Full Surfacing Lab Sizes

[jakef]

Big question for the tenured here. We're having plans drawn up for a new office, and we are trying to squeeze in as much as possible into a 5,000 sq ft. footprint. As is, there's a 10x20 room with a 3 doors entering and exiting. I'm not sure on the counter space footage yet. We're planning on having 1 generator, 1 set of lap towers, 1 set of surfacing cabinets, a blocking area, 1 tracer and edger, and then stock lenses, a tinting station, drill mount equipment, etcher and some other miscellaneous stuff. It seems doable, but we've got a 30x30 lab now that is a waist of space so I'm having a hard time envisioning how tight it would be. I've attached a close-up of the plans we are looking at. Any thoughts?

[vcom]

It can work. I've worked in labs that were so enormous, one of the other lab guys wore roller blades to move between the surfacing area to the finishing area more efficiently. I've also worked in the remodel of that same lab, where they squeezed all that equipment in to what was probably 6 or 8 by 20. It was tight enough that I could stand at the generator, turn around and use the edger without taking a step. If you can make cardboard cutouts of the footprints of the different equipment you want in the new lab, you can arrange them, and more easily visualize what it might look like, and feel like. The only draw back I see to your floor plan is the two doors next to each other going in to the compressor room and the opticians work area. You lose a good 5-6 feet of space there, but those aren't really changeable features.

[braheem24]

it would be perfect, but I would eliminate as many doors as possible and only leave one as well as leave one wall without cabinets for the surfacing with a sink at the end for the laps.

[PRECISIONLAB]

Part of your planning should include proper ventilation Heat from machines and chiller can really affect the temp in a small working space. If tinting code may require a hood to exhaust. Also consider sound dampening The machines such as gen and edger can add some decibels along with noise from air compressor may interfere with other office operations.

[scriptfiller]

10X20 is just about perfect for you needs. Unless local code mandates 2 doors for your space, 1 is all you want. You may want to consider a separate HVAC unit for just the lab. Put some dollars in the budget and get a Jun-Air compressor, you can stand next to it and have a conversation in normal vocal levels. Mine is a small pancake unit that runs a generator, 2 spindles, an alloy blocker and a Surface Saver applicator. It takes up all of 5 cubic feet of space.

[jakef]

We were thinking kind of the same thing. Door space is eating up a lot of usable footage. Thanks for the tip on the compressor scriptfiller, we are considering dropping the sound proof compressor room and getting rid of a door that way. With the way the floorplans are laid out, it still leaves us with two doors but its a step in the right direction. How are you guys stocking lenses? are they taking up any extra space, or are your lens stocks tucked into cabinets/drawers?

[waynegilpin]

Also consider sound dampening The machines such as gen and edger can add some decibels along with noise from air compressor may interfere with other office operations.

We had the carpenters frame the interior wall w/ staggered 2x4's to create what would be 2x6 thickness, then tucked insulation in the voids. Use double pane glass for any windows and insulated (exterior) doors. Suggest you visit the local building/electrical inspector and fire marshal and have a conversation. "Hi guys. This is what we have in mind. Could we tap your expertise and get your input before we start?" Do a friendly meet and greet early and things will probably go smoother during the inspections.

Good luck.

[vcom]

Almost always kept the lenses in drawers. Finish lenses don't take up much room, and can be kept in under counter drawers. Semi-finish lenses take up a lot of room, and I've usually had maybe 6 foot tall drawer/cabinets. Depending on what sort of range of lenses you want to surface in house, and how many you want to stock to meet your volume needs, these can take up quite a bit of space.

One of my favorite Labs I ever worked in, was in a mall, and the location had once been a bank. We kept all the lenses in the drawers that were once all the safety deposit boxes in the vault. It even still had the giant vault door. It was really cool.

[himmeroo]

Don't forget about access for maintenance. And don't forget about the mess of surfacing. no matter how careful you are sooner or later you end up with a floor full of polish.

[jakef]

Don't forget about access for maintenance. And don't forget about the mess of surfacing. no matter how careful you are sooner or later you end up with a floor full of polish.

Oh yea! Part of our design was to tuck away the lab from visibility because of how messy it can get. I always thought it would be cool to have a glass wall where people could watch the lab at work, but there's just no way to keep a surfacing lab clean enough to use as a display! We're going to use a consultant to make sure we're 100% to local code. Good Idea on that waynegilpin. Walls will definitely be sound-proofed!