SawStop 10” Contractor Saw 63
Brake Cartridge
What to do if the SawStop Safety System Activates
When the
SawStop
®
safety system is activated, the brake pawl will be pushed into the blade to stop its rotation.
If the blade is spinning at a significant speed, the arbor block will retract to lower the blade below the table. Both
of these actions will occur within just a few milliseconds. In addition, the safety system will turn off the motor
and display the “Replace Cartridge” system status code on the LED lights on the switch box (see page 44).
Once the safety brake is activated, you will need to carry out the 3 steps described below to reset the safety
system and the saw before continuing to use the saw.
1. Reset the Retraction of the Arbor Block:
During normal use, the arbor block is held in place by a
spring-loaded support mechanism called the retraction bracket. When the brake is activated, the angular
momentum of the spinning blade is transferred to the arbor block, causing it to drop out of the retraction
bracket.
To reset the arbor block into the retraction bracket, fully lower the blade by turning the elevation hand
wheel counter-clockwise until the lower elevation limit stop is reached. The arbor block will automatically
engage the support mechanism. Now turn the elevation hand wheel clockwise to raise the arbor block
and blade.
2. Replace the Brake Cartridge:
The
SawStop
®
brake cartridge must be replaced in the event the
brake is activated. The brake pawl and components inside the sealed housing are expended when the
brake is activated. Therefore, the brake cartridge cannot be reused after the brake is activated and it may
be discarded or returned to SawStop. Once the activated cartridge has been removed, obtain another
brake cartridge that has not been activated and follow the instructions on page 62 to install it.
If the brake activated due to accidental contact between the blade and an operator, please return the
cartridge to SawStop.
During use the cartridge is constantly measuring data about the operation of the
saw and the signal received from the blade. When the brake is activated, the most recent data is stored
into memory and SawStop can download the data from the activated cartridge. This data is very important
to our continuing research and development program. Therefore, contact SawStop to arrange shipment
of the cartridge back to SawStop. Once SawStop’s engineers verify the brake activated due to accidental
skin contact, you will receive a replacement cartridge free of charge.
If you are unsure why the cartridge activated, you can return the cartridge to SawStop for analysis by
SawStop’s service engineers. When the cartridge data is downloaded, it is usually possible to determine
what caused the brake to activate so that further unintended activations can be prevented.
WARNING!
Always turn off the main power switch and unplug the
power cord before replacing the brake cartridge on your saw.
3. Change the Blade:
When the brake is activated the aluminum brake pawl will pivot into the teeth of
the saw blade with a large amount of force and speed. This usually causes the brake pawl to lock-up on
the blade. If you remove the brake pawl from the blade, one or more of the carbide teeth on the blade
will usually be pulled off. Therefore, it is almost always necessary to replace or repair the blade after the
safety system has been activated.
Once the retraction of the arbor block has been reset and the brake cartridge and blade have been replaced,
the saw is ready for operation.
®
