Of course, we also know that benches and workstations are the bread-and-butter of every laboratory. They are the central thing that makes it hum along. But for certain high-precision tasks, an ordinary workbench just won’t cut it.

That’s where laminar air flow hoods and clean air workstations come in.

These are special workstations that are enclosed by special cabinets. Each made partially of metal and partially of transparent material like glass or acrylic. One side of the enclosure, however, is generally either left totally open or at least provides workers with the option to create an opening. Thus, in a laminar flow bench, everything is done within the confines of an enclosure.

The true importance of this fact, however, only comes out once you realize what the central component of the enclosure is: a high-precision air filter like a HEPA or an ULPA filter. Thus, a laminar flow bench is meant to create a work environment whose air is utterly cleansed of all, or very nearly all, particulates and contaminants. It creates an ideal space for work with extremely sensitive materials.

RDM Horizontal Clean Air Workstation – Model LFH-102PE-6-01

But this description only scratches the surface of what these devices can really do and what they are meant for. For more than four decades, RDM Industrial Products has manufactured factory-direct and industrial-quality lab equipment of all sorts. Laminar flow hoods are among are among our proudest offerings. Here, we’re going to tell you more about what laminar flow hoods are. We’ll share what they do, and how they work. As well as the most important types that exist and why your lab truly needs them.

What Do Laminar Flow Hoods & Clean Air Workstations Do?

Before we delve into the specifics. Like the kinds of laminar flow hoods RDM can manufacture and the particular things they can do for you. Let us provide a general overview to help set the stage.

As mentioned, laminar flow benches are encased and use high-powered air filters to remove particulates from the surrounding air. But the filters don’t just take in, clean and release back air in a haphazard way. They do it very specifically, generating what’s know as a laminar flow. This means that air currents which are absorbed by the air filter and those which are released by it all flow parallel to one another so as not to disturb each other.

Without this kind of action, the filter would never be able to reliably purify air. If a filtered air current were to disturb an as yet unfiltered air current, contaminants from the latter would likely find their way into the former, thus nullifying the filter’s work. Laminar flow also creates a very serene air flow environment in the workbench enclosure that it free from major disturbances.

Thus, clean air workstations are ideal places to work with very sensitive materials which cannot tolerate contamination or disturbance.

Types of Laminar Flow Hoods

Laminar flow HEPA workstations fall into two broad categories based on the direction in which they send air flowing:

• Vertical Laminar Flow Hoods:

  Vertical laminar flow hoods take in air flow the top of the unit and then release it back down after filtering it. Thus, air flows vertically and downward. These models tend to be relatively compact and easy to install and use. In fact, the filters and enclosures from such units can be attached to many different kinds of lab workbenches.

• Horizontal Laminar Flow Hoods:

  Horizontal laminar flow hoods take in air from the back of their enclosure and send it flowing out horizontally toward the front. That is, toward where the researchers happens to be working. To make this process work as intended requires air flows in these units to much even more delicate than those in vertical laminar flow hoods. Thus, horizontal models have greater physical depth, sensitivity and complexity to their designs. The most high-end air filters also usually work best on horizontal models.

Other Important Features of Clean Air Workstations

Beyond this, RDM’s laminar flow workstations have many other features that help make them into extraordinary assets to your laboratory. We also give you the power to customize certain features to your liking. Here are some of these important additional features:

• Filters:

  You already know that air filters are the centre piece of each and every laminar flow hood. But all filters are not the same. Each hood comes equipped with an air filter that can at least meet HEPA standards. These HEPA — or, High-Efficiency Particulate Air — filters are able to filter out 99.99% of all particles from the surrounding air. Particles which are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. If this does not meet your standards, you can outfit your work station with an ULPA — or, Ultra-Low Particulate Air — filter. These filters remove 99.999% of all particles from the surrounding air which are 0.12 microns in diameter or larger.

