved through manual labor. The prototype setup is doing this, by utilizing a UR5 robot arm with a custom vision setup. By automating the most force-intensive tasks, the solution minimizes worker strain and standardizes production stages, ensuring consistent output and reducing variability caused by fatigue.
“Our current manufacturing process involved manually handling and assembling small parts, which was slow and fatiguing for the operators. The automated system launched by the SMR team shows us that it can be done by machine and paves the way for us to implement this in our production environment.”
- Ahmed Hammad, Dynamic Ear Company
At this proof-of-concept stage, the system demonstrates the ability to reliably place caps onto housings using a dedicated jig for structured part positioning. By guiding each housing manually into fixed, consistent locations, alignment and pass rates are significantly improved. Once the housing is secured, the robot detects the cap and executes the placement with minimal human intervention. This semi-automated workflow is monitored and controlled through a human-machine interface (HMI) providing real-time feedback.
To implement the solution, Dynamic Ear Company will work with a system integrator to transition this proof of concept into a fully integrated production system, tailored to their specific needs. Because the core functionality has been validated in this prototype / proof of concept, users can trust the full system by the machine integrator, to deliver consistent quality, reduced physical strain, and reliable production once fully implemented, thanks to the experience gained developing the prototype.