The glamorous couple and their cosplay workshop

Mike the MMA* fighter and his fashion-model wife Wendy make a striking couple. They turn heads, especially when engaging in their favourite pastime – cosplay**.

Mike likes to dress as a fantasy hero, complete with sword and buckler while Wendy goes more for the delicate wood-elf look.

Whenever they have spare time from work, they go to their out of town workshop where they have tools, equipment and machinery to manufacture their incredible costumes. Depending on their schedules they may go together or separately.

When M goes alone to the workshop he always begins by operating machines*** LMD and RAD in that order. Before leaving for home, he always operates RAD; then he operates LMD and RAD in no particular order.

When W goes alone to the workshop, she also operates LMD then RAD in order. However she then operates both LMD and RAD again in no particular order. Before leaving for home, she operates LMD then RAD in that order and finally LMD and RAD in no particular order.

When they are there together, the order of things depends on who arrives/leaves first.

Question

What are LMD and RAD and what do the letters stand for?
Why is the order sometimes important and sometimes not?
Why do Mike and Wendy operate LMD and RAD in different sequences?

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Notes

I invented this puzzle. It’s based on a real-life but less glamorous situation.

Although it may seem to involve logic, I haven’t tagged it as such because probably every puzzle involves logic in some way and this one is based more on real-life knowledge and reasoning.

Glossary

**cosplay – the activity or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction (such as a comic book, video game, or television show) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosplay

*MMA – Mixed martial arts sometimes referred to as cage fighting, is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports and martial arts from around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts

***A machine (or mechanical device) is a mechanical structure that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an intended action. Machines can be driven by animals and people, by natural forces such as wind and water, and by chemical, thermal, or electrical power. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine