PREPARATION OF LAB LAYOUT

INTRODUCTION

Laboratories are an expensive investment and are expected to last for many years. A poor design
will impact on generations of pupils, and technicians. As is so often the case, the cheapest option
is not necessarily the best value for money even in the short and medium term. A well designed
and fitted laboratory may have much lower maintenance costs. In its publication on asset
management planning the government emphasized the importance of lifetime costs, balancing
capital expenditure against running costs. Some modern designs have not proved to be
sufficiently robust for school use and, frankly, look tatty after just a few years
THE PEOPLE AND PROCESSES INVOLVED

A very early consideration must be to identify the groups and individuals that may have a view
on the design of new science facilities. Thereafter there must be a planned process by which each
can be consulted at appropriate times during the design, and build, process. A planning calendar
like the one on the next page will be useful to help effective consultation

PLANNING CALENDAR
Event / action Predicted
date
Personnel
involved
Map out the broad outline of the project including
roughly when you want the work to happen and what
temporary arrangements might be needed.

Identify the available budget
Verify roughly what can be afforded.
Identify essential and desirable elements of the work.
Draw up broad plans for consideration and review
Draw up detailed plans.
Check costs of large elements such as furniture, fume
cupboards etc and or invite tenders. Revisit essential and
desirable and what is possible.

Agree contractors and suppliers, and verify delivery and
build dates.

Prepare temporary arrangements and contingency plans.
Plan arrangements for supervision of the work and
liaison with contractors.

Plan the management of moving in and snagging
On-site.
Commissioning, hand-over and moving in
Snagging



THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF LABORATORIES REQUIRED
Above all, a department needs laboratories. Unless the curriculum is to be unduly
constrained, all lessons need to be timetabled in laboratories. Various formulae have been
suggested over the years for the number of laboratories but we believe the following is the most
straightforward way of working out what is required.
Calculate the total number of periods of taught per week now (or in the future, if this is
likely to change). Divide by the number of teaching periods per week. This gives the minimum
number of laboratories needed. Multiply by 1.11 to 1.25 to allow for the fact that laboratories
should normally be used for only 80 to 90% of the week, to permit servicing and to allow
sensible time-tabling. Rounding to the nearest whole number will give the number of laboratories
needed.
[Total number of periods taught per week] [1.11 to 1.25] =Number of labs needed
Total number of periods in the week

Rather than design labs specifically for biology, physics and chemistry, or lower-school
and post-16 students, multipurpose labs offer much greater flexibility. However, it is likely that
only some of the laboratories will have fume cupboards and these will inevitably be used for
chemistry. A laboratory with more than one fume cupboard will be needed for post-16 chemistry
but it should be large enough to be used for younger classes as well. Similarly, a laboratory with
good blackout (as opposed to dim out for videos, etc) may be needed for post-16 physics, but it
too should be suitable for other aged classes. New courses, such as the planned diploma, may
require a mixture of different types of workspaces and this, too, is most easily catered for by a
system that can offer flexibility.

OTHER ASPECTS OF DEPARTMENT DESIGN

There are major advantages in having all the science accommodation on one floor, preferably the
ground floor, with no steps or changes of level. Much equipment needs to be moved around and
this should be easily possible using trolleys. If a department is not situated on the ground floor, a
goods lift (hoist) may be necessary, although this is an expensive lists a range of rooms and
facilities, in addition to teaching labs, which might be needed in a science department.
Preparation of laboratory layout

The development and implementation of a new resources management system began with a
comprehensive but creative approach. A systematic approach involving five major steps was
initiated. They included:
1) Grouping and categorizing the laboratorys resources
2) Development of a to-be laboratory layout
3) Generating a tool inventory and matching tools with proper cribs
4) Training students and other instructors on how to use the system, and
5) Future improvement plans for a tool inventory control system.
The activities involved in these steps are briefly described in the following sections.
Step One: Grouping and Categorizing the Laboratorys Resources
For a typical commercial manufacturing enterprise, manufacturing resources would
normally consist of distinct entities such as materials, tools, machines and human beings
employed in the production of goods and services. But in the context of educational
Manufacturing Systems programs, laboratory resources would include all entities employed in
laboratories (or school shops) to facilitate the education and training of students with regard to
their projects and assignments in a laboratory setting. These entities or resources can be grouped
as shown in Table 1.







Table 1




Sample Laboratory Resources
________________________________________________________________
Resource Examples
________________________________________________________________
Lab equipment Machine tools, tool cribs, cabinets, tables, benches, surface
plates, computers, printers and carts.

Hand & power tools Screwdrivers, drill bits, end mills, hammers, chucks, vises,
and taps, nibblers and punches.

Parts & supplies Bolts, screws, nails, washers, nuts, pins, wires,
Including materials papers, steel bars, aluminum bars, cutting oils, manuals,
copper wires, pine wood, ply wood, steel plates and metal
ingots.