• Work Surfaces and Side Panels:

  If you plan to work with lasers, we can make the work station’s side panels out of black acrylic for you. We can also add in a front draft guide to help better control air flow and even make it static-resistant. As for the workstation surface, we can laminate it with plastic or coat it with other materials for you if you so desire.

• Noise Levels:

  Units produce only about 50 decibels of noise. This is about as loud as the hum of a standard refrigerator or a conversation going on at some distance from you.

• Lighting:

  All units come with industrial-quality LED lighting fixtures inside the workbench enclosure.

You can find a list of other important features of clean air workstations , as well as a detailed filter classification scheme,  here.

Conclusion

Laminar flow HEPA workstations aren’t just vacuously complicated and fancy pieces of equipment that lab managers can use to show off. Not only are they essential to do doing extremely delicate work, but they have allowed us to make enormous strides in lab safety whenever certain kinds dangerous substances become involved.

But as with any other important tool, laminar air flow hoods and clean air workstations contain a significant amount of variation between them. Before selecting one for your lab, we strongly recommend acquainting yourself with their uses and features in greater detail, which you can do by going  here. RDM has great latitude in its ability to customize laminar air flow hoods for you. So once you’ve settled on what you want, your unit(s) will be proudly manufactured in the USA and will come directly from the factory.

We look forward to helping you bring your lab up to the next level.

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At first glance, work tables seem like such simple tools. At the bottom, pretty much just a work surface and perhaps a few racks or drawers for extra storage capacity. But this initial impression can be quite deceptive. In actual fact, they are far more versatile, far more customizable, and far more interesting than many might be led to believe. They’ve always been popular in all kinds of workplaces. However, because of their extraordinary utility, that popularity continues to rise all the same.

RDM has been manufacturing industrial furniture and lab equipment of all kinds for more than four decades. Our quality-designed industrial workbenches and work tables are among our most beloved products. Let us tell you about the many kinds of workstations we have to offer. As well as what you can use them for and the variety of ways that we let you customize them to your needs, we hope to be able to show you why.

What Kinds of Industrial Workbenches Do We Manufacture?

RDM Double-Sided Industrial Workbench – Dual Utility Drawers.

Since this is a tool with an impressively diverse array of uses and applications, we can only hope to scratch the surface of the kinds of industrial work tables that RDM can make for you. Since the selection is so large, they can also be classified in many different ways. Here are some of our most important industrial workbench classifications and a few of their most salient features:

• Materials: Perhaps the clearest way to look at our different industrial benches and tables is through the materials of which they are made. Most commonly, they are made of stainless steel. Aluminum frames, thanks to their durability and reliability, are also rather common. Our most high-end heavy duty workbenches are made of these metals. And if you need something lighter and simpler than heavy duty workbenches, we make models out of wood as well.
• Surface Type: When we speak of surface type, we don’t just mean the material of which the work surface is made, but also of the texture and topography of that work surface, In addition to the standard smooth surfaces, we also make factory-direct ball transfer surfaces across which it’s easy to swiftly move all manner of objects.
• Shape: Most of our models are either square-shaped or rectangular, though we also offer L-shaped models. Within the parameters of these shapes, you also have a pretty wide latitude to specify the sizes that you need.

Some Customization Options For Your Industrial Workbenches:

To further add to your array of choices, here are a few of the many ways in which we allow you to customize your benches and tables:

