A Drone Tour of RH Technical Industries UK Manufacturing Facility
Have you ever wanted to see exactly where a high-tech industrial graphic comes to life? Usually, these processes happen behind closed doors. But today, we are opening our doors wide. We are taking you on a unique, bird’s-eye journey through our entire UK Manufacturing facility.
At RH Technical Industries, we pride ourselves on having everything “under one roof.” This isn’t just a catchy phrase; it is the core of our business. It allows us to maintain exceptional control over quality, speed, and precision. This drone tour is your chance to see the path a product takes, from a simple idea to a finished, high-performance component.
The Entrance: Where Engineering Meets Service
Our journey begins in the bright open air above our factory. As the drone dives toward the entrance, we pass through our modest reception area. This is the gateway to our world. As you are welcomed in, this space symbolically represents the start of every client relationship.
To the right is our Engineering Department. It is where complex technical drawings are pored over and where we solve the “how” of every project. Every graphic overlay or membrane keypad starts here as a digital file. From simple design work to complex NDA projects, behind this door is the brain of the operation.
While the drone enters on the ground floor, just above us are the main customer service and administrative offices. This is where the communication happens. From initial quotes to final delivery logistics, our team upstairs ensures that the technical work on the floor matches our customers’ exact needs.
The Art of the Screen: Printing and Preparation
As the drone glides deeper into the building, we enter the Screen Printing Department. This is a place of vivid colours and industrial strength. Here, we use specialised inks on robust plastics that can withstand the toughest environments on Earth. Whether it is for a medical device or a piece of heavy construction machinery, the printing done here is built to last.
But to get a perfect print, you need a perfect screen. The drone takes a turn and heads up the stairs to a very special area: the Screen-Prep Light-Sensitive Room.
This room is the secret heart of our printing process. It is a controlled environment where we use light-sensitive emulsions to burn designs onto our printing screens. It feels like a high-tech laboratory. By handling this in-house, we ensure that even the finest text and most intricate logos are captured with 100% accuracy.
Shaping the Future in Second Ops
The drone drops back down to the main floor and enters the Second Ops (Secondary Operations) zone. If the printing department provides the beauty, Second Ops provides the “brawn” and the function.
This is where our precision tooling comes into play. You are looking at the birthplace of membrane keypads and graphic overlays. In this department, we use specialised presses and tools to create the tactile “dome” feel you experience when you press a button.
We also create the shapes here. We don’t just print on square sheets; Our expert staff die-cuts materials into complex geometries that fit perfectly into your product’s housing. From custom industrial labels to multi-layered switch panels, this is where flat material becomes a three-dimensional interface.
The Digital Frontier
Moving to the right, the drone enters our Digital Printing and Cutting area. This represents the cutting edge of modern manufacturing. While screen printing is amazing for large-scale durability, digital printing offers incredible detail and speed.
Our digital printers allow us to produce high-resolution graphics without the need for traditional screens. This is perfect for rapid prototyping or shorter production runs. Next to the printers sit our digital cutters. These machines use precision blades to cut out designs with amazing accuracy and speed. Having both screen and digital capabilities side-by-side means we can always choose the most efficient path for your project.
The Final Stages: Stores and Assembly
As we head toward the rear of the building, the drone flies through our Stores. This is our library of materials. We stock a vast array of high-performance polycarbonates, polyesters, and adhesives. By keeping a reliable choice of inventory on-site, we can move from “ordered” to “in production” faster than almost anyone else in the industry. We don’t have to wait for the world to ship us materials; they are already here, ready to go.
Finally, we fly through the Assembly Department. This is the final stop on the tour. This is where all the different layers—the printed overlays, the spacer layers, and the electronic circuits—are brought together. It is a process of extreme precision. Our technicians align these layers by hand or using specialised jigs to ensure every button and every LED light works perfectly.
Back Out into the World
The drone makes a final, sweeping turn, glides back through the department, and heads out the back door, returning to the sky.
What you have just seen is the RH difference. Every single stage of the process—engineering, customer service, screen preparation, printing, tooling, and assembly—all happens within these walls. This “under one roof” approach is why we are leaders in our industry with a great UK manufacturing facility and even better staff. When you work with RH, you are working with a single, dedicated team that sees your project through from the first engineering sketch to the final assembled part.
If you are a product designer or an HMI interface manufacturer, you are always welcome to take a tour of our factory, where we can also discuss your project needs over a nice cup of tea. Contact Mike to organise your visit.