Veteran saw operators have highly developed skills to make precision cuts – even on older manual machines. But even the most experienced operator can make measuring mistakes from time to time. Regardless of who is at the helm of the saw or how much experience they have, the scrap pile will eventually grow while production goals go unmet with bad measurements. Rather than wasting time and material, investing in automation becomes the smarter move.
Since its founding in 1994, the mission at TigerStop has been to free saw operators of their tape measures and manual fences and produce more parts with increased accuracy. To adhere to that mission, the company has consistently made new offerings to the market that turn the saw into a high-precision machine, including its most recent – TigerStop Pro, the company’s next-generation material positioning system.
Built for the fast-paced, data-driven fabrication environment, TigerStop Pro builds on the company’s flagship technology, the eponymous TigerStop. The upgrade includes the ability to transform manual machines into semi-automated or fully automated “high-speed productivity hubs.”
Elizabeth Dick, director of marketing at TigerStop, says manual stops require a “ton of labor” because the operator must pull out their tape measure and make every adjustment by hand. She adds that manual stops and tape measures are some of the most “unknowingly costly items a shop has,” as they result in rework, miscuts and poor yields.
“They’re painstakingly slow and have huge margins for error,” she says. “The first thing we do when we know a customer is using a manual stop or tape measure is look at their scrap bin or garbage bin. That’s incredibly telling and lets us know how much wasted material they have due to generating scrap from miscuts, etc. TigerStop Pro automates this entire process.”
Ease of use
Given the labor shortage and a generation of sawing experts on the verge of retiring, ease of use has become vital in manufacturing environments. Fortunately, TigerStop Pro is easy to use, even for the novice saw operator. They simply enter the dimensions into the touchscreen controller or upload cut lists using the TigerLink 7 software. They can also send them to the saw via ethernet cable.
“I can’t stress enough how easy it now is to use with the touchscreen upgrades,” Dick says. “If you can use a cell phone, you can use TigerStop Pro. You don’t have to spend time adjusting manual stops for every single cut. This is especially important for shops that do a ton of custom work, which means a lot of changing dimensions for each job.”
Dick says saving on production time is one area where savings are made, but the company has found TigerStop Pro “really pays for itself in the yield savings.”
“It uses Dynamic Optimization software that automatically calculates the best order to cut material for the least scrap waste,” she says. “We’ve had customers cut weeks’ worth of material inta single day using our system.”
Dick has heard about customers retrofitting their chop saws, cold saws, upcut saws, ironworkers, drills, punches, presses, shears and more with the automated solution.
“Once upgraded,” she says, “a manual machine turns into a semi- or fully automatic system that can automatically push, pull or position material and process it repeatedly and accurately to ±0.003 in.”
To date, customers include those in industries such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, curtain wall/storefront/fenestration and customers processing aluminum profiles. And they are cutting everything from copper and brass to non-ferrous and various types of steel.
“We see quite a few forming and fabricating clients and job shops cutting steel with our equipment,” Dick says. “The same is true for folks in the automotive and aerospace industries. We really see it all. It’s for anyone who needs to accurately cut parts and who wants a machine that is super intuitive, fast and accurate every time.”
Bypassing brushes
The typical job shop is always looking for ways to eliminate downtime, and fortunately, many advancements have been made to achieve that important goal. Advancements include sensors and alerts that help operators stay on track with general maintenance issues that prevent breakdowns. Another advancement is the brushless motor technology engineered into TigerStop Pro that is designed to keep the system in commission and out of the repair shop.
Traditional electric motors use small graphite or carbon blocks, called brushes, that transfer electricity to a spinning part inside the motor. According to Mike Hojnacki, engineering director at TigerStop, no brushes mean less wear and tear.
“These brushes constantly rub against the commutator, which causes friction and heat and, over time, physical wear,” he says of traditional motors. “TigerStop Pro’s motors, however, eliminate brushes entirely. Instead, they use electronic controllers to manage current flow to the motor’s windings.”
The result is components that do not rub and less mechanical degradation. Hojnacki says brushes typically wear out in 1,000 to 3,000 hours of operation, but brushless motors can often run 10,000-plus hours without major maintenance. Brushes create more internal heat and provide inefficient power transfer, but the brushless motor is designed for better thermal dissipation, which extends motor life.
“Brushless motors are largely maintenance free, making them ideal for applications requiring high uptime or minimal intervention,” he says. “They also maintain consistent performance over time because they don’t suffer from brush degradation.”
Conversely, as brushes wear out, the traditional motor’s performance degrades, which causes inconsistent torque and slower speeds.
Safety and support
Safety is yet another item that can be added to the long list of advancements saw manufacturers have made over the decades. Protecting the operator is priority No. 1, so features like automatic blade guards and emergency stop buttons are front and center during product R&D. Braking systems have been developed to stop the blade and prevent kickback. Automated pushers and stops on material feed systems have also improved safety, as operators no longer have to put their hands anywhere near the blade.
“The operator can stay focused and make fewer mistakes, which reduces rework – and stress,” Dick says. “Automation also takes less of a physical toll on operators’ hands and wrists. Consider all the carpal tunnel, tendonitis and other repetitive hand injuries; automation eliminates that.”
There is also safety in knowledge, so having an operator completely up to speed on their training is vital. While TigerStop Pro is easy to use, the company has YouTube videos and training guides available as well as phone, email, chatbot and live chat support operators can count on for assistance.
“We even have on-site field service technicians, if necessary,” Dick concludes. “Bottom line – we’re here to serve our customers. The fact of the matter is that if our customers are familiar with our flagship product, TigerStop, our new product, TigerStop Pro, is even easier to use. We haven’t had any complaints – just praise.”