• Lights: In some cases, seeing exactly what you’re doing while you work is indispensable. For those times when that’s especially important, we can make factory-direct work tables for you that are outfitted with whatever kinds of lights you require. Our main types here are our industrial light tables. The light source most often comes from below the work surface. However, we also have benches and tables with overhead lights attacked to a rack. The lights used are fluorescent lights, so you can be confident about having maximum illumination.
• Tilts: A flat, vertical work surface isn’t always the ideal thing for every situation. For times when it isn’t, we can also design laboratory workbenches for you whose surfaces can be tilted in a variety of directions and left at an angle.
• Racks: Attach a rack to your work table and you’ll have a convenient place to hang some important tools that you might need throughout the day.
• Drawers and Cabinets: If you’re going to be doing the lion’s share of the day’s work at your desk or bench, it’s important that you have everything you need within your reach as you sit there. Racks are good for keeping a few important tools close at hand, but they aren’t appropriate for everything. For everything else — whether it be important files or key chemicals for all of your experiments — you can outfit benches and tables with either siding drawers or storage cabinets beneath the work surface.
• Flame, Static, Chemical, or Rust Resistance: If you use a work table to perform any kind of experiments or conduct chemical reactions, it’ll be bound to take some abuse over the years. To make it better able to cope with that abuse and keep lab personnel safer, we offer you the ability to have benches with flame, chemical, rust, and ESD static-resistant properties.
• Hydraulic Lifts: If workers can vary in height, why shouldn’t tables or benches? A workbench with a hydraulic lift whose height can be adjusted to all kinds of workers — whether short or tall, sitting or standing — can save your lab money just on account of its versatility. We’d be happy to outfit an industrial-quality workbench with a hydraulic lift for you. To set the height you desire, there will be an easy-to-use crank.
• Ergonomic and Comfort Options: Even in something as eminently practical as industrial workbenches, utility can’t always be the only consideration. Comfort matters as well. That’s why RDM has developed a number of different ergonomic workbenches with worker comfort in mind. The most prominent feature of our ergonomic workbenches is probably their height-adjustability. But other accessories can be used to add to your comfort as well. These include things like monitor and keyboard arms, wheels for mobility, footrests, and overhead or under-surface lights.

With all of these customization options and accessories in mind, check out the full selection of our industrial work tables and pick out whatever you require.

What Sorts of Industries Use Workbenches?

With so many options available, it shouldn’t be surprising that laboratory workbenches are popular across many different types of industries. Here are just a few of these:

• packaging and shipping companies (ball transfer surfaces are especially popular here)
• engineering and architectural firms (tilted surfaces and light tables tend to be in wide use here)
• scientific laboratories of all kinds
• art schools and studios
• hospitals, medical schools, and medical offices
• industrial production firms and factories

Conclusion

Like most of our other lab furniture and tools, RDM’s industrial workbenches are proudly manufactured in the USA. With our incredibly diverse selection, we’re confident that we have just the thing you need to put yourself or your workers comfortably to work, no matter what setting you’re in.

Despite — or perhaps because of — their intrinsically humble yet versatile nature, we’re sure that workbenches will long remain not only popular but necessary in workplaces the world over.

We encourage you to check out our full selection of industrial workbenches, work tables, and associated workbench accessories.

The post Rising Popularity Of Industrial Workbenches In Today’s Workspaces appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

RDM Industrial Products produces an extraordinarily diverse variety of quality-designed and custom-built workbenches.

Here’s a bit of critical information about how important these benches can be to your lab, studio, or business and about the various types of benches that RDM can manufacture to meet your needs.

Why Use Workbenches?

RDM Double-Sided Workbenches – Model Ti-101P-CSTR-GREY01 includes a Utility and File Drawer, Casters for Mobility, and i-Style Hydraulic Lift System.

A workbench is, in essence, a quite simple tool. But that shouldn’t trick you into supposing it to be unsophisticated or only narrowly useful. At the most basic level, it is a stable, flat surface that is similar to a table but often has some additional features designed to facilitate some particular type of work.

Even from this bare-bones description, a large variety of possible uses should immediately jump out at you. Any kind of work requiring you to sit or stand in some area and apply diligence and attention to the task at hand would be virtually impossible to do without the aid of a good workbench. The same is true for any work that requires you to have a variety of items or tools close at hand which you must frequently switch between using.

Since there are so many different jobs to which the above applies, you should expect a good workbench to be an integral part of a great many industries. The sky is really the limit here.

