HOW DOES THE SAWSTOP SAFETY SYSTEM WORK?
More than 20 years ago, SawStop was founded on the principle of making an incredibly safe and capable table saw—some would say they are the best table saws in the world. With the introduction of the patented Active Injury Mitigation or AIM, safety system, SawStop forever revolutionized table saw safety.
Even the most careful woodworker can make a mistake. Your attention drifts, there's a distraction in your shop, you're moving too quickly—and accidents can happen. The SawStop safety system helps avoid a potentially life-changing and costly injury, and in most cases will result in just a minor scratch. So—how does it work? Below are the basic steps in this amazing system. What’s truly astounding is that all this happens in less than 5 milliseconds! Check out this short video of the SawStop braking system in action.
1. DETECTION
The blade in a SawStop table saw carries a small electrical signal. The human body, and therefore your skin, is conductive. When the skin on your finger, hand, or arm comes into contact with the blade—the change in the electrical signal activates the safety system.
2. THE BLADE STOPS
The brake cartridge fires and the aluminum assembly springs into the path of the blade. This immediately stops the rotation, with the aluminum deforming as it absorbs the energy of the turning blade. The power to the table saw motor is also cut off at this point.
The time involved, from activation to a completely stopped saw blade, is less than 5 milliseconds!
3. THE ASSEMBLY DROPS
As the turning blade comes to a stop, the entire saw blade assembly drops beneath the table surface—removing the risk of further skin and blade contact.
4. RESETTING THE BRAKE CARTRIDGE
After activation, the brake cartridge must be replaced. The saw blade itself should also be replaced. Replacing the brake cartridge and blade is easy and takes around 90 seconds. Then you're back in business!
What could have been a life-change and very expensive injury to your hand, or even an amputation of a finger or thumb, is instead just a minor knick to the skin.
CONTACT US
Learn more about SawStop table saw safety by calling our Product Tech Support at 800-535-4486, or send us an email at tech@woodcraft.com.
You can also drop by and talk to the friendly woodworking experts at Your Local Woodcraft.
SAWSTOP FAQ'S
PLEASE NOTE: Most incidents where your skin comes in contact with the spinning blade results in just a scratch. However, if your hand is moving at high speed, it is possible to receive a serious injury.
For more information, please see SawStop's Frequently Asked Questions page.
FURTHER READING
TABLE SAW SAFETY RESOURCES
A collection of articles, videos and more here on Woodcraft.com.
WORKSHOP MISHAPS: TABLE SAW SAFETY
Safety advice from a woodworking hand surgeon, John A. Miyano, M.D.
