Equipment/Electronics Workbenches

Equipment / Electronics Workbenches

Workbenches for electronics and precision work.

Equipment

• 

  Dual 32V, 5A Bench Power Supply

Wishlist and Requirements

Bench Requirements (based on conversations with lots of people!)

• Height: Standard workstation/stool height (~840mm) rather than desk/chair height - allows working standing or sitting on stools
• Depth: Standard electronics workstation depth of ~900mm to allow for equipment at the back whilst still giving decent workspace
• ESD - whilst some people don't care, other seem to care a lot, so assume antistatic worksurface
• Structure - A long workbench surface along the wall of the main workshop, approximately 4m; Options:
  • Standard electronics workbenches (metal structure bench with drawers below left/right, back power strip at back, raised shelf)
  • Basic electronics workbences without storage below, cantilever or 4-post design
  • Worksurface (e.g. kitchen) fixed to wall with some drawer units as stands (e.g. ikea)
• Other considerations:
  • Allow for a variable number of people to sit at it (i.e. bucnh up, couple of people around same project)
  • Decent storage for all the basic tools, components
  • Some form of raised area for scopes/test equipment
  • Very sturdy - i.e. wont move if lent on, pushed against etc

Based on this, the conclusion is some very long, 900mm deep solid canteliver ESD workbenches without anything underneath so that there are no obstructions for seating (stools), and build custom shelving on top for our equipment, parts bins, lighting etc

Some of the best value cantilever benches appear to be:

• http://www.bigdug.co.uk/workshop-benches-c348/antistatic-workbenches-c721/antistatic-workbenches-capacity-300kgs-pp4582

Equipment Wishlist

• Bench power supplies (e.g. a mix of 5V, 12V, variable, and multi-rail PSUs)
• PCB holders or "helping hands"
• Magnifying lamps (for us old-uns!)
• Side cutters
• Abrasive pen
• Heatsink tweezers
• Multimeter(s)
• Oscilloscope (digital and/or analog)
• Logic Analyser
• Signal generator
• Wire
• Selection of basic components (res, caps, v-reg, basic digital logic, basic IC's - 555,358, connectors, cable)
• Some way to order parts (group order to Farnell/RS/Maplin)
• spectrum analyser
• ESD handling equipment, eg. anti-static mats, wrist-strap, earth points, tester
• Small CNC milling machine, desktop size for cutting PCBs.
• USB microscope with monitor?