Major Industries Using Workbenches

Now that you can see the great value and versatility that they can bring to an enterprise, here is a more specific taste of some of the kinds of places where you might expect to find industrial workbenches:

• Scientific Research Centers & Labs:
  Scientists and lab researchers who conduct experiments with all kinds of chemicals will need a bench to help them organize their equipment and keep it within reach. For those specifically dealing with caustic chemicals on a regular basis, an ordinary workbench will likely not be enough. They may need stainless steel workbenches which are specially designed to be chemical-resistant, for example. Other kinds of heavy duty workbenches may also be required here.
• Architectural, Engineering, Design, and Construction Firms:
  Architects, engineers, and designers must draw up plans or schematics for buildings, cars, furniture, or anything else that they may have their eyes upon creating. They may need to build smaller models to test out design ideas or examine proposed construction materials for their suitability to a given project. For all things like this, heavy duty workbenches are essential.
• Art Studios:
  Artists can certainly put a good workbench to use as well. Painters need somewhere to place and secure the canvases they’re painting on. Sculptors need a secure place to try out experiments in molding bits of clay or other materials. Plus, artists may just need a good spot where they can sit down and make a quick sketch.
• Medical Schools and Hospitals:
  Doctors, radiologists, and other medical technicians and personnel will frequently find themselves examining things like patient x-rays and medical files. The importance of a reliable workbench or light table to either help organize these things or provide them better visibility at the moment should not be underestimated.

As mentioned, however, this is only a small sample of the kinds of places where you might expect to find the humble workbench.

RDM specializes in custom workbench design, so we can supply you with manufacturer-direct, industrial-quality products, no matter what your specific needs. Here are just some of the different kinds of benches we can create for you.

Key Types of Industrial Workbenches

Workbenches are far from uniform. There is an enormous number of different kinds of them. Here are just a few of the types that RDM can manufacture for you and for your lab or business:

• Computer LAN Workstations:
  Labs often require the cataloging of large amounts of data. Hospitals need to have their patients’ medical data on hand. All of these require computers connected to a Local Area Network. Workstations with computers can be set up to efficiently handle this kind of work.
• Steel Tables and Workstations:
  When wood just won’t do, there’s always stainless steel. Many such tables are often corrosion-resistant, which is useful when working with dangerous chemicals. They can be built with or without wheels or casters. Depending on whether mobility is required. Some models may include overhead racks.
• Ergonomic Tables:
  These are all designed with worker ease and comfort in mind. They are typically custom-designed according to a worker’s height or maybe height-adjustable. The surface is made so that every part is easily within reach.
• Light Tables:
  Light tables have specially designed fluorescent lights behind or underneath them which you can turn on to illuminate your work area. These are useful if you need a careful, up-close look at something.
• Packaging Workstations:
  Ideal for any kind of packing plant or shipment facility. These benches provide workers with a compact space in which to quickly package products and move them out toward customers.
• Laminar Flow Workstations:
  These are critically important precision tools. Scientific researchers typically use laminar flow hoods when they must work with some kind of dangerous material. The hood encloses the material in glass or acrylic and allows researchers to stoop in from one side and do their work. To make this work possible, there is also an associated workbench.

This list is far from exhaustive. We recommend having a look at all of our many types of industrial work tables.

RDM’s Commitment to Custom Design Workbenches

Even within each of the different types of workbenches we’ve mentioned, there is still further diversity. Our dedication to custom workbench design means that we strive to specially design each product for the particular needs of each individual customer. Here are just some of the different workbench features and accessories that we can tack on if you need them:

• Overhead Equipment Racks:
  We can include all kinds of overhead equipment racks with our workstations so that you can hang important tools and keep them within reach. This is especially true of our stainless steel workbenches.
• Height Adjustment:
  Taller workers will need taller benches, and shorter workers will need shorter ones. Thankfully, since many of our benches can be made height-adjustable, they need not be one-size-fits-all.
• Wheels:
  If you need a cart or bench to be mobile so that you can put something on it and transport it across the lab or other work area, we can attach wheels to your bench.
• Tilting:
  A bench whose table-top can be tilted and adjusted may be extremely useful in some circumstances. Especially to artists who are sketching or painting or to engineers examining plans.
• Computer Accessories:
  Various computer accessories are available to make the life of anyone sitting at a computer easier. These include things like monitor stands and keyboard trays.
• Storage Accessories:
  If you need space to store things and don’t want to leave the workstation to grab them, you can always get workbenches that come with storage cabinets or filing drawers.

