Our consultants are here for you!
Our consultants are here for you!
Sawstop circular table saws offer a decisive advantage in terms of user safety. If contact is made with the saw blade, it is stopped within 5 milliseconds and disappears underneath the table! "Active Injury Migitation" means something like "active injury minimisation". As a rule, nothing more than a scratch on the finger remains.
The circular table saws also feature clever detailed solutions. Accessories close to the machine can be stored on or under the table saw and are always within easy reach.
The SawStop continuously monitors the saw blade with a weak electrical signal of around 5 volts. If the blade is touched by human skin, the signal changes measurably - because the human body conducts electricity much better than wood. The system recognises this sudden voltage drop within milliseconds and immediately activates the safety brake. Wood, on the other hand, is not conductive, so the signal remains unchanged and no intervention takes place.
The electrical conductivity or capacitance of the skin triggers a measurable signal drop - the system recognises this within a few milliseconds.
As soon as the system recognises a voltage drop on the saw blade - typically within approx. 25 microseconds after skin contact - a thin wire in the braking system is burnt through. This process triggers a pre-tensioned spring, which presses an aluminium block (the so-called brake pawl) into the rotating teeth of the saw blade at high speed. This stops the blade in less than 5 milliseconds and simultaneously pulls it back under the table top. The movement is so fast that usually only a small skin abrasion occurs - more serious injuries are avoided.
The SawStop system only reacts to direct skin contact. If you are wearing gloves, this contact can be shielded by the material - the system therefore only triggers when the skin actually touches the blade. IMPORTANT: Wearing gloves with rotating tools, such as a saw blade, is prohibited! DGUV Rule 109-017: "Gloves must not be worn on rotating parts." There is also a risk of the material getting caught in the rotating saw blade when wearing gloves, which can lead to more serious injuries. It is therefore generally not recommended to wear gloves when working with the circular saw.
Yes, as long as there is no conductive connection between the skin and the saw blade - for example through damp wood, conductive dust or static charge - the system does not recognise skin contact and does not trigger. Contact with dry wood alone, even if it is held by hand, does not usually trigger the safety system.
Yes, the system can trigger under certain conditions. Very wet, fresh (green) or pressure-treated wood can be conductive enough to activate the safety system. In such cases, it is advisable to test the material in bypass mode beforehand. The system recognises whether the workpiece is conductive - the control LED flashes red if a possible activation is to be expected.
Yes, in certain cases the system can trigger unintentionally - for example when it comes into contact with metal parts such as nails, screws or aluminium, very damp wood or materials with a high static charge. The SawStop saw also carries out continuous self-tests. If the system detects a malfunction, the motor is automatically prevented from starting to ensure maximum safety.
The SawStop system combines electronic and mechanical components. An electronic monitoring system detects changes in the signal on the saw blade. As soon as skin contact is detected, it triggers a mechanical unit: A tensioned spring drives an aluminium block (Brake Pawl) into the rotating saw blade to stop it in milliseconds.
The SawStop system stops the saw blade in less than 5 milliseconds after detecting skin contact. The reaction time may vary slightly: With coarse-toothed saw blades, the stop tends to be slightly faster, with fine-toothed blades it tends to be at the upper end of this time range. In most cases, the fast reaction only results in a slight scratch. At very high approach speeds, however, deeper injuries can also occur - although serious cuts are generally avoided.
There is currently no other safety system for circular table saws that offers a comparable combination of reliability, reaction speed and practicality as SawStop. The system has been in use worldwide for over 20 years and has proven itself in several hundred thousand machines - without any known false activations during normal operation. At the same time, the acquisition and operating costs are comparatively low compared to other complex safety technologies, such as camera-based or sensor systems. Other approaches exist, but are significantly more complex in terms of technology and maintenance - and have not yet been established on the market to a comparable extent.
After triggering, the saw blade can still be reused in around 50 % of cases. To do this, the aluminium block should be carefully removed by light hammer blows. The saw blade must then be carefully checked to ensure that no teeth are missing or cracks have appeared. If the system is triggered by skin contact, SawStop offers a free replacement brake cartridge after an inspection in our laboratory. This procedure ensures maximum safety and at the same time enables the most cost-efficient recommissioning possible.
The brake cartridge, which contains the electronics, spring and aluminium block, must always be replaced after a release. The saw blade can be reused in about 50 % of cases after an inspection. Some users have the blade repaired, others replace it.
A standard brake cartridge (TSBC-10R3) regularly costs around €89. After a real triggering, we would of course replace the brake cartridge free of charge. The cost of the saw blade is additional and starts at around €39 for a standard blade. In around 50% of cases, however, the saw blade can be reused, so that in these cases there are no or only low replacement costs.
It takes about 90 seconds to replace the brake cartridge. After inserting a checked or new blade, work can continue immediately.
Yes, the Professional Cabinet Saw (stationary table saw) will be available in Europe from October 2025. Sales and service will be provided by specialist dealers.
SawStop is suitable for both hobby and professional users. The range includes both a stationary table saw (cabinet saw) for the workshop and compact models for mobile use. SawStop is particularly recommended wherever high safety requirements apply - for example in workshops or in a commercial environment.
The safety system is automatically activated as soon as the machine is supplied with power. It performs continuous self-tests and only allows the engine to start if all components are working properly.
Yes, you can temporarily deactivate the safety system in the so-called bypass mode in order to process conductive materials such as wet wood or aluminium. During this mode, the brake is deactivated and the LED flashes to indicate that conductive material has been detected.
The system performs continuous self-checks. If an error is detected, the motor is automatically disabled and an error code is displayed. The motor cannot be restarted until the fault has been rectified.
