Shop layout

Welcome, and congratulations on your new space! I'm afraid I have no profound advice on your set-up other than to consider your production system and arrange things according to your flow. Good luck!

 

Lots of long tables. Nothing worse than hemming an 8m banner on a 3m table

 

We went through a few iterations, measuring your equipment and mocking up a layout in illustrator is helpful before moving stuff around. Mainly think about workflow and what makes the most sense in terms of efficiency and comfort. Avoid wasted space, think about future additions in equipment or employees. You'll also find some things work in theory but not so much in practice. I believe in fine tuning/improving what you can after trying it out for a while. I put all our tables on wheels so we can make a 30+ foot long workspace if we ever need to, great if you have the room for something like that.

Not sure what kind of power the printer needs, but if you don't need anything special then you're not really committed to anything.

 

What’s your main business focus? That’ll probably dictate a lot. I mentioned banners earlier but is the sp300i not only 30”? Can’t imagine you’ll need too much space for those machines.

a lot of it will be what suits you. I.e leave space for rolls of media next to the machine you put the media in.

 

My tables are all 4' wide and 8' long. I can move them around as needed depending on my needs. My main computer area is U shaped. It works great for most jobs, cutting, weeding, masking but for applying I use my larger tables in my open area. You can easily and cheaply build counters using 2x4's if you are handy. I bought 2 - 6' sections of laminate counter top cheap and that's my desk area. Don't forget a tape measure on your bench! I built everything myself and stained it so it has a rustic look.

 

Tables on wheels, make sure they're all the same height...and at a height that is comfortable to work at. Shelving or pallet racking...or both. This will help you stay organized and keep signs, decals and media out of your way while you work.

 

If you're going to be moving up to larger printers (particularly anything that heat sets, like a latex printer for vehicle wraps), you'll want to make sure you have adequate power. Shouldn't be an issue in Ireland, as I believe the standard there is 230V, unlike the 110V norm in the U.S. For example, many 54" latex printers require two(2) 220-230V service lines.

 

2 from OK