Safety, Installation Responsibility & Disclaimer

Essential safety requirements

• Operate Saw‑Rite only on a compatible, properly maintained sawmill that has suitable guarding, mechanical stops, travel limits, circuit protection, grounding, and power isolation.
• Provide a properly rated, hardwired emergency-stop system that removes hazardous motion power independently of the touchscreen, Arduino, firmware, and ordinary Stop command.
• The Saw‑Rite 30A On/Off power switch is a normal operating switch, not a lockable battery disconnect or energy-isolating device. Provide a separate, properly rated means to disconnect and secure battery power before service.
• Keep all persons outside the blade, log, board, carriage, sawhead, cable, chain, sprocket, motor, and feed travel hazard areas whenever energy is available.
• Never operate unattended. The operator must maintain a clear view of the mill and remain within immediate reach of physical Stop and emergency-stop controls.
• Never reach into the machine, remove a board, clear a jam, adjust a sensor, or perform service until motion has stopped and all hazardous energy has been isolated.
• Do not rely solely on the displayed position. Verify setup and finished dimensions with an independent measuring tool.

Installer and owner responsibility

Saw‑Rite is a retrofit control component and is not a complete machine-safety system. The purchaser, owner, and installer are responsible for determining compatibility and for the complete design, installation, guarding, wiring, programming configuration, commissioning, inspection, maintenance, and lawful use of the finished machine.

Installation should be performed or reviewed by persons qualified for the mechanical and electrical work involved. The completed installation must be evaluated for the actual sawmill, motors, current draw, operating voltage, drive system, stopping distance, scale, travel, environment, and foreseeable misuse.

The owner is responsible for operator training, written procedures, inspection schedules, access control, required personal protective equipment, and compliance with the sawmill manufacturer’s instructions and all applicable workplace, electrical, machine-safety, and local requirements.

Commissioning and modification

Before cutting lumber, test every function without a log or blade engaged, including motor directions, Stop, emergency stop, the 30A On/Off power switch, battery isolation, front and rear travel limits, maximum depth, scale calibration, feed and return speeds, target stopping behavior, and recovery after interrupted motion.

Recommission the system after any change to firmware, wiring, motors, drivers, power supply, battery voltage, gearing, chain tension, scale, sensors, contactors, safety circuits, or mechanical components. Do not use software parameters to conceal binding, slipping, worn, damaged, or improperly adjusted machinery.

Emergency stop and energy isolation

The emergency-stop circuit should use fail-safe principles appropriate to the installation and should stop hazardous motion if a control wire opens or control power is lost. Releasing an emergency stop must not by itself create unexpected movement.

Before installation, maintenance, adjustment, blade work, jam clearing, or entry into a hazard area, shut down the machine, isolate every energy source, control gravity and stored mechanical energy, apply required lockout/tagout devices, and verify isolation before beginning work.

Product limitations

• Saw‑Rite does not make an unsafe or incompatible sawmill safe.
• Saw‑Rite does not replace guards, mechanical stops, travel limits, fuses, disconnects, contactors, emergency-stop hardware, or qualified installation.
• Touchscreen controls, Arduino firmware, position sensors, and motor drivers can fail, reset, lose power, receive interference, display incorrect information, or behave unexpectedly.
• Actual performance and accuracy depend on installation, mechanics, stopping coast, backlash, load, voltage, temperature, blade condition, wood species, scale mounting, calibration, and maintenance.
• No statement on this website should be interpreted as certification of the purchaser’s completed machine or as a determination that an installation complies with a particular code or standard.

Disclaimer

Information on this website is provided for general product and operating guidance. It is not engineering, electrical, workplace-safety, or legal advice and does not replace evaluation of the specific machine and installation by qualified professionals.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Saw‑Rite is not responsible for injury, death, property damage, production loss, dimensional error, lost material, or other loss caused by improper installation, incompatible equipment, misuse, unattended operation, unauthorized modification, failure to maintain or inspect the machine, bypassed safety devices, failure to isolate hazardous energy, or operation contrary to instructions.

Unauthorized firmware, wiring, hardware, parameter, or safety-circuit changes may create hazardous operation and may affect warranty coverage. Product specifications, features, appearance, and availability may change as development continues.

Stop use and contact Saw‑Rite if

• Movement direction, stopping, return, or limit response is unexpected.
• The displayed position does not agree with independent measurement.
• Wiring, connectors, drivers, relays, motors, or the controller become hot, damaged, loose, or discolored.
• The screen resets, freezes, flickers, becomes unresponsive, or displays abnormal values.
• Any safety control fails a pre-use test.

Questions: info@saw-rite.com

Return to the Saw‑Rite Operating Instructions.