Instruments height gages, dial indicators, microscopes, calipers,
micrometers, protractors and rulers.
________________________________________________________________

This grouping helps to understand the different categories and/or of resources that can be
managed. It also helps to simplify the task of organizing the entities into their unique categories.
The grouping particularly facilitates the development and management of inventory control
systems in a laboratory environment, something that is currently being considered for
implementation as a future step in the laboratory management system. A tool inventory system,
for example, can be implemented for the sole purpose of managing hand tools. Other systems
with specific features can be implemented for managing items like measurement instruments,
materials and machines tools. Because inventory systems are designed with different and
distinctive features for special applications, the grouping in Table 1 will help the technical
manager to select the best system for each category. In this paper, only the management of tools
and instruments are emphasized. The topic of inventory control systems will be discussed further
in a later section.

Step Two: Development of a to-be Laboratory Layout
The second task was the development of a lab layout. This layout must be carefully
planned to represent what the laboratory has been planned to look like. Some of the objectives of
a lab layout are to minimize material handling, facilitate manufacturing processes, make
economical use of building space, and for students convenience, safety and comfort in doing
their projects. It particularly helps lab users to easily and conveniently locate the items contained
in Table 1, by giving users a mental picture of where those items are located. The layout of the
laboratory floor plan also provides an aerial perspective of the lab, so students can easily locate
specific machines, tool cabinets and cribs. It can also be used as a reference map to place
particular tools and instruments in their respective locations.
Developing the layout involved taking the dimensions of all entities, including the
laboratory itself, as well all its components such as machines, tool cabinets, and tool cribs. Only
the length and width of these components were needed. The space between components was also
measured.
Since the layout visibly shows where the laboratorys main entities are located, a legend
is used to clarify entities such as machines, tool cabinets, tool cribs and so forth. As Figure 1
illustrates, entities like milling machines are indicated in blue, tool cabinets and cribs in white,
and so forth. All tool cribs and cabinets are numbered to aid users in determining which
particular one contains the item being sought. Copies of the layout are posted at various locations
in the lab where students and instructors can easily see them. Lab users can easily identify each
component by matching the color of the component with its associated box in the legend.
The lab layout can also be placed on an instructors web site where students can have
access to it for references when doing assignments or for just learning technical terminologies in
the field of manufacturing.


Step Three: Generating Tool Inventory and Matching Tools With Cribs
One of the main reasons improper maintenance of the laboratory was a problem was
because there was no formalized list of tool inventory system in place. Before implementing this
plan, tool cribs and cabinets were located strategically around the lab, but students had to really
know where particular tools were located in order to retrieve and return them. As a result, lab
users had difficulty placing or locating tools and instruments. Tools and instruments were
constantly lost, misplaced or improperly placed.
To rectify these problems, an inventory list of all tools and instruments, along with their
proper locations, was compiled using Microsoft Excel (see Figure 2). This program was
necessary for the inventory list because it can systematically sort the list in alphabetical order.
Before the list was compiled, all tool cribs and cabinets were numbered and labeled as shown in
Figure 1. Then all tools and instruments were gathered and placed in their respective locations as
close as possible to the machines they serve. This is necessary so students can locate the tools
without walking long distances every time they need a tool. Krar, Rapisarda, & Check (1998),
writing on the need for a safe and healthy work environments for technical students, advised that
there should be a place for everything so that everything will be kept in its place. Copies of these
inventory listings are also visibly posted throughout the lab. To locate a tool, all
Figure 2. Tools List and Locations

Tool Crib No. Tool Crib No.
Adjustable Die Stocks 1 Lathe Tools 19
Adjustable Parallels 3 Magnifying Gauges 3
Allen Wrenches 3 Micrometers 1
Boring Bar Tools 1 Milling Bits 3
Brissel Pads 3 Milling Hand Wheels 17
Calculators 3 Milling Cutters 10
Calipers 1 Milling Supports 8
Center Gauges 1 Milling Tools 11
Centers 19 Mini Saws 1
Chuck Wrenches 19 Nuts/Bolts 8, 17
Coated Abrasives 3 Oil Cans 68
Collets 1, 12 Outside Calipers 1
Combination Squares 1 Parallels 19
Counter Sinks 1 Punches 1
Cutting Oil 86 Reamers 3
Deburring Tools 3 Reference 3
Depth Gauges 1 Rocker Tools 19
Dial Calipers 1 Roll Pins 19
Dial Indicators 6 Rulers 1, 3
Die Sets 1 Saw Blades (Band Saw) 5
Dividers 1 Saw Blades (Hack Saw) 6
Drifts 19 Screw Drivers 1
Drill Bits 4 Scribers 1
Drill Chucks 4 Sleeves 19
Drill Gauges 1 Small Hole Gauges 3
Drivers 3 Spanner Wrenches 19
Dividing Heads 8 Steel Protractors 1
End Mill Holders 11 Steel Stamps 1
End Mills 16, 17 Taps & Dies 1, 3
Fasteners 19 Telescopic Gauges 1
File Cards & Brushes 1 T-Handle Wrenches 1, 19
Files 1, 3 Thomas Register Catalogs 78
Gauges 3 Tool Posts 19
Grinding Wheels, Stones 23, 24 Turning Tools 19
Hack Saws 1 Twist Drill Bits 3

