Shop Layout

1. Don t use too much space. I frequently see the printer who moves from 2,000 sq ft to 10,000. And what was a nice (but overly crowded) shop becomes a very small shop within a big cavern. The first impulse is to use all of the space. So, my first concern is in using the amount of space people need to do the work and store the material, NOT with using all of the space because it is there. (Have even blocked off and left part of a plant vacant before.) Keep people within a comfortable working distance.
2. Material flow vs. Job Flow. In plant layout, your prime concern (especially with larger plants) is material flow, not job flow. The material handling and flow is most important, the actual job flow is less important. Moving a job from order entry to type to output (or camera to stripping) to the press entails the movement of literally few sheets of paper which can be easily carried. What is more important is where does the paper (especially skids and rolls) come in? Where is it stored? Where is the work in process stored after it is printed or while awaiting the second side printing? How much work in process room do you have in the bindery? And where does the finished material go prior to beig shipped or delivered?
3. Best of Material Flow:
   Although not an industrial engineer or material handling specialist (who are of great assistance in large jobs), I can offer some basic advice. The most effective layouts are, in general order: straight line: L shape; U shape and O Shape.
   For instance, in the straight line layout, materials move from right to left (or left to right) in a straight line. Paper is brought in through the loading dock on the right side of the plant and immediately is placed into the paper warehouse. The warehouse is then next to the press area, followed by a work in process section, followed by the bindery, followed by finished goods shipping and delivery
   Few small press printers, of course, have this kind of plant or layout, but it would be appropriate if the physical plant allowed it. Generally, in small press shops we do not have the most perfect conditions. We do have the best of the locations which were available. And, now that we have the space, how can we best use it. Well, straight line layout would be best, but assuming that is not available, our choices would be:
4. L Shaped: Same as straight line except it turns a corner. (Still not normally seen in small press shops).
5. U Shaped:
   Frequently used in small press shops is a U shaped or, it s quick print cousin: O shaped. In the O shaped material flow, materials come in the front door and move in an circular shape until they are again, back at the front door. There are derivations of these material flows (S shape is also a popular one).
6. What We Are Avoiding:
   The one, absolute thing we are avoiding in material flow is: convoluted lines with overlapping work areas. For instance, if you trace the material flow of jobs on a schematic of the shop, does it then look like a scribble? If that s the case, you have convoluted lines. Fix it. Straighten out the material flow.
7. Plan Your Space: make a template of your space by drawing the boundaries (walls, obstructions) of your shop to scale. Cut out smaller templates for presses, cutters and other major pieces of equipment. On each equipment template, allow room for the worker s required space on the operating side of the equipment and allow maintenance space behind the equipment. (You can also get some space planning computer programs to do the same thing.)
8. Place the equipment on the template in a logical material flow pattern (straight line, L shaped, O shaped, etc.). Then take into consideration special circumstances. Where do you need water? Where is water currently? Where do you need 220v electric? Where is it now? Make adjustments in the template or add to your budget to provide the water, electric, etc. where you need it.
9. And, finally, don t forget to determine the floor load requirements of the equipment you are placing and the load which will be supported by the existing floors (even if you are placing your new cutter on a cement floor, the actual load the floor will carry depends upon how thick the cement is, etc.).