Do Downdraft Tables Work and What are They Used for

Downdraft tables are the holy grail of work-benches. They are a desired piece of equipment for every enthusiast and a must-have for many professionals. In general, if by doing your work, there is an excessive amount of dust, shavings, chips or other contaminants, you would love to work on a downdraft table. The working downdraft table will remove those particles, pass them through a filtration system and return fresh air back in the room.

But what is a downdraft table used for

It is used as your working table. You will grab your tools and piece of material and go to your downdraft table to work on it. However, they have a big plus, over your ordinary working bench. Their name comes from the downdraft airflow that they create when switched on. The airflow prevents all the material you remove from ending in your eyes, nose or lungs, and it keeps that dust and shavings away from your working area, ensuring you a clean space and visibility over the task you are performing.

Do downdraft tables work

This is more or less a matter of the application. Downdraft benches do, in fact, work in many cases. Whether they will work for you depends on two things. Do you perform a task that will benefit from the use of a downdraft table and did you picked a suitable downdraft bench?

When picking your downdraft table you need to consider a couple of parameters:

• Airflow
• Efficiency
• Minimum particle size

The airflow is the volume of air that your bench will process while working and passes it through its built-in filtration system. The efficiency depends on the product you chose and you should base your decision on the amount of work you tend to perform on that bench and the materials you will work on. The minimum particle size is the smallest particle you might have as a byproduct of the task you have at hand. Having those in mind while picking a downdraft table will make sure you make the right choice. You can browse some of the downdraft tables for sale on our website.

Using a downdraft bench as a woodworking table

While woodworking, you create a massive volume of excess material in the form of fine dust and small particles. Those contaminants get in your line of sight and make the overall experience of performing woodworking task a nightmare. This is why downdraft tables in woodworking shops are a common sight. Usually used as downdraft sanding tables, because it generates the most amount of fine wood dust, which could pose a serious threat to your health.

The fine dust and wood chippings will then need to pass through an additionally installed dust extraction filter unit to remove the wood dust particles from the worker’s environment, lowering the risk of injury and exposure to wood dust that can cause serious health problems when inhaled.

Downdraft tables in metalworking shops

A down draft table can not only suck in small particles, but it does also remove fumes. This is the reason why a downdraft table for welding is a perfect investment for a small business. Welding fumes are a known carcinogen and pose other serious health risks to workers alongside this gruesome fact. When it comes to metalworking as a whole, those same benches could be used as a downdraft table for grinding, as they will easily collect all the shavings from the operation, limiting the chances of injuries.

If the downdraft table is fitted in with a filter for solid particles, it removes them from the environment. This furthermore protects those working on the downdraft benches, as there is a smaller chance of a metal chip, sticking in their skin or being inhaled.

Other applications of downdraft tables

This piece of equipment is very popular amongst manufacturers from different industries, which is why some industrial downdraft tables are equipped with additional features as spark guards, exhaust chimneys, heavy-duty work surfaces and others.

Downdraft tables are generally used for the following applications:

• welding
• woodworking
• chemical preparation
• grinding
• processing explosive materials

As you can probably imagine, such processes are a part of the day-to-day work of millions of employees. For those people, downdraft tables work, and they work hard. Because of their work, those people are able to safely perform their duties.

Can you buy a downdraft table for your workshop

Of course, you can! Industrial downdraft tables are not something specifically used only by big manufacturers. Everyone can ensure a healthier environment at their working space, whether they are working for a big client or just jumping in a new hobby project. There are even portable downdraft tables, available on the market, that can easily be transported if needed. Those are perfect for un-professionals that just want to enjoy their hobby more.

Your downdraft table awaits you to make the right choice and pick it up from Ducting-Express. The friendly staff will gladly give you any additional information you may need over a quick chat over the phone. They can also arrange your delivery. We are sure that you will be happy with the products we offer. The downdraft benches at our store are manufactured by Kemper, which is a well-known brand in the niche and takes worker safety very seriously, making no compromises in their manufacturing processes.