Hammers 1 V Blocks 3, 49
Heady Duty Milling Bits 9 Vise Grips 9, 10
Height Gauges 6 Vises 3
Hex Key sets 1 Wet Stones 3
Inspection Mirrors 1 Wipe Brushes 3
Knurling Tools 19 Wrenches 1, 8

a student needs to do is to look up the tool and the crib number, and then walk over to the crib
and find the tool. To return the tool, the student makes similar reference to return it to its proper
spot without cluttering the lab with it. This procedure has reduced wasted processing times for
students projects, and has increased the safety of students and instructors.

Step 4: Training Students and Instructors on How to Use the System
All lab users must be informed and trained on what has been implemented. All instructors
(especially part-time instructors) who use the lab should be informed about the new
developments and, where applicable, on how to use them so they can relay the information to
their students. All instructor colleagues must be informed that for the plan to work, it is very
important that students are trained on how, why and where to find and return these tools and
instruments after using them.
One approach was to discuss the system and all safety procedures and instructions with
students during the first weeks of the semester, before they start working in the lab. It should be
noted that laboratory resources management, safety and cleanup could be part of technical
instruction. For example, lab management and safety practices of students who do a significant
portion of their academic work in the lab can be incorporated into their final grade at the end of
the semester. Students can be drilled on these principles before they begin their lab
projects. Each student who takes a course that uses the lab must manage (check out and check in)
the labs resources to other students for at least one day during the semester. This practice, while
helping them to learn the names of those tools and instruments, ensures that all the resources are
accounted for and located well after the days lab session. In addition, every student is assigned a
task, which he or she is responsible for throughout the semester. For example, two students may
be assigned to sweep the floor after every lab session, another to close the windows, while others
may have the clean up of machines distributed among them by machine type or layout

Step 5: Future Improvement Plans for a Tool Inventory Control System
The layout shown in Figure 1 contains 26 tool cribs and cabinets. One potential future
improvement, which is currently being considered, is to replace all 26 with one tool room and a
permanent attendant. All students will have to check out their tools from the attendant, and return
them in good condition when they are done. This practice, if implemented, will reduce the
somewhat confusing present placement of tools in 26 storages located all over the lab.
But even the one-spot storage system will not solve all the problems. This is because
traditional tool management system (which is basically a tool crib, attendant(s) and manual
information entry etc.) is too laborious and prone to mistakes. It also wastes time, results in
carrying too much inventory, and can cause unnecessary spending on tools, which can be as high
as 30% or more. (Hogan, 2000) As a result of this, many metalworking companies (especially
the big ones) with ever expanding files and literally thousands of cutting tools are opting for a
system that not only facilitates the management of their tools, but also integrates the database
with other company systems. According to Hogan (2000) such a system provides full
information on tool allocation, availability, usage, cost etc. Such a system also provides a
tracking capability and tool quality support efforts in quality standard requirements.
Modern tool inventory control systems provide an easy solution to many manufacturing
challenges. These systems are being implemented in major companies at an increasing rate.
Some companies, perhaps to replace the crib attendant or to save time, are also installing tool-
dispensing machines, where an operator inputs some code and the required tool is dispensed,
much like a soda machine. Because of these advantages, it is anticipated that San Jose States
Manufacturing Systems program will be implementing such a system in the near future.
Although there are numerous inventory control software systems on the market for
different applications, some systems specifically designed for managing technical resources
such as are found in Manufacturing Systems laboratories are available. Some popular
examples, which are currently being considered for SJSUs Manufacturing Systems
resources, include the many versions of PC-TOOLCRIB by SY-CON Systems, Inc. (2002).
According to the company, these tools are cheap, and are designed for small shops with
employees of 250 or less, and where control of tooling, parts, MRO, and supply inventory is a
critical need. Also, the companys so-called Instrument Maintenance & Calibration
System, and Sample Tracking and Inventory Systemcan be applicable to Manufacturing
Systems laboratory environments.



Factors affecting people and process involved in preparing a lab layout .Explain with a
planning calendar?
What are different types of laboratory layout?
Write a note on department Design.?
What are major steps involved in systematic approach for development and
implementation of a new resource management system?