Tool cabinet: a guide to make the workshop efficient

Setting up a car workshop is a huge responsibility, as the rules and guidelines of the headquarter company must be followed, as well as the needs and requirements of the technicians.

The key elements to accomplish given requirements are:

• design
• functionality
• quality
• flexibility
• investment capacity

In today's article we'll take a detailed look at the technical specifications of a fundamental item in any car workshops: the tool cabinet.

We'll examine the role of the tool cabinet within the modern setup and how to choose the one that best meets the needs of the workshop and guarantees the brand reputation, durability and high standards.

The tool cabinet in the car workshop: why is it so important to choose it carefully?

One of the greatest challenges for any workshop project designer is to identify the ideal layout: a complex professional workplace must be technologically advanced, durable and designed to meet the real needs of the business.

A functional setup is the key element for efficiency, since the main aim is to achieve the best possible results in terms of performance and productivity.

How to choose the tool cabinet that best serves your needs? Continue reading to find out.

You can click on to go straight to the corresponding paragraph.

Quick links

• Tool cabinets: how to choose the best one
• Workshop layout proposal (with tool cabinets)
• The role of shop furnishing in the modern workshop
• Furnishing in a complex workplace

Tool cabinets: how to choose the best one

Tool cabinets have several uses: they are designed to contain tools and equipment, organizing them impeccably and ensuring their availability when needed.

Furthermore, the tool cabinet can be used as a mobile worktop, moving around within the different areas of the workshop, for example, next to the vehicle that the technician is servicing.

In the automotive sector, the tool cabinet is an essential support, guaranteeing speed, precision and efficiency.

When considering the quality of a workshop cabinet, the first thing to pay attention to is the loading capacity of the drawers: each drawer can sustain up different loading while fully open. Trolleys, like drawer units, are suitable for storing any type of tool-measuring or cutting-from small parts to bulkier equipment.

Having all the features of a portable worktop with raised edges, a trolley can also be used as a place where to put all kinds of equipment - connectors, cables, transformers, battery chargers.

In this way the garage tool chest helps to improve productivity and ensure safe operations.

When designing an efficient tool cabinet for a workshop, safety and functionality are essential criteria:

• The centre of gravity is low, so the trolley will not overturn.
• The drawers can be opened completely to maximize available space.
• Edges protectors
• 4 swivel wheels, front wheels with brakes. Wheeled tool cabinets ensure fluid movement and maximum safety when the trolley stays in position for longer.
• Fully welded structure: this is a crucial point in the automotive trade, ensuring that constant vibration and wear do not affect the stability of screws and rivets during the years.
• Ergonomic handles ensure safe and comfortable handling.
• Every trolley has a fixed back panel with magnets, which can attach to the wall simply and quickly.
• The surface of the trolley should be in line with the entire setup of the workshop, guaranteeing durability and resistance to use and corrosion.
• The finishes can be entirely customized (color and shape)

Some ideas on using rolling tool cabinets in the workshop setting

Choosing a professional project designer who guarantees Made in Italy material assures great advantages. Customized configuration – partial or total renovation - means that every corner can be used. Moreover, units and furnishes installed after a deep analysis of the technician's requirements will grant higher profitability:

• ROI
• performance
• costs savings and resources

Garage tool cabinets for car workshops can be customized and included in a highly modular arrangement. This means that a wide range of options is possible for different areas of the workshop: diagnostics, assembly and dismantling, mechanics, areas for electric or sports vehicles. The latter in particular requires a very specific setups, only available by qualified partners with yearly experience in the field of automotive fittings for major brands.

Layout ideas featuring tool cabinets include the following:

• Set up for the mechanical area, complete with units for electricity distribution

• an area for dismantling and assembling

• a layout with wall units

• a larger area for mechanical work, with two workstations

The role of shop fitting in the modern workshop

Fitting out a car workshop to make working areas efficient and functional is a real challenge. Different needs meet different requirements, so the designer needs to optimize working areas with ad hoc solutions. The project designer who studies set ups for the Automotive sector is able to recognize the strengths of the environment and meet basic needs for operators. The project designer takes into account all the aspects that affect the daily operations.

The car workshop must be organised

The most efficient setups are above all functional. The set-up has to be designed to be flexible and support the technicians in their workshops, thus optimizing time and increasing productivity. The space must be safe and comfortable.

Design, quality, customization, and flexibility as key values

Automotive workshop furnishing and set-up must meet car manufacturers Corporate Identity. These guidelines are essential for the construction of an identifying image that is recognizable by competitors and can attract customers’ attention (existing and potential). The choice of the workshop furniture, car dealerships or official maintenance networks must comply with the style and design adopted by the brand.

“Made in Italy” and high-quality finishes offer a tidy, smart working environment while fully complying with the most stringent brand requirements.

Customized, flexible set-up

A project commissioned from professionals will offer a high degree of customization and flexibility. Before planning the layout, the following elements must be carefully considered:

• operational
• technical
• environmental
• safety

Professionals project designers who study the workshop set up have to make a meticulous analysis of the working environment, in order to create a professional space that meet the requirements of the workshop.

A flexible setup gives the possibility to choose for a partial renovation, that includes modern furniture to meet future trend, without stopping daily activities.

Modules of a complex workplace

The various activities carried out in a mechanics workshop require the use of many different tools. The overall setup consists of various units and elements, with the aim being to create space for all the equipment and ensure that the technicians have the tools they need available. Therefore in addition to tool cabinets, we offer a range of other workshop components that can help maximize efficiency by reducing wasted time and resources.

Drawer units

This unit is essential for storing tools and therefore improving quality: spacious and practical, drawer units are ideal for documents and small equipment.

Cabinets

Cabinets help to keep the area tidy and reduce clutter. Left-hinged door mounted on guides that allow for entry inside the module once opened, thus allowing the operator to work with the door open without blocking the passageway.

Benches

Our benches for workshops combine aesthetics, quality, design and functionality; they stand out for their robustness and durability and are suitable for numerous purposes, to contain tools or as a workstation.

Worktops

In addition to the choice of material - including tough sheet metal, stainless steel and wood - the key quality of a worktop is functionality. Robustness and resistance should be guaranteed by specific protective features, without sacrificing design and practicality - for example, our sheet metal worktops contain omega bars for extra strength and the capacity to contain cables.

Ecological containers

In any workplace - especially mechanical or industrial - it is essential to have a suitable number of waste containers. The separation and appropriate disposal of waste are basic aims in a modern company that cares about the environment.

This has two purposes: on the one hand, it streamlines and speeds all day-to-day operations concerning the disposal of rubbish and waste (having the correct containers optimizes time for those who need to collect them, affecting the entire process); on the other, it keeps the working environment comfortable and pleasant, and the various areas clean and tidy.

Wall furnishing

Wall-mounted cabinets make the most of vertical space. They can be fitted with manual or motorized shutters for enhanced security.

Cupboards

Cupboards are an essential item to keep the workshop clean and tidy: they help to eliminate clutter and optimize storage space. They can contain both large equipment and smaller tools.

DEA Italian Worklab has been supplying specific proprietary solutions for workshop fitting. The DEA product range achieves the highest market standards, including a package of services:

• personalized advice
• design and rendering
• customized solution
• testing
• transport
• installation
• after-sales assistance

DEA has solid expertise in the setup and furnishing of car workshops, body shops, industrial labs, assembly lines, support centres and much more, supplying individual items, made-to-measure arrangements and entire projects custom designed to specific requirements.

For more information on the contents of this article and business development opportunities, our experts are at your disposal: book a free consultation!