Workbench Tops: Which is Best for Your Application?

The functional characteristics of steel, wood, and laminate tops

It's easy to tell the difference between industrial workbench top types - wood vs. metal, laminate vs. ESD, or poly vs. any of the above. You have a lot of latitude on which workbench top to choose, but how can you get the right one for your application?

Steel workbench tops are for industrial, high-capacity applications

Steel tops are extremely durable. They're best for industrial applications, shop work, heavy repair, and assembly operations. They work well in maintenance departments, repair or machine shops, and heavy-duty work areas. They are fairly economical and will last a long time under difficult circumstances.

Excellent for corrosion and scratch resistance
Good resistance to chemicals and solvents
Excellent for impact resistance
Excellent for top capacity and durability - can support heavy loads
Steel tops are extremely durable. Many can be repainted

Plastic laminate workbench tops are for light to medium applications, and also for ESD or laboratory conditions

When you are specifying a plastic laminate top, you're typically looking at a work station where oils, liquids, solvents, or other chemicals or oils may be present. These tops can resist those kinds of liquids better than steel or wood, and are easier to clean when exposed to them. They can handle prolonged exposure to chemical substances better than wood or steel tops can.

Plastic laminate tops are great for:

Chemical & solvent applications
Applications where scratch resistance is important
Where aesthetics matter
Impact resistance (to varying degrees)
Ease of cleaning and maintenance
Good for assembly, packaging, inspection, and quality control applications

They are also scratch-resistant, and won't show damage like a wood top is prone to do.

Plastic laminate tops are frequently used in ESD applications, where you obviously cannot specify a steel top. ESD style plastic laminate tops are great for electronics and inspection operations, electrical charge dissipation, and an overall attractive appearance. A broad variety of benches can be specified with an ESD top, but most all of them are based on a plastic laminate surface.

Wood tops for medium duty industrial and general applications

Wood tops include solid hardwood, laminated wood, and wood-over-steel type specifications. They are the most attractive workbench top, and often used in tool cribs, work areas, general usage, shop management, mechanics, craftsman, or medium duty assembly operations.

Wood tops are a highly aesthetic option, either in varnished hardwood or laminated hardwood types. Also, steel with a wood laminate on top. The warm, attractive appearance of a wood top is hard to beat
Good impact resistance
Excellent durability, although wood tops can be scratched over time
Many types can be sanded and refinished over time
Can support medium to heavy loads - see individual bench capacities

Other workbench tops can include specialty types such as plastic or graphite. These are often used for lighter duty assembly applications, and can resist most chemicals, abrasion, corrosion, impact and moisture, including most oils and solvents.

It's important to understand why a particular workbench top would be best for your application. You can always contact us for more assistance.