Industrial Furniture Blog By RDM

Creating ergonomically sound workspaces is gaining increased popularity these days. An adjustable table is a wonderful option to make the best improvement to your environment. It is the easiest way to add adjustability and RDM Industrial Products can design ergonomic tables to fit many kinds of work environments. The ability to adjust the height of a table to suit any user makes these tables the best investment for your money.

Businesses, schools, daycare facilities, and many other entities that serve a large population find adjustable height tables to be extremely useful. Any type of business or facility that deals with a diverse population of users can benefit from the use of RDM adjustable tables. The ability to adjust your table heights enables you to accommodate your diverse groups of guests, employees, or students by allowing you to provide the table height setting that is best for those in attendance. They also help to make people feel more comfortable.

Adjustable tables are ideal for many environments. RDM Industrial Products provides adjustable tables that are easy to raise and lower. You can adjust the height of the table by simply turning a small hand crank or pushing a button. The adjustable height tables often feature surfaces that clean up very easily. Keeping people happy and comfortable is important so that they can focus on learning or producing.

Special needs individuals often encounter problems with table height. The average lift table isn’t designed to allow for a wheelchair to fit beneath it. However, accessibility is no longer an issue with RDM’s adjustable height tables. They provide ADA table models that make it possible to change the height of the table surface to fit the height of a wheelchair and the user.

As the name implies, an adjustable table is one that comes with features that enable the user to lengthen or shorten the height of the table to suit your own individual ergonomic needs. Some of the adjustable features in a table include adjustable footrest, table legs, pedestal table, or table base, among others. Aside from the basic flat table, RDM also offers many other adjustable height table styles, which have various accessories that can be adjusted to suit a user’s specific height, which promotes better posture while seated at the table. These accessories can make the user’s experience more comfortable. If you ever find yourself suffering from back, lower back and spinal problems then consider addressing your working posture with the use of an RDM adjustable table. Go ahead and Contact us at RDM Industrial Products to find your new adjustable height table for your new ergonomically improved environment.

Whether you’re sourcing for a small facility for your startup business or planning a major expansion at a factory, industrial workbenches and other furniture could form the “backbone” of your facility layout. If they are to break down or get in the way of efficient operations you would face safety, timing and productivity hurdles that might force you to rearrange the entire facility. At RDM, we can help you find the right industrial furniture solutions or you can take stock of your own needs. Here’s what you should consider:

Safety: Safety comes first – naturally! Get acquainted with all laws, ordinances and regulations related to your industry and any materials or equipment you plan on working with, even if it’s a minor part of your business. Review fire code and city zoning. Many people plan their shops without thinking of proper fire exist access, for example, or assume they’ll be allowed to renovate for their shop even though it’s against local codes. All of these affect where you can place workstations and industrial furniture.

Budget: Set a loose budget for furnishings, but be prepared to change it to accommodate your real needs – don’t skimp on industrial workbenches, chairs, flow racks and so on. Cutting corners can greatly add expense to everything you do in the form of slower production, delays and even accidents. Nevertheless, let us know your budget range and needs, and we’ll do our best to provide you with solution(s) to accommodate them.

People: How many workers do you plan on having on site at one time? Do workers have dedicated individual stations or are they “hot desking?” The answers will affect how much space you need for each workstation. Don’t forget that for maximum productivity you need these to be comfortable areas, so invest in ergonomic chairs and accessories.

Space: How much room do you have once you take fire codes and other necessary clearance into account? Taking accurate measurements of the area to be furnished, including height, is one of the basic constructive steps you can take to make furnishing your shop easier.

Weight, shipping systems, ventilation – these are all additional factors that will influence your choice of industrial furniture. Some of these choices reflect universal workplace needs, while others are the special concerns of particular industries. Educate yourself and contact RDM to see how we can give your facility the “Backbone” it needs to succeed.

RDM is a group of skilled industrial designers, manufacturers and customer service personnel who are devoted to providing quality industrial furniture to client specifications in a number of fields, including electronics, biotechnology, health care, IT, advanced research, manufacturing and more. We’ve proudly served the Bay Area since 1977, keeping regional industry safe and organized. We’re also proud to be registered as a minority owned business that represents the area’s diverse, thriving culture in its staff.

