Best Practices: Planning in 3D

The in-plant at American River College produces one to two million impressions per month and serves a community college campus of more than 30,000 students. It does all this while constrained to 900 square feet.

Among the challenges of being a high-volume print shop in such a small space is finding equipment that will fit. About six years ago, Don Reid, supervisor of Printing Services, had a staff member approach him with a solution. Press Operator Andrey Savchenko had taken it upon himself to draw a three-dimensional model of the shop using Google Sketch Up. Savchenko showed Reid how, by using the free 3D modeling program, they could see precisely how a new piece of equipment, furniture or cabinetry would fit in their shop.

“When it came time to lease our Canon equipment six years ago, we actually remodeled the shop, tore out some furniture and had some new furniture rebuilt from our Facilities Department based on some sketches he made in Google Sketch Up,” Reid recalls.

Not only did the sketches make the process easier for the in-plant, Reid says the level of detail was extremely helpful for the Facilities crew when it was building and installing new cabinets.

“They loved it because it was clear we had thought out what we wanted,” Reid explains.

Now, six years down the road, Reid and his staff find themselves in the process of renewing their lease. They currently use two Canon imagePRESS 1110s and are looking at replacing them with similar equipment from Canon Océ.

Reid says Savchenko has kept the 3D sketch updated over the years, and when it comes time to add the new presses, they’ll be put to the test first in Sketch Up.
“The size limitations are always a concern, so everything we do has got to be looked at as far as how it will fit,” he says. “Everything’s got to earn its place in our shop.”