The Tabel Montage Tijden conform Gustav Ende provides a practical, structured method for estimating manual assembly times in workshops, training, and production planning. Though largely superseded by MTM and digital time capture, Ende’s principles remain valid for:
Recommendation: For modern industrial engineering, use Ende’s tables as an educational foundation and for rapid estimation, but apply MTM or video-based time study for precision below 0.5 seconds per element.
Prepared by: [Your Name/Department]
Sources: REFA methodology archives, Gustav Ende – Arbeitsstudien (1920s–1930s), MTM Association standards.
The Gustav Ende (or Gustaf Ende) method is a standard used in the mechanical and electrical engineering sectors to estimate installation times and project costs. This method relies on "ploegminuten" (crew minutes)—experience-based norm times for installing various components—rather than strictly scientific ergonomic data. Core Concept
The "Tabel Montage Tijden" provides a "norm time" for specific components, usually expressed in minutes per unit (e.g., per piece) or minutes per meter. To find the total installation time, you multiply this norm by the project quantity. Sample Calculation (Mechanical)
Below is an example of how the Ende norm times are typically structured for piping: Component Norm Time (min/m) Total Time (min) DN-50 Steel pipe (insulated) DN-100 Steel pipe (insulated) DN-150 Steel pipe (insulated) Calculating with Correction Factors
Because these times are experience-based, the Gustav Ende handbook includes correction factors to account for real-world variables that can increase or decrease installation time:
Construction Site Conditions: Accessibility, height, or floor level (e.g., installation at 7m height takes longer than at 3m). Logistics: Distance to transport materials on-site.
Assembly Complexity: Specific technical difficulties or non-standard mounting methods. Implementation Guide
Identify Components: List every item required for the project (e.g., pipes, air heaters, valves).
Apply Norm Times: Use the Gustaf Ende Tabel to find the minutes required for each item.
Adjust for Conditions: Apply a multiplier (correction factor) if working in difficult conditions. TABEL MONTAGE TIJDEN CONFORM GUSTAV ENDE
Calculate Total Crew Hours: Sum the total minutes and divide by 60 to find total man-hours.
Finalize Cost: Multiply the total hours by your organization's "ploegloon" (crew hourly rate).
While the Techniek Nederland (formerly Uneto-VNI) method is more frequently updated and scientifically grounded, the Gustav Ende method remains a popular alternative for its simplicity in "man-minute" estimations.
Gustav Ende tables represent a foundational, experience-based method for calculating installation times in the Dutch mechanical and electrical engineering sectors . While modern standards like those from Techniek Nederland
have largely superseded them, they remain a significant reference point for historical project estimates and traditional calculation models. The Foundation of Gustav Ende Norms The Gustav Ende method is primarily based on experience-based norms rather than rigorous labor-scientific analysis. Ploegminuten (Crew Minutes):
Installation times are expressed in "ploegminuten," assuming a standard installation crew. Structure of Calculation:
A project calculation following this method typically includes material costs, third-party work, "stelposten" (provisional sums), and installation crew hours. Adjustments:
The tables include correction factors to account for specific site conditions, logistics, and technical assembly complexities. Key Characteristics and Limitations
Because these norms were developed decades ago (often attributed to the 1970s), they reflect the tools and methods of that era. Lack of Method Transparency:
The handbook does not explicitly define the modern methods or tools used to reach these times, making it difficult to reconstruct how changes in modern technology (like cordless tools or pre-fab components) impact the old norms. Variable Accuracy:
The accuracy is generally considered lower than modern standards because the norms are not scientifically "underpinned". Transition to Modern Standards: Many organizations have moved to Techniek Nederland The Tabel Montage Tijden conform Gustav Ende provides
standards, which provide more up-to-date, scientifically validated time norms for sanitary, electrical, and mechanical installations. Example of Norm Application In a typical Gustav Ende table
, specific components are assigned a set number of minutes. For example, installing a heater (luchtverhitter) at a height of 3 meters might be assigned a different norm than one at 7 meters to account for the increased difficulty and equipment needs. Technisch Adviesburo Betuwe
If you are writing an essay or a report, you might focus on the evolution of calculation methods
—comparing the "practical experience" approach of Ende with the "data-driven" approach used today to manage labor costs in the installation industry. If you'd like, I can help you: Gustav Ende with Techniek Nederland Find specific norm times for certain components if you have a list. Structure an outline for a more formal technical essay. Let me know which specific installation area
(e.g., HVAC, electrical, piping) you are most interested in. Normering van arbeid in de installatiebranche | TVVL
The story of the "Tabel Montage Tijden Conform Gustav Ende" is one of the oldest foundations in the European installation industry, acting as the silent blueprint for building climate and sanitary systems for decades. The Origin: Experience Over Science
In the 1970s, a Swedish engineer and consultant named Gustaf Ende (often spelled Gustav in industry documents) revolutionized mechanical and electrical project planning. Unlike modern standards derived from rigorous labor studies, Ende’s tables were built on pure experience-based figures gathered primarily in Germany. The Mechanism: "Ploegminuten"
The "Ende Norm" introduced a system of team minutes (ploegminuten) rather than individual labor hours. A calculation would take a specific component—like a steel pipe or a heater—and assign it a fixed "norm time" in minutes per unit or meter.
Example: A DN-50 steel pipe with insulation might be assigned exactly 3.6 minutes per meter.
Complexity Factors: Calculations included correction factors for height, logistics, and site conditions. The Legacy and Decline
For many years, this table was the "gold standard" for Dutch and German installers, used by firms like Technisch Adviesburo Betuwe to estimate everything from material costs to travel hours. Siemens Process Simulate
However, because the data hasn't been officially maintained since 2003, it has begun to "rust". Modern experts at TVVL note that the Ende method lacks transparency regarding modern tools and methods. In 2007, the Uneto-VNI handbook was released with the specific goal of making the "Gustav Ende" tables a thing of the past.
Despite being officially "forgotten," the ghost of Gustav Ende still lives on in many legacy spreadsheets and senior engineers' habits across the Benelux region. Normering van arbeid in de installatiebranche | TVVL
Hoewel Endes tabel leidde tot een productiviteitsstijging van 40% in de Duitse machinebouw van de jaren 1930, is de methode controversieel.
The original tables are rare and often replaced by modern MTM-1, MTM-2, or REFA systems. However, you can find them in:
The Gustav Ende table belongs to the family of Predetermined Motion Time Systems (PMTS). Its direct intellectual heirs include:
| System | Origin | Key features | |--------|--------|---------------| | MTM-1 (Methods-Time Measurement) | USA, 1948 | More detailed (10 motion classes), higher accuracy | | MTM-2 | 1965 | Simplified, aggregated motions | | MTM-UAS (Universal Analyzing System) | 1970s–80s | Block-oriented, very fast | | MOST (Maynard Operation Sequence Technique) | 1970s | Sequence-based, less granular | | Work Factor | USA, 1938 | Emphasis on difficulty and resistance |
In the Netherlands and Germany, many factories transitioned directly from Gustav Ende to MTM-UAS or MTM-1 in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, these standards are embedded in software that interfaces with 3D CAD models and simulation (e.g., Siemens Process Simulate, Visual Components).
Yet, the logical skeleton of those modern systems is still Gustav Ende’s skeleton:
Why did this table become so popular in European manufacturing (especially in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria)?
Different analysts using the same table would get the same result for the same motion pattern. Stopwatch studies could vary wildly based on operator speed and analyst judgment.
When digital MTM software (TiCon, Laubrass) appeared, updating and recalculating table-based times became tedious.