Workshop Layouts
Workshops are spaces designated for the production and repairing of manufactured goods to take place. They are much smaller in scale relative to large industrial factories and common among residences for supporting craft hobbies and small businesses. Workshop layouts vary upon the nature of the activities taking place in them and are typically categorized accordingly. Common workshop layouts include woodworking shops, plastics shops, ceramics shops, model-building shops, cabinet shops, machine shops, and metal and wrought iron shops. Workshops must provide space suitable for heavy machinery equipment, if necessary, along with adequate open space for ventilation and circulation.
When planning a workshop layout, the most important factor to consider is safety. Appropriate lighting, ventilation, and space work in combination to increase the safety of a workshop. Typical workshop equipment includes storage areas, a workbench, and stationary machines. It is important to note that tools themselves take up and require an amount of space, and this square footage increases when considering the operating space surrounding them.
A workshop layout refers to the placement of storage, machines, and workbenches in a confined space relative to each other. A poor workshop layout requires excessive traveling and handling between areas or may have too much disruption or clutter.
Firstly, tools should be categorized in a workshop and each tool can be organized further by having a designated and outlined location. Cabinets, chests, and lockers are means of providing storage for these grouped tools. If an open display and increased visibility is preferred, a pegboard or slat wall can be used to hang various kinds of tools either on hooks or in baskets.
