by james anderson, product manager
lista international corporation
on the surface, you might think that purchasing a workbench or workstation is a relatively simple proposition. your employees have work to do, and they need an efficient, comfortable and practical place to do it. but before you can be sure that you’re getting the right workbench, you need to perform a bit of upfront work yourself. there are, in fact, many variables to consider. what follows is a step-by-step approach to selecting the right workbench for all your needs.
there’s one overriding consideration that will affect just about every aspect of your workbench purchasing decision: what type of work will be performed there? the answer to this question will factor into all the considerations that follow, affecting everything from the size of the workbench to the surface material, to storage requirements, to ergonomic considerations.
for example, say you’re in the business of assembling and Menutaining cell phones, and you need to furnish a workspace for your repair technicians. you want a small workbench, perhaps one that is height-adjustable to bring the detailed repair job up close to the technician’s eyes. along these lines, you’ll need an excellent lighting accessory. you’ll likely also need bins above the worksurface to provide direct access to small parts, and an articulating arm that can hold assembly guidelines or diagrams. and depending on the flow of your repair operations, you might want to consider a material transfer worksurface, or even a conveyor workstation, both of which can cost-effectively expedite material handling.
or maybe you’re working in a pharmaceutical lab, where the things to consider might be completely different. now the material that your worksurface is made of becomes a more important decision. depending on the liquids and solids you’re handling, you might want either a stainless steel or epoxy resin chemical-resistant worksurface to ensure long-lasting durable use (just as an electronics lab might require an esd worksurface). if your lab is in a clean room environment, your workstation will need to meet certain nsf standards. you might also need to store a combination of small beakers and instruments with large testing equipment requiring a variety of storage solutions both above and below the worksurface.
the “what am i doing here” consideration is the umbrella factor that shades all the decisions that follow, starting with the size of the workbench.
the size of your workbench is determined by a number of factors. first, how much space is available in the work environment (how big a footprint)? with today’s modular workbenches making maximum use of cubic volume, you may not need as big a workbench as you think. next, how much worksurface area does your application demand, both in terms of width (left to right) and depth (front to back). does the entire worksurface need to be within easy arm’s reach (by, say, an assembly technician)? will you be working with large equipment or parts? if so, you may not only need a larger worksurface, but might also need to factor in the weight-bearing capacity of your workbench.
at this point you should also consider whether the workspace, the work to be done and your company’s particular type of workflow, are best served by a group of workstations laid out in a particular configuration. some companies offer modular workstations that are specifically designed to accommodate different configurations, and thus different types of workflow.
if you’re operating with a progressive workflow, you may want to configure your workbenches to create an integrated, moving production line. flow racks can then be used to stage and deliver parts utilizing gravity and reducing material handling time and cost.
if your team is functioning in cells or groups, this type of environment is usually best served by different shaped configurations that encourage easy communication. some workstations are available in starter, adder and corner modules, so they can easily be combined to create everything from in-line and in-line back-to-back configurations to t, u, x and y-shaped configurations; the design you opt for can position your team for maximum efficiency.
finally consider transforming your workbenches into mobile workbenches. easily accomplished with mobility-enhancing accessories, mobile workbenches can provide for easy, smooth-rolling relocation, accommodating both day-to-day and future changes as well as easing cleaning activities.
there are plenty of options for storage, both above and below the worksurface, so with careful planning you should be able to get a workstation that exactly addresses your storage needs with little or no wasted space.
from plastic parts bins to a variety of shelving options to every size and configuration of drawer, there’s a lot to consider. obviously think about what you will be storing, in terms of size, shape, weight, quantity, fragility, how accessible those items need to be, and how much security they demand.
you can simplify your storage decisions by reducing the items being stored to only those items that directly address your workbench applications. do you need a home for shipping documents? a bar code scanner? label printers? small parts? tools?
after determining exactly what needs to be stored, zero in on making the workspace more efficient. create a designated storage location for every item. this is easily accomplished with modular drawer cabinet interiors that can be custom configured to produce almost infinite layout options. this high level of organization is particularly important if different people are using the same workbench at different times. time savings are maximized and inventory control becomes a non-issue.
as i mentioned earlier, determining the lighting needs of your different workbench tasks is an important consideration. does each station need separate lighting? does the room itself have lighting deficiencies? does the room light cast an unwanted color? and if you decide you need to equip your workbenches with lighting accessories, are your technicians best served by overhead fluorescent lighting or a swing arm that can be easily positioned and/or moved out of the way when not needed? do you need an accessory that can diffuse the light and reduce glare?
after you weigh your lighting needs and options, you should next move on to your electrical requirements. from clean rooms to quality control departments to r&d, having a convenient source of power at each workbench can be essential. there are diverse options to consider from power beams and air beams to air supply brackets and cable management accessories. you can narrow your selections down to the necessary few by asking the right questions.
