So the company I work for full time is moving offices. I have been tasked with specing out the workshop area. We are assembling driving simulator hexapod motion platforms (approx. 8'x8' footprint). We will be doing some light fabrication (drill press, maybe a small mill in a separate room) and electrical work.
What kind of work benches, vises, tools would be useful? I've set up my personal garage for car work and this is similar, but more of a clean environment. I have about 1000 sq feet of space available.
Thanks!
Heavy duty work benches - Thick wood tops on steel frames.
Wilton vises. There are never too many vises.
Floor standing equipment keeps benches empty - drill press, pedestal grinder / wire wheel, 48x6 sander with 12" side disk, etc.
Good 220V MIG welder.
Knee Mill. DRO at a min, CNC if you've got the budget.
Good set of tools. Like, buy the 500 piece that craftsman sells, along with a nice box. Fill in gaps as needed.
Good solder setup. Good crimpers. The $80 crimpers REALLY are better.
Lots of power. 220V and 110V.
Lots of light. Never too much light.
Epoxy floors.
White walls.
Air compressor, and go ahead and plumb for air.
My 2c - Talk to the mechanics / folks who will actually be doing the work and find out what shortcomings the current setup has.
You can design and build an operating room but if it doesn't make their jobs easier - more efficient then what's the point?
In reply to mikeatrpi:
The people doing the grunt work are the engineers, including myself (small company). We wear many hats, but that makes it more fun. I'm looking at the short comings of our current layout but we are starting clean sheet here.
Keep the advice coming! Thanks!
It doesn't matter how many times you measure and draw your floorplan, there will never be enough room around the equipment.
OK, I've got a layout done. Now I need to find out where to buy stuff. For workbenches, I like the race shop style benches, with either hardwood tops or metal tops (wood preferred), and cabinets & drawers underneath.
Where can one go to purchase such benches? I've been scouring the web and maybe my google-fu is off, but I can't find a good place to find this combination of workbench and storage. Thanks!
http://www.listacabinets.com/
This may sound silly, but one of the (many) shops I have worked at did not have any benches, but rather deep rolling tool cabinets with oversized stainless tops. The tech was assigned a box and put his tools in it and would roll his cart to the job. When they were stored they looked like your "race bench" above. They had sturdy locks on the wheels and each technician had his own barrel key so no one was stealing their stuff. The shop owner said it was an idea he culled from the military "Why limit yourself to bringing the job to the tools when you can bring the tools to the job."
The tool cabinets looked like my 40" Snap On but were unbranded as far as I could tell. That shop was meticulously cleaned daily I might add.
2nd the Lista cabinets they are pretty much the go too guys for serious cabinetry, that and Snap on I belive will do custom cabnets for the right $$. Wilton Vices are the top of the line but you can also go with quility like Columbian Vices and not go wrong.
Lista cabinets are available from Grainger. Just bring $$. I want one for my watch shop. I had one in another shop that was the best thing for storing parts and occasional use tools.
I get a little turgid when I think of the plasic boxes for the drawers. They fit in the drawers in various combinations and waste no room. 
DILYSI Dave wrote:
http://www.listacabinets.com/
yes! i couldnt be happier with my lista 54" rollcab. just awesome.
