World Champion Austria Innovations & inventions
Keep your fingers safe with an Austrian invention Bad accidents with panel saws will soon be a thing of the past thanks to the Felder Group and the Vienna University of Technology.
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Thomas Weiler from the Institute of Production Engineering and Photonics at the Vienna University of Technology explains that the first attempts to integrate active safety technology into panel saws date back to the 1960s, but “the existing systems only react once the saw blade makes contact with human tissue. And that is too late, of course. The emergency stop has to happen in an extremely abrupt way to minimise the risk of severe injuries. Such an intensive braking process may damage the sawblade and also requires replacing the entire brake unit.” That is expensive of course and takes up a lot time. Which costs more money. So, the Felder Group and the Vienna University of Technology faced a particular problem: Detecting a dangerous situation quickly and reacting Great minds think alike even quicker without damaging parts of the panel saw and thus The Felder Group explains that they had the first ideas for a new keeping it operational. solution back in 2013, and by 2015 the company started to develop “The decisive idea was to use the saw blade itself as a capaca completely new safety feature. Soon, the research turned into a itive sensor,” Weiler says. There is no need for an expensive adcooperation project with the Vienna University of Technology. Robditional system and no need for complicated motion sensors. ert Tratter, Head of Research and Development at Felder Group, These were hurdles that made many companies give explains why they approached the university: “We up their innovation projects because the panwere looking for a scientific partner with a el saw would become very expensive. high level of research knowledge, comSimilar to an antenna, electric bining know-how in all mechatronic impulses make the saw blade fields – mechanics, electrics, elecoscillate. And this electric osciltronics and software developlation is influenced whether ment. After several prelimia human body is close or nary talks with various not. Most people know research facilities the Vithis effect from old radio enna University of sets with a bad recepTechnology turned out tion – you can hear to be the best partner static when you because it met all approach the antenthese requirements na or move away and is also an Austrifrom it. Which one is closer – a hand or a piece of wood? The saw blade “senses” the difference immediately. an research partner.” he panel saw is one of the most dangerous machines in wood-working. Even with the highest care there are still many accidents that often result in the amputation of fingers or the entire hand. There are a number of legally required protective measurements such as shields but in reality, workers often don’t use them because they impede working and the handling of the wood. This is what made the Felder Group think. All existing concepts such as stopping the saw blade within the shortest amount of time have not really been successful with large machinery. So the company came up with a new idea.