Beyond the factory floor, workshop or lab, RDM also creates custom furniture solutions for reception and service counters and store fixtures in environments as diverse as high end customer service and cafeteria food service. Our products have become a part of everything from electronics clean rooms to military aviation facilities.

We can serve a diverse array of needs because our mission revolves around three core goals: Quality, Service and Timing. What does that mean?

Quality: Our industrial workbenches and lab tables conform to the client’s specifications whenever possible, within the best practices established by particular industries and techniques. That means components such as ESD static control systems, hydraulics, HEPA filtration and laminar airflow much pass stringent quality control before it goes to the client.

Service: We strive for the highest level of service by keeping our personnel “in the loop” about the realities of industrial furniture manufacturing. Our integrated process allows you to specify exactly what you want right from the initial order, and you will always be given realistic time and cost estimates.

Timing: Thanks to our extensive experience and constantly improving technologies in manufacturing and shipping, RDM can supply your needs from virtually any distance in a relatively short time frame. We aim to have your facility up and running ASAP.

We both manufacture products and offer peripheral products that compliment them such as monitor stands, foot rests and chairs, along with other ergonomic and technical solutions.

No matter your business size or industry, RDM stands with you, ready to help you achieve top level performance with high quality furniture that’s there when you need it, complementing your work flow perfectly. Contact us to see what we can do for you.

As we enter our 34^th year of business we look forward to further expansion, the ability to apply lessons learned, and of course an economic climate that’s better for all of us than it was in 2009. Fortunately, we come into this year with new variety and skill that we’ve refined over the past several decades. At RDM, we work hard to continually improve upon products and services. We have an ever-growing base of client’s who return for more of the Top Quality Products, Excellent Service & Punctual Timing we provide. Here are a few other reasons why we think we should be your first choice for industrial workbenches, lab tables and other furnishings for your professional spaces.

The Cost Effective Option: At RDM we handle all aspects of the manufacturing process, controlling the schedule and cutting out any additional costs you might incur when paying for products that are designed by one firm, manufactured by a second, and assembled by a third. At RDM, we handle our workbench manufacturing all under one umbrella. It’s hard to find a more economical option that could provide you with the top quality products we offer.

Customization: We’re the manufacturer, and we have a process in place that allows us to rapidly customize any of our basic designs. This capability is what has allowed us to place our industrial workstations and other furniture in government facilities, corporations and public spaces of all shapes and sizes. Beyond variations of our basic workbench and table models, we can also provide you with complete custom prototyping and finished products made to your specifications.

Experience: As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, we’ve been at this for 33 years. We take note to change and adapt as needed. We’ve had plenty of time to learn and master our craft skills over the decades. Furthermore, our headquarters in Milpitas, CA is close to the heart of Silicon Valley where we have learned to cater to the extreme demands of California’s high tech industries.

Quality: With our experience and close supervision over the entire design and manufacturing process, you will see that our products possess the highest level of quality in their class. Also, our business-oriented, practical focus means that we give you exactly what you need in a lab table or industrial workbench – no more, no less – with none of the process diverted toward branding or other extraneous concerns.

Unparalleled Variety: Even when you discount customization we have dozens of core workbench models to choose from, ranging from basic, sturdy table designs to complex adjustable industrial furniture with static control, ball transfer surfaces and other specialized features. We are usually the final solution for people who cannot seem to locate that “just-right” industrial furniture solution.

That’s what we can offer you. Find out how it can work for your business. Contact RDM, tell us what you need to succeed, and we’ll provide the best products possible to meet your needs.

ESD, or Electrostatic Discharge, can be a serious problem in several industries. Static electricity is a hazard to both people and electronics, and any working environment where it might be a hazard needs to look into ESD control for their industrial workbenches, lab tables and other equipment.

