SawStop has finally announced their new safety band saw, which incorporates flesh-detection and blade brake technology.
SawStop has not provided us with any information or media resources. I was able to gather some bits and pieces from influencer content and social media, but wish there was the opportunity to ask some questions.
To start, the new SawStop band saw is a woodworking-specific machine with 14″ of cutting depth. That seems to be the industry-standard size for floor-standing woodworking band saws.
As part of the saw’s normal operation, there’s an electronic brake that stops the blade within 2 seconds.
But if the flesh detection sensor is activated, the new Sensic safety tech “cuts and captures” the blade in several milliseconds.
It sounds like the saw destroys the band saw blade in the emergency braking process. It’s not clear if the Sensic safety tech mechanism can be reset, or if it needs to be replaced in a similar manner as the cartridges that SawStop uses in their table saws.
According to a retailer post, the saw will be available with 120V and 240V motor options.
SawStop is launching their new PBS band saw in mid-2027.
Harvey announced a new “smart” band saw last year – see Harvey Launched a Smarter Woodworking Bandsaw.
I find it surprising that SawStop’s new band saw doesn’t have the same modern features, the absence of which makes their announcement somewhat underwhelming.
It’s still exciting to see new safety options, but I was hoping for more than that.