first consider the applications. will each workbench be home to a computer monitor and other computer equipment? do you need a data beam? will the tasks at hand require compressed air, and what is the source of that air?
how many outlets do you need at each workbench (and how much power)? where should the outlets be positioned? do you require a ground-fault circuit interrupter (gfci) to provide protection against severe shock and electrocution? consider cord management, both from an aesthetic point of view, as well as the safety factor. to keep power cords from becoming tripwires, cable trays may be needed.
no matter what the task, there’s an accessory option to help you get your employees’ job done. by taking advantage of the abundant vertical space above the worksurface, and the many interchangeable accessory options available, you can create a highly efficient work center. picking the right accessories really comes down to question -1: what jobs are being performed in this workspace? do you need shelving for manuals or instruments? do you need parts bin rails, a monitor bracket, or a keyboard holder?
as long as you carefully consider the needs inherent to each job or jobs, you’re certain to be satisfied with the final accessorized result.
it is essential to factor in ergonomics as both a safety and productivity issue. to minimize stress and strain, a 30.5" worksurface height will accommodate 99.5% of all male and 99.9% of all female workers when they are sitting down. and when they are standing, the optimal worksurface height can depend entirely on the type of work being be performed, be it precision work (higher worksurface) or heavier work (lower worksurface).
but what if different shifts are using the same bench? and/or what if different tasks are being performed on the same bench? if these variables come into play, you may want to consider an adjustable-height workstation. with a bench such as this, users can adjust the bench height with the simple turn of a crank, with a motor drive or via a slide leg, and the worksurface can travel between approximately 25" and 41".
your company probably has multiple departments, from manufacturing to testing to shipping, and beyond. using a common workbench platform throughout your facility has many benefits from better utilization of inventory to easier reconfiguration to interchangeability of accessories and aesthetic appeal.
when you standardize in this way, accessories can be swapped between departments, colors and designs match, and there are no surprises when employees shift to a different department.
maybe you’d prefer not to have to sort out these many issues by yourself. choose a workbench provider who offers design planning assistance to guide you through the process and advise you of the most appropriate choices. free services such as surveys and cad drawings can make the process virtually painless.
the upshot of this is that you should consider working with a workbench provider that offers maximum breadth of product, and flexibility. to this end, you can view all of your workbenches as part of a complete picture, although each has been custom-built to accomplish a unique task. in keeping with this step-by-step philosophy, you’ll have taken many smart steps for each department, and one giant leap for your business.
james anderson is a vertical market manager at lista international corp. he has decades of experience in the workbench field.
By James Anderson, Product Manager
Lista International Corporation
Problem
New England Orthodontic Laboratory (NEO Lab) and their staff of 20 technicians produce more than 150 different acrylic and stainless steel products, including retainers, night guards, mouthguards, expansion appliances, and holding arches. These orthodontic products had been produced on benches father and son owners Bill and Christian Saurman put together from stock cabinets purchased more than 13 years ago at a home improvement store. Long, narrow, laminate counters, with drawers on each end and a cubbyhole for knees were set up in 20-foot rows to accommodate technicians working side by side. Lighting was supplied by a combination of ceiling lighting and a bench light consisting of two small fluorescent bulbs that were only about 15" long.
When their business expanded, the pair began planning for a move to a larger, brand new facility with all new computerized equipment in a space of 7,000 square feet. Their growth and success allowed them to consider replacing the aging benches with something more durable, modular and which could grow with the business. And yes, they confess to harboring just a little "bench envy" for the sleekness that higher end benches have. "When we put the old benches together 13 years ago, we were not in the position to invest heavily in high end benches," said Christian Saurman. "While serving our purpose, our old benches did not hold up well and we wanted the new ones to be sturdier and more functional."
Objective
With the larger space, the pair wanted to configure the lab floor flexibly, depending upon the need, rather than continue with their existing way of operating with older benches bolted to the wall. Conducting a thorough and thoughtful search for their new system, the Saurmans spoke to dental equipment distributors, emailed industry colleagues who had recently purchased new bench systems, and searched online for available options. They eventually compiled a list of four bench system options and looked at different ways of building out their new facility. NEO Lab looked particularly at those with orthodontic laboratories because they knew they needed something that could hold up to the wear and tear and daily abuse that the benches get in the orthodontic laboratory setting.
Solution
NEO Lab chose Lista International&-39;s Arlink® modular bench system. The extensive offering of system components and accessories allows a lab to design the exact bench they need. Since it comes in five widths and three heights, choosing the dimensions to meet a specific lab&-39;s needs is a cinch. "Our goal was to give each technician their own bench, and to make sure that the bench was of ample size," said Bill Saurman. "The Lista setup reminded us of high end European-type benches, which typically cost a fortune. Price is a big factor to us, and the Arlink system is really affordable." Ease of assembly was another factor in their choice; the Lista Arlink modular bench system set up fast and smoothly, requiring virtually no hardware or tools. Bill Saurman says, "I was the one who put the benches together. It took me an hour to set up the first one, working with a pretty good set of instructions. Once we got it down, it was a walk in the park."
The flexibility to use their new space most efficiently was another key consideration. Both sides of the bench&-39;s supporting columns can be used in combination with corner work surfaces to form L, T, U and X arrangements. Workstations can be arranged back-to-back for even greater flexibility. Ergonomic design features make the benches extremely comfortable, eliminating wasted motion, and minimizing fatigue and strain. The Lista Arlink modular bench system comes in a choice of durable work surfaces, allowing the lab to select the best surface for their tasks.
Benefits
A number of the Arlink benches&-39; features have been a hit with NEO Lab&-39;s technicians, including the improved lighting, along with the 5 feet of individual work space. Working drawers and the extra wire rack on top of the bench came in for some additional praise, as well as the ability to tilt the lights and make other adjustments so the bench feels like their home away from home. The electrical power beams containing eight plugs with one red circuit breaker switch are also a hit compared to the old system. Another factor the technicians like is the benches&-39; versatile configurations, which ensure that each bench has its own sense of space, but without such separation that people are working totally alone. On one wall there may be three benches in a line, while another may use metal privacy panels to group four units together while making sure that facing benches are visually separated from each other.
NEO Lab also benefited from Lista&-39;s complete dental lab product line when it needed casework for the new facility. They were able to purchase a variety of drawer and shelf-based casework for use in storage of acrylic, metal, and other supplies and fittings. They also purchased integrated sink units from Lista for one-stop shopping, high-quality, and an affordable and stylish finish.
"The bottom line is productivity," said Bill Saurman. "When we see how happy the technicians are we know we have gone in the right direction."
Lista storage and workspace system helps Memorial Sloan-Kettering get organized
By James Anderson, Product Manager
Lista International Corporation
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. One of the world&-39;s premier cancer centers, providing patient care, education and research into cancer.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Central Sterile Processing (CSP) department is where all surgical instruments – from scissors and clamps to scopes and forceps – are sterilized, repackaged and prepared for surgical use.
“We were storing instruments on wire shelving and roll-away carts. Until a couple of years ago, our storage methods were cumbersome, and their preset sizes didn’t work for us. We were left with a great deal of unused space and our workstations were not designed for maximum efficiency either.”
Memorial Sloan-Kettering initiated a major expansion which included the addition of more operating rooms. At the same time, the hospital increased the size of the CSP department, providing an opportunity to replace the inadequate storage equipment with a completely new storage and workspace system.
“I visited a nearby hospital that was using storage equipment from Lista and I liked what I saw. It was the ruggedness, sturdiness and overall quality of the product that made an immediate impression.”
Meggs decided to outfit his entire newly expanded 11,100 sq. ft. CSP department with Lista equipment, including countertop modular drawer cabinets, customized workstations, and the unique Storage Wall® System.
“Due to the modular nature of the Lista equipment, we were able to exactly meet the unique needs of a CSP department. For example, the drawers which house our very fluid inventory are now organized according to specific item category and are labeled with data cards that completely simplify and expedite the filling of order trays.”
The countertop cabinets, with their stainless steel worksurfaces, provide highly functional all-purpose workspace in the sterilized “prep and pack” area. The cabinet drawers are set up with shallow drawers holding smaller, lighter items at the top, and deeper drawers holding heavier items toward the bottom, with overhead cabinets and shelving keeping books, documents and other needed materials within easy reach.
Workstations handle a variety of applications, from assembling surgical instruments to prepping peel-pouched items. The new workstations have a variety of Nexus System accessories to accommodate the multiple stages of the sterilization and preparation process including vertical power strips, adjustable overhead lighting, and air outlets that are used to clean out the lumens. Each workstation also features a PC attached to an adjustable computer arm accessory.
Lista’s Storage Wall® system, with its unique custom-configured combination of drawers, shelves, wide-span beams and roll-out trays, houses many of the department’s bulkier items, such as drapes, gowns, surgical instrument sets and back-up instruments. A variety of different drawer heights provide storage for a range of items, from very small items to large surgical kits.
The department’s use of its expensive Manhattan space is now optimized. Moreover, the overall look of the Central Sterile Processing department is a source of pride for all department employees.
“Everything is stored in a logical, user-friendly manner that corresponds with the natural work flow. And the entire inventory is properly labeled and accounted for. There’s a consistent look of quality. The equipment is very attractive which enhances our professional image. I take pride in the fact that our unit is right up there with any other CSP department in the nation.”