The most obvious industry to consider for ESD protection is electronics. As a long time business operating near Silicon Valley, RDM has extensive experience meeting the needs of electronics shipping, manufacturing and repair facilities. On the other hand, it’s a mistake to think that electronics is the only industry that needs to worry about ESD. If you work around volatile or flammable materials, an electrostatic discharge can be extremely dangerous, to the point of starting fires, explosions and other catastrophic reactions. Even something as simple as sawdust can be ignited by a strong discharge.

ESD control is especially necessary in busy work areas. Working at a slow pace, a worker can take some simple manual precautions to avoid static build up by wearing a strap or occasionally touching a grounded object, but once the work pace increases it’s easy to forget these basic precautions. This is not so say that workers should ignore personal precautions, but they should have industrial furniture that also ensures both their safety and the integrity of anything they’re working on.

RDM offers a complete selection of ESD solutions, including:

• Floor Grounding
• Ionization Control
• ESD Packaging
• Personnel Grounding
• Storage Solutions
• Educational Materials
• Test Equipment
• Work Surface Solutions

When it comes to industrial workbenches in particular, we have static control tables to suit virtually any function. We apply ESD control modifications to most standard workbench models, so that almost any workbench can serve as an ESD bench. Contact RDM to find out more.

For almost everyone, stainless steel is typically an attractive finish because of its shiny, vibrant appearance. When used for furniture, it looks great, but very pricey. Professionals need more compelling reasons to purchase and use stainless steel lab tables or industrial workbenches. If you are planning to put together a professional workspace for fabrication or research, you need to know these reasons so that you can make the best decisions for your organization.

Stainless steel gets its name from its resistance to corrosion and staining. This is a result of a thin layer of chromium oxide that is applied to the metals surface. This is where rust from carbon steel usually invites corrosion. The chromium oxide prevents this process and protects the steel. As a bonus, stainless steel surfaces also inherit antibacterial properties, making it ideal for tasks that involve food or biological materials. Stainless steel’s protective chromium layer also reforms quickly, maintaining its properties in the face of occasional scratches.

Stainless steel’s protective properties are not compromised by oxygen or water. Stainless steel can be immersed in water or exposed to an oxygen-rich environment without worry. Stainless steel is strong, too – many grades are suitable for heavy construction. This makes stainless steel a suitable material for lift tables and other industrial workbenches designed to carry heavy loads.

Finally, stainless steel is an excellent choice for companies that adhere to environmentally responsible policies for one simple reason: It’s 100% recyclable. If you outgrow a piece of stainless steel furniture it never needs to head to a landfill.

Nevertheless, stainless steel is not an ideal material in every situation. While stainless steel’s chromium oxide surface can repel water and air, it’s still vulnerable to acids. Furthermore, despite what the name might tell you, stainless steel is only stain resistant. Eventually, industrial dyes and similar compounds can leave their mark on a stainless surface if exposed for a long length of time.

Stainless steel’s protective outer layer will recover from occasional scratches, but not repeated metal to metal wear. Stainless steel is not recommended if you plan to use it as a work surface that will be subject to repeated heavy contact with other metals unless they are relatively softer in property, like aluminum or brass.

Metal to metal wear is also a concern if you need nuts, bolts and screws to connect adjustable elements of a stainless steel lab table or industrial workbench. If you replace any of these items on stainless steel furniture you must opt for a different metal, because stainless steel connectors and surfaces tend to fuse over time. This happens because friction removes the protective layer on both parts, and when it re-establishes itself, the layer forms evenly over the adjacent stainless steel objects.

Ultimately, choosing stainless steel should start with you consulting appropriate workplace regulations and guidelines. After that, think about your needs while keeping stainless steel’s material properties in mind. At RDM Industrial Products we can not only advise you about how to best use stainless steel furniture in your shop or lab, but can produce custom stainless steel lab tables and industrial furniture to meet your exact needs. Contact RDM to find out more.

At RDM we specialize in custom industrial workbenches and other industrial furniture solutions for one simple reason: To Save You Time & Money.  If you don’t find the perfect solution for your facility and settle for an alternative, convenient solution, your safety, efficiency and bottom line will all suffer.

