Suggestions Sign Shop Organization

[Renato Pinto]

So our sign shop is being reorganized. My boss told me to look up some shelves online so that we could be better organized.

What do you some of the shops you guys work at look like?

I'm asking about everything.
Shelving, racks, printer/plotter set up, desk set up, work orders, tables, the whole room in general.

Please and thanks.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[equippaint]

I like the 5s route myself. Minimize flat areas like shelves and tables as much as possible. Shadow boards for tools. flat areas and shelves will be cluttered again, vertical storage is the way to go

 

[Andy D]

I 100% suggest storing your ridged sheet material vertically on carts, it makes
it so much easier to get to the sheet you need without moving other sheets out of the way & damaging them.
Plus if you have a bunch of sheets coming in, you wheel the whole cart out to the delivery truck...

 

[Haw]

Will be watching this thread. This will be very usefull as I will be moving to a new workshop in a few weeks.

 

[James Burke]

Let me politely say that you may be starting at the "wrong end" of the problem.

Map out your processes and the flow of work through your shop, and take a hard look at how and where materials are used. Just exactly where and how is value created or added in your shop? What are the actual causes of inefficiencies and bottlenecks?

That is the real starting point. Also be observant of foot traffic patterns and ask yourself "why do we do it that way"?

You may find out that you need more than just shelves...or...perhaps just some creative ingenuity and nothing more.

We reduced foot traffic by 75% on one process just by rearranging a few tables to create a linear flow instead of a snarled knot of backtracking throughout the shop.

5S was mentioned in an earlier post...and that is an excellent place to start. POUS (point-of-use-storage) is one of the best ideas ever.

Our local McDonald's has a small freezer located just under the fryer so employees don't have to traipse to the back of the restaurant to grab more fries during rush hour.

 

[fuzzy_cam]

Forgive me... what is 5S?

 

[equippaint]

Forgive me... what is 5S?

Its a management system first used by toyota. Id venture to say that the vast majority of manufacturing companies use it today in addition to many other industries. Theres a boatload of info out there, just do some searches. Look at images too
Here is a basic explanation from another site:
5S is a system for organizing spaces so work can be performed efficiently, effectively, and safely. This system focuses on putting everything where it belongs and keeping the workplace clean, which makes it easier for people to do their jobs without wasting time or risking injury.

 

[MatCam]

5S
is an engineering standard. I totally agree with James Burke. The linear flow is everything in production. I set my line in a circle. Place your order here, pick up your order here. (If I is that kind of order.) Measuring and mapping is time consuming. IT IS WORTH EVERY HOUR SPENT! Set it up once. Your boss will not regret the money saved in a very short time.

 

[Gino]

I'm no one to talk about organization, since I suffer from FSS ( Flat Surface Syndrome), but I do know that one of the best ways would be to make a drawing of your floor plan and set up your work and job flow in that fashion. Shelves, storage and whatnot will fit in around your first needs. As you figure this out, you'll become more efficient, thus cutting down on monkey time. As your business changes or expands, you'll need to review these plans and either rechart them or move into a larger or smaller area as needed.

 

[James Burke]

I'm no one to talk about organization, since I suffer from FSS ( Flat Surface Syndrome),

Gino...I'm assuming your FSS is the same as my PhD (piled higher & deeper)

Anyway, in keeping with the subject, I found a set of these Shop Floor Series manuals at a local Goodwill for next to nothing. Even at retail cost, they're worth every penny as you (OP) move toward efficiency.

They are a quick-read, and very concise. Follow the link below:

https://www.crcpress.com/The-Shopfloor-Series/book-series/THESHOSER


The process I spoke of on my first thread is called "value stream mapping". I don't have this particular book, but if it's anything like the others that this publisher produces, I'm sure it will be helpful:

https://www.crcpress.com/The-Strate...Snyder/p/book/9781897363430?source=igodigital

 

[Olympic Print]

So our sign shop is being reorganized. My boss told me to look up some shelves online so that we could be better organized.

What do you some of the shops you guys work at look like?

I'm asking about everything.
Shelving, racks, printer/plotter set up, desk set up, work orders, tables, the whole room in general.

Please and thanks.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Here is what we did. I added wheels to be able to move it. I found it at harbor freight tools. It was 149. I added the pvc obviously so the rolls would stay straight.

 

[bannertime]

Here is what we did. I added wheels to be able to move it. I found it at harbor freight tools. It was 149. I added the pvc obviously so the rolls would stay straight.

Wow, I've wandered through HF a few times and always browse through the catalog and have never seen that! I'd have picked it up in a heart beat! We just built a vertical across from the printer. Mounted to the wall and keeps the rolls horizontal. So nice to be able to simply turn around with the roll instead of bending over and twisting and all that to go from vertical to horizontal. So, is there a part number or some type of name? The website didn't show anything like that under rack or tower or storage.

