Industrial Furniture Blog By RDM

RDM Industrial work benches are a perfect solution to increase your productivity.  With workstation accessories designed to meet your specific job requirements, you will be able to perform in a more proficient manner. By utilizing minimal workspace and maximizing your storage abilities on the perimeter of the workstation, these incredible work tables enable you to find and access your tools and/or hardware very quickly. Here are a few things you should look for when purchasing an industrial work bench.

Quality plays a vital role and should be given paramount importance when buying industrial work benches. William A. Foster, rightly says, “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”

After only one or two years from initial purchase, a poor quality work bench starts showing its effects:

·        Work surfaces begin to crack and lose their edging.  RDM only utilizes top-quality materials for their tops and edging.  Our standard t-molded edge incorporates a mechanical barb that is inserted into the edge of the table top.  Lower quality tables utilize glue-on edging solutions, which can fail after several weeks of industrial use.

·        Inexpensive work benches tend to move constantly while working, due to their lighter framework and non-welded connections.  RDM utilizes fully-welded connections for all non-adjustable framework.

·        Lighter frames equal less stability equals higher safety concerns. One accident can easily absorb any savings that are made during initial purchase of less quality tables.

·        Inexpensive, lower quality work benches utilize bolt-together modular components, which can loosen over time and lead to product damage or personnel injury.  RDM takes the time to produce larger table frames that are fully welded and better suited for industrial applications.

In summary, a low quality work bench not only makes work difficult but it could also be downright dangerous. Why use inferior work benches that are not sturdy enough to support your product(s) ? Why invest in low quality work benches could cost you a good deal more in lost time and efficiency ?

With the aim to provide Top Quality Products, RDM Industrial Products Inc. has attained success worldwide. The company offers durable industrial work benches that can handle many industrial applications effectively. With RDM, you can select from a wide variety of work bench styles that are available in different sizes, colors and designs to meet your specific needs.  They also offer custom design solutions …..

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.

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.

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.

f you’re managing a formal cleanroom you’ll be conforming to ISO 14644-1 and any other applicable local, federal and international standards that regulate everything from air filtration to your choice of lab furniture. Increasingly, cleanroom standards are used by companies that do not require them, but still use them to ensure consistent manufacturing and research procedures are used in conjunction with these standards in order to provide the best possible quality and yields. A workspace free of excessive air particles makes virtually any manufacturing process more consistent. That is why, even if you don’t operate a full-blown cleanroom, you can make use of the following principles to improve air quality.

Laminar Airflow: There are several laboratory furniture products that can improve airflow and prevent dust, smoke and other particles from spreading through an area. Laminar Flow Lab Benches use the principle of laminar flow to direct airflow into isolated streams. Particles released in one stream are isolated from the others.

Positive Air Pressure: Positive air pressure is a simple, effective concept that prevents outside particulate matter from floating into your lab or other workspace. Whenever there’s a breach in the space due to a door or window opening, a break in floor or wall material, or any accident, positive air pressure pushes outside air away.

HEPA Filtering: A HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is essential in formal cleanrooms and useful in other contexts where manufacturing or research creates volatile or otherwise hazardous air particles. If you want clean air, your airflow control system should include a HEPA filter. The Laminar Flow Bench includes a HEPA filter. Remember, though that workspace filtering doesn’t affect direct contact, so remember to take normal safety precautions with hazardous materials.

Cleanroom Workbench Surfaces: A cleanroom laboratory table that meets moderate cleanroom standards can prevent problems in almost any manufacturing environment by keeping contamination to a minimum. For instance, if you can easily wipe a table clean, without worrying that particles will adhere, you can prevent contamination from the build-up of particles such as metal, plastic, and other materials. This may increase the duty cycle of your manufacturing machines by ensuring that it’s only processing raw materials, and none of the ambient grit in the workspace.

At RDM Industrial Products we can provide complete cleanroom furniture solutions for everything from workshops that you want to make just a little cleaner, to full standards-compliant cleanrooms. Contact RDM and a representative will match your needs with the exact solution you require.