Since we absolutely insist on custom workbench design, this is only a small sample of the accessories and additional features that we can add to your order.

Conclusion

RDM has over 40 years of experience creating factory-direct heavy duty workbenches and other industrial-grade laboratory furniture. And all of our products are proudly manufactured in the USA. Wherever you work and whatever you may need, we can get you just the right sort of benches to help you and those around you work at their best.

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Rather than buying tons of lab equipment of all different kinds, heights and sizes. Getting height adjustable workstations and other adjustable lab furniture can give you the versatility you need and help save you some money. RDM Industrial Products custom-designs a wide range of versatile adjustable workstation solutions and ergonomic laboratory furniture to meet your needs. And all of our products are proudly manufactured in the USA.

Let’s have a look at some of our height adjustable workstations and other ergonomic furniture categories, to give you a taste of what we have to offer.

Adjustable Workstations & Tables

RDM Lift Table – Model RDM-ES-107P-SSTOP-CSTR-01

A lab table, workbench or workstation is every scientist’s and lab worker’s bread and butter. It’s where virtually all the important work is done and where nearly every major tool or chemical is handled. It’s therefore crucial to get these made right.

Thankfully, we have an enormous amount of different models to choose from here – large and small, square and rectangular, L-shaped and i-framed, with racks or shelves and without. We even have models that come with platform lifts to bring researchers up above their workstations to the appropriate degrees.

The major adjustable feature for most of these models, however, is height. By means of anything from a manual hand crank, to adjustable legs with pins, to an electric crank. You can toggle and play with the height of our workbenches until they’re at the optimal height to allow you to do your best work. We can even install a hydraulic lift into certain special and multipurpose models like the A-107P, the LA-107P and the P-107P-HYD Ergonomic Workstation. Any of these options are open to you because all of our models are manufacturer-direct and custom-designed.

Lastly, we manufacture a series of different light tables to help illuminate your lab work. Adjustability here pertains to the lift, height and tilt of the table surface.

Have a look at all of our many adjustable workstations, tables and workbenches here.

Ergonomic Chairs

Every quality adjustable workstation, should have a corresponding ergonomic chair. Chairs are a simple, but critical piece of lab furniture. A good chair can mean the difference for a lab researcher between sitting for hours, hunched and cramped in discomfort and misery and having a breezy and efficient day at work.

To keep things humming along and your staff comfortable, we manufacture a variety of different ergonomic X-chairs and stools with adjustable seating heights, frames and arm rests. These fall into three main series:

• The Standard Series: The chairs in this series are ordinary but comfortable chairs with small back rests, tube steel bases, adjustable heights and foot rings. They are ideal for high work surfaces that measure 34 inches or more off the ground.

• The Pro-Duty Series: The chairs here have seats and back rests that are similar to those in the Standard Series, but have adjustable arm rests and aluminum bases. Foot rings are optional and may be preferred for higher work surfaces measuring 34 inches or more off the ground. Otherwise, they are good for desks and workbenches that are between 28 and 32 inches high. The chairs are also mobile because they are on wheels.

• The Technical Series: The chairs in this grouping might be the gold standard in ergonomic chairs. Primarily, this is because they have much larger back rests than other models and are built for maximum comfort. They offer more customization options but have many of the same features as Standard and Pro-Duty Series chairs.

Have a glance at all of our ergonomic chairs here.

Carts

Carts are an imperative piece of laboratory and industrial furniture. It’s because they are a great way to quickly transport important tools, supplies and equipment to lab workers in a pinch. A cart can be as simple as a table or a rack on wheels. However, we have all other types of quality-designed models waiting for you. Including ones made of stainless steel, ones with built-in drawers or multiple shelves, and more. They can carry things virtually as high up or as down low as you need, and we even manufacture adjustable-height models for maximum versatility. We have peg boards, roll storage, panel racks, packaging and even large PCB storage carts for sale as well.

