Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Saturday August 12 2017, @03:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the safety-is-no-accident dept.

In 2015, 4,700 people in the US lost a finger or other body part to table-saw incidents. Most of those injuries didn't have to happen, thanks to technology invented in 1999 by entrepreneur Stephen Gass. By giving his blade a slight electric charge, his saw is able to detect contact with a human hand and stop spinning in a few milliseconds. A widely circulated video[1] shows a test on a hot dog that leaves the wiener unscathed.

Now federal regulators are considering whether to make Gass' technology mandatory in the table-saw industry. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced plans for a new rule in May, and the rules could take effect in the coming months.

But established makers of power tools vehemently object. They say the mandate could double the cost of entry-level table saws and destroy jobs in the power-tool industry. They also point out that Gass holds dozens of patents on the technology. If the CPSC makes the technology mandatory for table saws, that could give Gass a legal monopoly over the table-saw industry until at least 2021, when his oldest patents expire.

At the same time, table-saw related injuries cost society billions every year. The CPSC predicts switching to the safer saw design will save society $1,500 to $4,000 per saw sold by reducing medical bills and lost work.

"You commissioners have the power to take one of the most dangerous products ever available to consumers and make it vastly safer," Gass said at a CPSC public hearing on Wednesday.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/patent-disputes-stand-in-the-way-of-radically-safer-table-saws/

[1] SawStop Hot dog Video - Saw blade retracts within 5 milliseconds of accidental contact - YouTube.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Saturday August 12 2017, @09:17AM (6 children)

    by mhajicek (51) on Saturday August 12 2017, @09:17AM (#552806)

    Touching the blade with something conductive while it's running destroys the saw. Have you watched the videos?

    --
    The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Sunday August 13 2017, @03:29AM (5 children)

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Sunday August 13 2017, @03:29AM (#553084)

    What are you talking about? On the SawStop, it destroys the blade, not the saw. A blade is maybe $100 for a good one; not pocket change for most people, but a lot cheaper than the saw. If you have a spare on hand, it takes a few minutes to swap out.

    • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Sunday August 13 2017, @05:32AM (4 children)

      by mhajicek (51) on Sunday August 13 2017, @05:32AM (#553124)

      I think there's a good chance it damages the bearings and spindle axle. I've seen those kinds of forces destroy machines before.

      --
      The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
      • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday August 14 2017, @02:12AM (3 children)

        by Grishnakh (2831) on Monday August 14 2017, @02:12AM (#553425)

        Citation needed. Everything I've ever read about SawStop, including their own literature, says nothing like this: you replace the blade and stopping cartridge and you're back in business.

        • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Monday August 14 2017, @09:41PM (2 children)

          by mhajicek (51) on Monday August 14 2017, @09:41PM (#553849)

          Their device intentionally causes what we in the machining industry call a "crashed spindle", which generally voids all warranty on a spindle no matter the machine type. It's possible that they dramatically overbuilt their spindle to handle these forces, which would partially explain why their cheapest saw costs $1400 when I can buy something otherwise comparable for $140 at Harbor Freight. Yes, literally 10% of the cost. Replacement Sawstop cartridges are $70 to $90 each, so unless it can run without one I'd have to pay for a Harbor Freight saw every two times someone forgot to disable the "feature".

          --
          The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
          • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday August 15 2017, @04:10PM (1 child)

            by urza9814 (3954) on Tuesday August 15 2017, @04:10PM (#554296) Journal

            It's possible that they dramatically overbuilt their spindle to handle these forces, which would partially explain why their cheapest saw costs $1400 when I can buy something otherwise comparable for $140 at Harbor Freight.

            Or perhaps it's because you're comparing to Harbor Freight, the place that sells tools so cheap they can't even manage a goddamn SCREWDRIVER BIT that won't shatter on the very first use. I've seen disposable napkins that were sturdier than their "tools". You've gotta be out of your mind if you're buying a table saw from that place...

            • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Tuesday August 15 2017, @08:03PM

              by mhajicek (51) on Tuesday August 15 2017, @08:03PM (#554404)

              I have several Harbor Freight tools which perform as well as or better than Home Depot tools. When the job calls for a $140 tool, I don't want the government mandating that I buy a $1400 tool.

              --
              The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek