MTM-1®

MTM-1® is the foundation of all current approved high-level systems, such as MTM-2® and MTM-UAS®. The background history of the development is shown at the “History” page on this site.


The System

The system was released after many years of extensive research upon the publication in 1948 of the book “Methods Time Measurement”. By releasing the system in this far-sighted way, MTM became the first open-source Predetermined Motion Time System (PMTS), enabling anyone to learn and practise the technique without infringing copyright law. However, to safeguard against abuse and to prevent incompetent application of the system, the origin of the current International MTM Directorate was born in 1953.

MTM-1® is officially described as “a procedure which analyses any manual operation or method into the basic motions required to perform it and assigns to each motion a predetermined time standard which is determined by the nature of the motion and the conditions under which it is made”.

The predetermined data values fall within the following framework where each “motion” is further sub-classified according to the parameters that effect the time required for the average operator to perform it. Each of these motions has a unique code and time value ranging from 2.0 TMU (Time-Measurement Unit) up to the maximum value of 53.4 TMU, which appears on the MTM-1® Data Card for the highest value for “Position”. There are approx. 28 TMU’s in one second.


The 17 Basic MTM-1® Motions

Fingers or Hand

Reach
Grasp
Release
Move
Position
Turn
Disengage
Apply Pressure

Eye Motions

Eye Focus
Eye Travel

Body Motions

Foot Motion
Leg Motion
Side- Step
Turn Body
Bend, Stoop and Kneel
Sit and Stand
Walk

In total there are more than 1,600 unique MTM-1® values.