- Thoughtful aspects of humanized design
(I) Height and depth: easy and effortless access
The height and depth design of the tool cabinet is an important aspect of humanized considerations, which is directly related to the convenience and comfort of users during use. According to the principles of ergonomics, the height of the tool cabinet should be moderate so that users can easily access and place commonly used tools without excessive bending or tiptoeing. Generally speaking, the height of the operating area of the tool cabinet (such as drawers and cabinet doors) is more suitable between 800 and 1200 mm. This height range is in line with the comfortable range of most people’s arms naturally drooping and stretching, which can effectively reduce the user’s fatigue during operation. For example, for a tool cabinet used at home, if the main user is an adult, then placing commonly used tools within this height range, whether it is taking a screwdriver for simple furniture repairs or taking a wrench to tighten screws, can be easily completed without frequent bending or stretching, avoiding waist and back discomfort caused by long-term operation.
The depth design of the tool cabinet should not be ignored either. If the depth is too shallow, some longer or larger tools may not be accommodated; if the depth is too deep, the tools stored inside will be difficult to access, and it is easy to cause the tools to pile up and become messy in the cabinet. Generally, the depth design of the tool cabinet is more suitable between 400-600 mm. Such a depth can not only meet the storage needs of most tools, but also ensure that users can easily see and get all items when taking tools. For example, for some longer power tools, such as electric drills and electric saws, this depth can easily accommodate them, and users can also easily take them out of the cabinet when using them; for some small tools and parts, the shallow depth can also make them clear at a glance, which is convenient for classified storage and quick search. In addition, in order to further improve the convenience of tool cabinets, some adjustable elements can be added to the design. For example, the height of the shelves of some tool cabinets can be adjusted according to the actual size of the tools. Users can flexibly change the spacing between the shelves according to their needs to adapt to the storage of tools of different sizes, make full use of the internal space of the tool cabinet, and make the storage of tools more reasonable and efficient.
(II) Ventilation design: protect tools from moisture
In the design of tool cabinets, ventilation design is an easily overlooked but crucial link, especially for tool cabinets that store items that are easily affected by moisture, such as power tools. Good ventilation design can effectively protect tools from moisture and extend the service life of tools. Power tools usually contain metal parts and electronic components. In a humid environment, metal parts are prone to rust and corrosion, and electronic components may have problems such as short circuits and failures, affecting the normal use of tools.
In order to solve this problem, many tool cabinets will add ventilation holes when designing. The location and size of the ventilation holes need to be carefully designed to ensure that a good air circulation channel can be formed. Generally speaking, the ventilation holes are distributed on the top, bottom and sides of the tool cabinet. The ventilation holes on the top allow hot air to rise and discharge, while the ventilation holes on the bottom facilitate the entry of cold air to form natural air convection; the ventilation holes on the sides can assist air circulation and enhance ventilation effects. The size of the ventilation holes should be moderate, ensuring sufficient ventilation while preventing dust, debris, etc. from entering the cabinet. Some tool cabinets also have filters on their ventilation holes to further filter out impurities in the air and provide a clean, dry storage environment for the tools.
In addition to natural ventilation design, active ventilation systems can also be considered for some special tools or environments that have high humidity requirements. For example, in some high-precision electronic tool storage cabinets, small fans or ventilation equipment can be installed to drive air circulation through electricity to achieve more efficient ventilation and ensure that the humidity in the cabinet is always kept within an appropriate range. This active ventilation system can not only effectively prevent the tools from getting damp, but also reduce the temperature in the cabinet to a certain extent, protecting the performance and stability of the tools. A good ventilation design is like installing a “breathing system” for the tool cabinet, so that the tools are always in a healthy storage environment and provide reliable protection for the user’s work.
(III) Safety design: escort for tools and personnel
When the tool cabinet needs to store dangerous items, safety design is particularly important. It is not only related to the safe storage of tools, but also to the life safety of personnel and the safety and stability of the working environment. Dangerous items such as flammable and explosive chemical reagents, toxic and harmful items, and tools with certain dangers, if stored improperly, may cause serious safety accidents.
To ensure safety, this type of tool cabinet usually has additional locks and safety facilities. Locks are the first line of defense to prevent unauthorized personnel from accessing dangerous items. Unlike ordinary tool cabinet locks, tool cabinet locks for storing dangerous items need to have higher security and reliability. For example, some tool cabinets will adopt a double lock design, and only authorized personnel with two keys can open the cabinet, which increases the level of security protection; some tool cabinets are equipped with electronic password locks or fingerprint locks, which control the opening of the cabinet door through password verification or fingerprint recognition, effectively preventing the security risks caused by key loss or theft. Only authorized personnel can access the dangerous items in the cabinet.
In terms of safety facilities, fireproof, explosion-proof, and leak-proof devices may be set up inside the tool cabinet. For tool cabinets that store flammable and explosive items, it is essential to use fireproof materials to make the cabinet body, and it will also be equipped with fire extinguishing devices, such as small fire extinguishers or fire blankets, so that fire can be put out in time in case of fire. Explosion-proof design includes the use of explosion-proof electrical components and the installation of explosion-proof ventilation equipment to prevent explosion accidents caused by sparks during the storage or retrieval of items. For tool cabinets that store toxic and hazardous items, in order to prevent leakage of items from causing harm to the environment and personnel, leak-proof trays or liners will be installed in the cabinet to ensure that even if a leak occurs, the pollutants can be controlled within a certain range for easy cleaning and disposal. Some advanced tool cabinets are also equipped with a safety alarm system. When the cabinet door is illegally opened or the environment inside the cabinet is abnormal (such as excessive temperature, gas leakage, etc.), the system will automatically sound an alarm to remind the staff to take timely measures to ensure the safety of the workplace. Safety design is an indispensable and important part of tool cabinet design. It provides all-round protection for the safe storage of tools and the safe operation of personnel, allowing users to feel more at ease and assured when using tool cabinets.
To be continued……