 

[Olympic Print]

Wow, I've wandered through HF a few times and always browse through the catalog and have never seen that! I'd have picked it up in a heart beat! We just built a vertical across from the printer. Mounted to the wall and keeps the rolls horizontal. So nice to be able to simply turn around with the roll instead of bending over and twisting and all that to go from vertical to horizontal. So, is there a part number or some type of name? The website didn't show anything like that under rack or tower or storage.

Sorry not harbor freight northern tool. My bad.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...MIzMmXx5P52wIVxx2BCh1raw3nEAQYFSABEgI_ffD_BwE

 

[Olympic Print]

Sorry not harbor freight northern tool. My bad.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_48589_48589?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Storage + Organizers > Warehouse Shelving + Racks > Warehouse Style Storage Racks&utm_campaign=West&utm_content=97220&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzMmXx5P52wIVxx2BCh1raw3nEAQYFSABEgI_ffD_BwE

54 inch rolls fit fine. But 60 is too long for this configuration that I have but you may come up with something different to do for those. And obviously the casters will cost you more as well as the pvc but it is well worth it.
We have had it for a couple of months and no problems with the cores becoming warped.

 

[ams]

Google sign shops and see what the interiors look like. Pay attention to franchises like Fast Signs as they are pretty well setup.

 

[Pauly]

Im always curious to how some peoples setups are. Mine would be nothing a like most peoples as we do mostly glass printing so we have a long desk, a flat bed and all this space in the room with tables on wheels, flip tables, A frames ect.

 

[ikarasu]

Everyone's layout will be optimized differently, depending what you specialize in, so I can tell comment on that.

One thing that's often overlooked is sipper clips though. Or their cheap alternative from China -

50pcs Yellow Pvc Car Wrap Sticker Clamp Vinyl Film Sheet Clip Fastener Roll Clamp Ring
http://s.aliexpress.com/iA7FnUfe

We have 200+ different rolls of media. Different sizes, colors, etc. For the longest time I was using elastic bands, I didn't like taping because no matter how much I clean it , it always left a mark in the print. Something in the vinyl causes the elastics to wither and die... They usually last a few weeks, then get stuck in the vacuum, and I spent 20 minutes unclogging it.

Saw these one day when browsing cheap AliExpress stuff.... Bought a pack of 50 to see if they're good quality since they're like 1/3 the price of Soopers, and they're great. Just placed an order for 150 more.

It looks better than tape, saves you a minute everytime you need to untape / retape a roll... Another few minutes picking all the garbage tape off the floor / wall / wherever you temp stuck it, etc.

 

[James Burke]

50pcs Yellow Pvc Car Wrap Sticker Clamp Vinyl Film Sheet Clip Fastener Roll Clamp Ring
http://s.aliexpress.com/iA7FnUfe

Likey, likey, likey...

 

[ams]

Everyone's layout will be optimized differently, depending what you specialize in, so I can tell comment on that.

One thing that's often overlooked is sipper clips though. Or their cheap alternative from China -

50pcs Yellow Pvc Car Wrap Sticker Clamp Vinyl Film Sheet Clip Fastener Roll Clamp Ring
http://s.aliexpress.com/iA7FnUfe

We have 200+ different rolls of media. Different sizes, colors, etc. For the longest time I was using elastic bands, I didn't like taping because no matter how much I clean it , it always left a mark in the print. Something in the vinyl causes the elastics to wither and die... They usually last a few weeks, then get stuck in the vacuum, and I spent 20 minutes unclogging it.

Saw these one day when browsing cheap AliExpress stuff.... Bought a pack of 50 to see if they're good quality since they're like 1/3 the price of Soopers, and they're great. Just placed an order for 150 more.

It looks better than tape, saves you a minute everytime you need to untape / retape a roll... Another few minutes picking all the garbage tape off the floor / wall / wherever you temp stuck it, etc.

Fellers charges a lot for those.

 

[ikarasu]

Fellers charges a lot for those.

Yup. And these ones have felt on the tips, the Soopers don't. I've never had a Sooper, but I imagine the felt helps.protect against scratches. So in this case, it feels like the Chinese knockoffs are better than the original to me. I stress tested one, bent the smallest as far back as I could and it didn't break. I got it to fit ontop of a brand new roll of 3430, so it can bend a lot

My only regret is not buying these earlier. Our vinyl Rack looks much, much cleaner now. Every month the elastics would snap, and there would be vinyl hanging everywhere .Can't wait to get the other 150 so I can clamp the rest, get rid of all the smallish offcuts!