You can find all of our various cart models here.

Cabinets

Good, sturdy and reliable cabinets are indispensable to any lab. Laboratories and other industrial spaces often need a place to store potentially dangerous tools or hazardous chemicals. These items need to be kept out of reach when not directly in use, and adjustable cabinets fill the gap. Lab safety would be virtually impossible to guarantee without them. RDM manufactures and sells wooden, stainless steel, chemical-resistant, corrosion-resistant, flame-resistant and/or laminated cabinets. They are all easy to clean and can make great additions to your lab.

But even with this humble, simple and unassuming piece of laboratory furniture, RDM gives you the option to make adjustments. The primary adjustment open to you in this case is in the number of shelves to be found in each unit. Though doors and their specific features can also sometimes be adjusted. For instance, you can buy units with either swinging or sliding doors, and each door of this type can be made out of either metal or glass. Of course, you can also choose to have no doors at all.

Oh, and let’s not forget about making them mobile. Your carts can be equipped with industrial-duty casters with locking wheel & pivot capabilities. Of course we have other wheel/caster styles available too. Just let us know what you need.

Our units also come in an impressive range of sizes. Including, those that are small and easily hung on a wall to those that are tall and meant for more heavy-duty storage. Since everything we make is factory-direct and can be designed to your specifications, you can tailor every purchase to the specific conditions in your lab.

Conclusion

Ergonomic furniture isn’t just an optional luxury that you can either make part of your lab or not. After all, worker comfort doesn’t operate in a vacuum; it can have critical effects on productivity and efficiency, too. But beyond its benefits for staff comfort – adjustable workstations whether it be in laboratory furnishings or industrial furniture, has many other advantages as well. Not least of these lies in versatility and adaptability. If you can adjust workstations, chairs, carts and other equipment as things change, then you won’t need to spend as much to keep your lab in good working order.

With RDM’s quality-designed adjustable workstations and ergonomic furniture, you and your team will be ready for anything.

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Selecting industrial quality tables and workstations can save you money. At RDM Industrial Products, craftspeople skilled in creating durable, functional industrial furniture like workbenches, lab tables, custom carts and custom shelving for specialized applications. Whether looking for laboratory furniture or units to be used in industrial applications, consider RDM’s top quality industrial furniture products. 

One of the obvious benefits of purchasing industrial quality tables and workstations is gaining long-term durability.  RDM builds their industrial furniture to endure the toughest environments. Another benefit to purchasing RDM products is that no assembly is typically required. This means no time spent pouring over a complicated assembly guide or sorting through complicated screws, nuts, and bolts.

Industrial quality tables and workstations are available for various specialized applications. Some styles are suitable for cleanroom furniture, while others feature large shelves that are appropriate for large monitors in a computer networking room or medical technology environment. Space-restricted laboratories and warehouses are the perfect locations for RDM’s double-sided workstations that feature upper shelves and light booms.

All RDM tables are available in either a standard or a customized version, available in various colors, shapes, and sizes. Their design staff is one of the most creative and enthusiastic engineering teams in their industry.  They thrive on new challenges.  RDM offers the most flexibility.  They do not attempt to shoehorn you into a standard unit that does not fit your specific needs.  With RDM Industrial Products, you can have it your way.  Even if having attractively colored furniture is not a high priority for you, the fact that RDM has several color options is nice.

Whatever your industrial furniture or laboratory furniture need, industrial quality tables and workstations are a phone call away. You will be rewarded by spending the extra money on RDM’s top quality products by purchasing direct from the manufacturer and by saving time that would be spent on assembly with weaker, bolt-together furniture units. The ability to customize your units also makes RDM Industrial Products a feasible solution.  Take a look at RDM and see how they can help get your business rolling in the right direction.

The post The Benefits Of Paying A Little More for RDM Industrial Products! appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.