What is a downdraft table used for?

Downdraft tables are widely used in industries like metalworking and general fabrication to control dry dust and particulate created during cutting, grinding, sanding and finishing. Downdraft tables not only enhance workplace safety by reducing respiratory risks but also contribute to cleaner work areas, improved product quality, and regulatory compliance. They are an excellent general-purpose workstation and dust collection system for a variety of manual applications. Workers can simply place their pieces on the workbench, turn on the integrated downdraft filtration system, and get to work. 

Downdraft tables are generally recommended for light- to moderate-duty manual applications producing larger, heavier particulate. While they are sometimes used for weld fume collection, other fume collection options may be better for welding or other applications producing rising thermal fumes. Downdraft tables are also not recommended for applications producing highly toxic fumes (like stainless steel metalworking) or utilizing metalworking fluids. NFPA 484 allows the use of downdraft benches for collection of potentially combustible metal dust as long as the total dust collected each day is less than 0.5 lbs.