Research Tool & Die Works (RT&D) is a manufacturing firm with over 55 years experience in electrical-systems hardware design and metal stamping fabrication. Skilled tool and die makers, design engineers, and production personnel, have combined to build a distinguished reputation for quality products and have established RT&D as a leader in developing innovative designs and manufacturing processes. RT&D has obtained over thirty domestic and foreign patents on products and tooling techniques.
RT&D products are designed and engineered from a user's standpoint... to be better, simpler, and more economical. We can start with an already existing product and improve it, or when the need for a new product arises, we will engineer it from the ground up. Our ability to manage the entire product development cycle in-house substantially reduces the time it takes from design to production. Product dependability is equally important, and in that regard RT&D is second to none. We understand that product failure can be costly and have designed our products to withstand the rigors of harsh environments as demonstrated by shock and vibration testing as established by the U.S. Navy and ABS approvals.
Our innovative plant in Carson, California, serves as our corporate headquarters and state of the art manufacturing facility. It houses some of the most advanced fabrication equipment available. RT&D utilizes modern computerized design, tool making, and manufacturing equipment, which results in production speeds and precision unequaled by any other means. Since we design many of our own unique production techniques, our manufacturing facility also includes one of a kind metal working machines developed by RT&D to implement these innovative products.
We own and operate our own ultra-modern powder coat facility, and this enhances our ability to control product quality as well as production delivery times. We have developed many specialized coating formulations that provide superior wear characteristics with high corrosive resistance and are now required specifications in the marine industry.
Benefiting from a computerized inventory management system, and over one million dollars of on-hand products, our customers enjoy reduced delivery times not often found in the metal stamping industry. In addition, our network of representatives world wide prides themselves on providing the highest level of service to every customer. Leaders in the shipbuilding industry have come to rely on products manufactured by RT&D. We are proud of the fact that the hardware we produce is providing service to ships around the world every day.
Research Tool & Die Works (RT&D) was founded in 1952 as a tool and die job shop. They provided competitive die design and metal stampings to local businesses in California. In the early 1960's, The Long Beach Naval Shipyard and others were making their own major electrical wireways (the integral component used to support the massive electrical wiring cables in marine vessels). Fabricators at The Long Beach Naval Shipyard initially sought out RT&D to perform repair work on some of their existing tooling. RT&D took the opportunity to evaluate the current processes used in making the part at the shipyard. RT&D speculated that a considerable cost benefit could be realized if they were to engineer and manufacture the part. The shipyard allowed RT&D to submit a bid and indicated they would compare it against their own cost study.
Thirty days later, the RT&D bid and the cost study reached the manufacturing engineer. The in-house shipyard cost to manufacture was more than five times the cost of the RT&D quote, which additionally included a number of product enhancements. With the bids acceptance, the "9S type" of wireway went into production and RT&D was on their way to becoming the largest manufacturer of wireways and other marine hardware in the United States.
