Lift tables are extremely handy. Oftentimes height adjustable tables are noted as being indispensable, pieces of lab equipment. Lab tables and workbenches are one of the true centerpieces of any research or design lab. As they are where most of the important work happens. The weighing, measuring and experimenting, the triggering of chemical reactions, the synthesizing of new compounds and so on.
However, labs are complex things with many moving parts. Thus, lab managers must take into account the fact that each lab researcher/technician is different. Each might do his/her best work under different circumstances. The ideal, would be for every manager to try, as far as possible, to create special work environments for each of his/her workers. Workspaces that play to their strengths, making them comfortable, enabling higher productivity. Since people are different, your equipment should be versatile enough to handle those differences.
Height adjustable tables are quite useful tools. Precisely because they’re versatile enough to accommodate the differences between many different styles of workers. But suppose that you’ve already bought a set of tables that are not height-adjustable. And suppose that your lab is on a budget and can’t afford to scrap older equipment to buy everything new. What do you do then?
This is where RDM’s quality-designed and manufacturer-direct add-on lift kits & systems come into play. With these handy kits, you’ll be able to retrofit your ordinary tables and benches. You’ll reap all of the benefits of height-adjustability without shelling out tons of money for new lab furniture.
RDM Industrial Products has been in the business of making factory-direct lab furniture for more than four decades. Since we always work to the specifications of our customers, customizability and versatility are at the very heart of what we do. Let us tell you a bit about our height-adjustability lift kits. How they work, what benefits they can bring to your lab and how you can use them to retrofit and give new life to your old furniture.
Our Lift Kits and How They Work
RDM Hydraulic Lift Kits/Systems
Our kits can be classified according to a few different ways, and each classification conveys important information about their general features, how they work and what kinds of added capabilities they can extend to your lab tables. We think it’s best, however, to describe our models by their mounting systems and mechanisms. Here is a brief description of some of our models:
-
External Mounting on a Steel Frame:
This kind of hydraulic kit is meant to be latched on to the steel legs of a lab bench or table. You can customize the lift system to work either via a manual hand crank or a hydraulic motor. If you opt for the crank, you can use either an extended crank, a retracted or a T-handle crank. The first two of these can be customized to provide anywhere between 500 and 1,000 pounds of life, while the last option provides 1,500 pounds of lift. On the other hand, if you choose to outfit the table with the hydraulic lift system and a motor, you can choose to operate the motor either via simple sup/down switches or a pedal. The option also exists to input certain special height settings into the system’s memory so that you can trigger them with the push of a button. All of these motorized options can provide anywhere between 500 and 1,500 pounds of lift.
-
Mounts to an Aluminum Frame:
These kits operate on principles to the one already mentioned, but they are meant to be attached to industrial tables and benches with aluminum frames. This option can be further subdivided into those models that attach externally to the table, onto the sides of its legs, and those that attach internally, usually providing lift to the legs from below. In both cases, however, many of the basic functions are similar. Lifting and lowering can be done either through a manual hand crank or a hydraulic lift system. Hydraulic motors can be controlled either by buttons and switches on the side of the table or by a pedal. Once again, lift power can vary from between 500 and 1,500 pounds. Also, You can customize your adjustment ranges so that you can make finer-grained height adjustments as you desire them. Models come with the option to put in six-inch, eight-inch, ten-inch or twelve-inch strokes.
-
Telescoping Systems:
These kits function via special cylindrical, telescoping legs. This telescoping feature is what can ultimately turn your ordinary tables into heigh adjustable tables. The lifts themselves come in 500-pound, 1,000-pound and 1,500-pound versions. They can be discreetly hidden away or made to blend in with and appear as a natural part of the rest of your table. Once again, either manual cranks or hydraulic motors can be used to operate the system. The hydraulic motors can be set up to produce moment that go in either 12-inch or 16-inch increments. As for the crank, one full turn of it corresponds to about one inch of either raising or lowering.
To learn more about how our different add-on lift kits can turn ordinary tables into lift tables, please click here.
Some General Benefits of Our Lift Kits and Of Lift Tables
The most obvious and direct benefit that flows from using a lift kit is that it can turn ordinary and static work tables into height adjustable tables. It can often be done quite economically, easily and without requiring you replace any equipment. Therefore, all of the benefits that flow from having ergonomic tables in your lab will also indirectly emerge out of using our kits. Some of these benefits are as follows:
-
Versatility:
As already alluded to above, lab workers are a heterogeneous bunch. Many people are tall and just as many are short. Some work sitting down, while others insist on doing things standing up. And a few might have health problems that could limit the duration for which they can sit or stand in place. All seemingly requiring you to find alternative arrangements for them to do their best work. When your industrial tables are versatile, height-adjustable and able to function in a variety of conditions, your lab will generally be a better place.
-
Comfort for Your Staff:
Ergonomic tables that are suitable for a wide variety of different workers and their particular needs will make your workers more commutable while they work. The plus side of this is rather obvious.
-
Increased Productivity and Work Satisfaction:
Comfortable workers are happy workers, and happy workers are productive workers. Thus, retrofitting your tables with ergonomic properties not only has certain altruistic benefits, but it also a blessing in a much more direct and self-interested way. Keep your lab staff comfortable and your bottom line will improve.
Anyone who is generally interested in RDM’s factory-direct ergonomic tables, by the way, should look here to check out some of our models.
Conclusion
RDM has been committed to manufacturing the finest laboratory furniture for over four decades. We take pride in the fact that our products are manufactured in the USA according to the highest standards. We know that the functional, aesthetic and ergonomic aspects of lab furniture all tie into one another. We’re also all about saving your lab money and putting as much power into your hands as possible.
And for those reasons, we just can’t encourage you enough to give some serious attention to our lift kits. Let us help you give your old lab tables a new lease on life.