SawStop Technology

Our REVOLUTIONARY Active Injury Mitigation (AIM) SAFETY TECHNOLOGY is what makes a SawStop a SawStop

1 Detect
- The blade carries a small electrical signal.
- When skin contacts the blade, the signal changes because the human body is conductive.
- The change to the signal activates the safety system.
2 STOP
- An aluminum brake springs into the path of the blade.
- The blade comes to a complete stop and power to the motor is shut off.
3 DROP
- After the blade comes to a stop, the blade’s angular momentum drives it beneath the table, removing the risk of subsequent contact.
- All of this happens in less than 5 milliseconds.
4 Reset
- Resetting the saw yourself is easy. Simply inspect the blade (and change if damaged) and replace the brake cartridge, and your saw is operational.
- The entire process takes 90 seconds and you’re back to work.

How SawStop Technology Works

At the most basic level, our technology works by continually monitoring a small electrical signal in the saw blade. The human body is conductive so the signal in the saw blade changes when skin makes contact with it. It’s that change to the signal that activates the AIM safety system and engages the aluminum brake.

Learn More About Our Safety

“When something goes wrong, you simply can’t move faster than a spinning blade.”

One little slip, one mistake can change your life forever

When you hear that a table saw injury can be drastically life-altering, you can’t really appreciate what that means until you live it. Dennis Melton lives it. The Portland, Oregon man suffered a workplace injury that forever changed his life.

“I’m not whole anymore. I had a part of me that…I don’t have anymore. And I can’t get it back”

SawStop

Patrick Callahan was working at his stone and countertop production business in 1998, cutting Corian (a synthetic material used for countertops) on a contractor-style table saw—without the blade guard in place—for a custom job. Unfortunately, the Corian rode up on the blade, then snapped back down and shattered, pulling Patrick’s left hand—his dominant hand—into the blade. Instantly, he suffered severe injuries to his thumb and two fingers.

Table Saw Accident Victims

These woodworkers have honored us with their stories. Please take a moment to listen.

David Stivelman testimonial

David Stivelman had to learn to care for his newborn son just nine months after suffering a horrific accident in his home woodworking shop. The accident cost him half of the index finger on his right hand, as well as permanently damaging two other fingers.

Two Accidents in One Month

Joe M. (woodworker)

Joe, now retired, worked for 30 years as a general contractor. Joe had two accidents in a one month period doing woodworking as a hobbyist. As result of the accident, he no longer has feeling in the tips of his fingers on his left hand, and his right hand appears deformed.