For ALL industries, beyond the usual safety and handling guidelines, there are always special needs for specific workshops, laboratories, assembly lines or other professional facility. Here are some of the considerations most people take into account when they order custom industrial furniture:

Appearance: It may seem strange that appearance is a top concern for functional furnishings but every workplace has a clientele to impress. For example, we’ve supplied furnishings for classrooms, where an attractive environment for presentations is essential. Also, many companies require educational & demonstration facilities to share what they do with staff from other departments or the general public. Appearance is also important for morale and internal branding.

Ergonomics: Ergonomics isn’t just about comfort. It improves efficiency and safety by putting important tools within easy reach.  At RDM we can help to provide you with the correct ergonomic furniture configurations that will contribute to performance by efficiently organizing your layout to eliminate any disruptions that could interrupt your overall workflow.

Mobility: Some industrial workstations must be moved on a regular basis. At RDM, we provide top quality mobile tables and carts with industrial duty caster (wheel) options that provide the best stability and strength.  Mobile tables / carts may also need to be locked in place after being moved.  One way we tackle this problem is with floor leveling jacks, which provide a fixed, stable foundation by lifting the wheels off of the ground, leaving the table or cart to rest on fixed levelers or pads.

IT (Information Technology): Computers are essential to modern laboratories and industrial shops. Computer towers, monitors and keyboards need to be stored where they’ll be easy to reach, but won’t interfere with critical activities.  At RDM we are continually designing and developing new Computer Workstation solutions to accommodate these needs. We know the challenges our end users face, such as the need for easy to hook for wired workstations, cabling and routers.

Work Surfaces: Your choice of work surface depends upon your specific application / use. In the case of corrosives, we offer a variety of chemical-resistant work surfaces that range from laminated wood to solid surfaces, ranging in price to fit your budget. For electrically sensitive components we offer static control work surfaces. For general workstations, we offer plastic laminated tops that are durable, easy to clean, attractive and support a wide range of jobs.

RDM’s custom industrial and lab furniture solutions can accommodate the exact mix of specifications you need. Our standard models are there to help you make quick, easy decisions.  They provide a starting point, and are not a restriction to the solutions available to you. Contact us to tell us exactly what you need and we will build it to your specifications.

If you’ve ever asked yourself if you need a ball transfer table for your project, the answer is probably “yes.” If you’ve never thought of getting one before, but your shop is growing to the point where it is hard to smoothly transport objects (heavy or small) between stations, the answer is also “yes”.  Many startup companies that are new to the industrial industry and its many secrets for efficient work practices do not always think of a ball transfer table as a solution. You may be one of these new manufacturers or you might just be helping out with industrial furniture and equipment procurement, so let’s talk about what a ball transfer table is and how it can make your shop safer and more efficient.

Ball transfer tables get their name from the grid of closely packed ball casters located on a work surface. The balls allow you to effortlessly shift and rotate objects on the table to either transfer them to another station or perform adjustments and inspections more easily in place. Ball Transfer Tops are an indispensible tool when it comes to manufacturing and sorting in a fast production line, particularly when heavy objects are being manufactured or moved. Without a ball transfer table it can require a significant amount of strength to push or turn objects.

You might think that strength isn’t an issue for your smaller applications, especially if you hire to fitness standards, but it’s a fact that extended physical efforts take more time and expose you to the possibility of injuries, particularly if repetitive tasks are necessary to get your production up to speed. Using a ball transfer table is more safe and faster; a properly fitted ball transfer top can quickly pay for itself.

The common linear, disk-shaped skate wheels also have their place, but ball transfer tables should be your choice when you need to sort and rotate objects. Use the standard linear wheels or rollers when you need to move packages or other items in a straight line and use a ball transfer table as a sorting hub, since you can move items on it in any direction. This makes them invaluable in large warehouses, where sorting a single line of inventory into the appropriate categories can be one of the most time consuming and complex regular tasks.