What do RDM’s industrial furniture and the space shuttle have in common? Both of them have landed at White Sands Missile Range. In 2007, RDM was awarded two defense contracts to build furniture and lockers for White Sands. All in all, RDM provided over $22,000 in products and services to upgrade the base’s storage and furnishings.

Why did White Sands go with RDM? We provide unmatched value for the cost: the kind of quality that they could rely on in an environment that cannot tolerate poor performance of any kind. They need industrial furniture that conforms to their best practices – and so do you. Here are three reasons why you should choose RDM:

Ergonomic Industrial Furniture Reduces Accidents

RDM can create custom shapes and sizes for most of its industrial furniture catalogue, along with ergonomic additions to make virtually any workstation more efficient. This is critical in an environment like White Sands, where staff track missiles, aircraft and other high performance technologies. They need industrial furniture that gets out of the way of their workflow – and so do you.

Custom Industrial Furniture Creates a Controlled Environment

RDM Industrial Products is uniquely diverse. Few laboratory and industrial furniture manufacturers have so many products and capabilities under one roof. That means RDM is capable of not only providing furniture that stands up to extreme stress from heavy loads, heat and chemical reactions, but they can also provide lab tables and other furniture to satisfy cleanroom quality controlled environments. With RDM, you never have to choose between the ideal and convenient solution – RDM Industrial Products provides both, so that you can order industrial furniture that creates the exact environment you need from one source.

RDM’s Industrial Furniture Saves Money

RDM secured the White Sands contract because they provided the best value. RDM’s manufacturing and sales are under one roof, so there’s no need to pay a middleman. RDM manufactures most of our products on site, minimizing reshipping costs that they would otherwise have to pass on to our customers. Please Contact RDM for your Industrial or Lab Furniture needs. See the difference that a complete solution provider makes.

Your work surface is the most important part of your industrial workbench. If you pick the wrong surface it may stain or wear prematurely. The wrong work surface may even lead to an accident. At RDM Industrial Products, we offer top quality work surfaces for all of our industrial workbenches with a variety of surfacing options. If needed, our sales team can help guide you through the process of selecting the right surface. Below are four quick examples of the workbench surfaces that fit various workplace demands.

Cleanroom: Stainless steel is not always the go-to material for the surface of a cleanroom workbench. The exact requirements are based on particular cleanroom standards. Stainless steel surfaces don’t scratch easily or accumulate foreign matter. They can also be quickly and easily cleaned. Electropolished stainless steel can be very pricey, but is necessary for clean rooms of class 10 or above. For cleanrooms of class 100 or less, there are many other more cost-effective options available, such as our standard plastic laminated top with added phenolic backing sheet. The laminated surface does not particulate, and the underside of the wood substrate is sealed with the phenolic backing sheet.

ESD Static Control: If you are working with static sensitive materials or equipment the top choice is clear: You need a static control table with an ESD protective laminated work surface. These surfaces work in concert with our properly grounded steel table frames, providing a dissipative path that leads harmful static away from your products or equipment. They also help to reduce electrical charge buildup.

Heavy Duty Manufacturing: Stainless steel tables provide a durable work surface for manufacturing, though an additional layer of rough material may be warranted for traction. Keep in mind that in these cases, you will need a table frame that will support your specific load / activity. We also offer solid plate steel tops for heavy-duty applications.

Semi-Service: In this case, the workbench actually serves as front of house furnishing where it’s not only visible to the public, but may even be used by customers. There are a number of “Do it yourself” businesses that need a proper mix of beauty and utility. In this case, the right material is really based on a combination of use and image. Stainless steel is great for kitchens, for instance, while wood (see our wood industrial workbenches) is a great all around material. Also, our plastic laminated tops are available in hundreds of standard colors and patterns.

Whatever your choice for a work surface, we have the industrial table solution you need, or we can manufacture one with the dimensions and materials you specify. Contact RDM to find out how we can make tables / workbenches that are a precise fit for your needs.