If you are just starting to set up and perform the kind of manufacturing, shipping or receiving that demands a dedicated industrial furniture solution like a ball transfer table, contact us; we’ve been helping businesses with our ball transfer solutions for over 30 years and can help you to design the perfect ball transfer solution for your specific application. Contact RDM for more information.

If you’re starting up a small workshop or other new manufacturing venture you may be tempted to use lower-priced, off-the-shelf furniture that has been mass manufactured – the kind intended for garages and hobby workshops. It may look like a bargain, but, unfortunately, the savings can be short-lived. Without a proper design, money can be lost to inefficiency or in some cases, larger losses due to furniture failure causing workplace accidents.

You owe it to yourself to outfit your shop with heavy duty industrial workbenches and other furniture specifically suited to commercial use. Here are three ways you can save money by investing a little more money on industrial-duty furniture up-front:

A Less Accident-Prone Workplace: Not every industrial accident causes horrible injuries – but they all waste time and money. Workers spend time getting first aid and taking time off instead of manufacturing your products. You may spend time cleaning spills, disposing of hazardous material, and temporary closing of space – and it may all be the result of an inexpensive work station that had been value-engineered for an activity that it could never satisfy fully. For instance, placing a couple of fans around a standard table is not an acceptable substitute for a real laminar flow clean air HEPA workstation.

Improved Workflow: Time is money, especially for startups that need to prove they can meet high volume demand in order to be taken seriously. That means you need proper workflow procedures to ensure that every station works at full capacity without slowing down any of the others. Standard furniture rarely satisfies the needs to produce an efficient work flow. Instead of planning your shop around inexpensive furniture, plan for it based on the way you’d actually like it to operate. Purchase the industrial furniture with features to match your specific needs, with room to expand and the ability to adapt. This makes workplace flow much easier to achieve. You will be able to produce more, sell more, and prove that you are ready for high volume challenges.

Reduced Maintenance: It’s simple: Industrial Quality furniture is tough. Standard office furniture or lower-grade substitutes are not. Your operations will place all of your furniture under repeated stress. If your furniture fails, you will need to either stop work or find a replacement for that station. Both options waste time and money. But if you buy RDM Industrial-Quality furniture with the proper material and load-bearing requirements, you will save money over the total cost of ownership. A Quality bench, table or other furniture piece will pay for itself.

Contact RDM and we’ll help you develop specific solutions based on your industry, size and other specific requirements. We will help you to design your workplace to become a safer, more efficient and more profitable operation.

Everybody knows that stainless steel and aluminum are extraordinarily resistant (though not totally immune) to corrosion. This property makes these metals extraordinarily useful for laboratory furniture of all kinds, as well as heavy duty industrial workbenches. Wood tends to particulate, splinter and burn. Plastic can melt at low temperatures and produce unpleasant chemical reactions.

The secret of aluminum and stainless steel’s resistance to corrosion is called passivation: a chemical process that builds a microscopic layer of nonreactive material between the aluminum or stainless steel work surface and the air. Stainless steel’s passivation process occurs due to its chromium content. When exposed to air, stainless steel produces a layer of chromium oxide a few atoms thick. The passivation layer is just a few atoms thick and is oxygen and water resistant. Generally, the higher the stainless steel’s chromium content the more resistance it offers to the elements, thanks to a more robust passivation layer.

Passivation is a natural characteristic of pure aluminum. Aluminum oxide accumulates on the surface of the metal, halting further corrosion. Be careful - Aluminum alloys do not necessarily have this characteristic, so they can actually be less corrosion resistant, depending on the exact alloy used. In many instances, aluminum is often applied as a thin layer to impart corrosion resistance to other materials.

Various processes can improve passivation but it is never 100% effective. For example, regular abrasion can remove both materials’ passivation layers, making them vulnerable to corrosion, though this normally requires a significant amount of wear and tear. In addition, submersion, galvanic reactions and other circumstances and eliminate the layer. For the most part, these situations fall outside the scope of typical use.

If you have any questions about the aluminum, stainless steel and other materials we use in custom industrial workbenches, lab tables or anything else, don’t hesitate to Contact RDM. We’re happy to answer your questions.