Sliding Table Saw Makes the Cut

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How does a saw maker celebrate turning 90? Germany’s Martin marked the occasion last spring by adding three new sliding saws: the T60a, T65, and T70, bringing its line-up to four. The latest additions supplement the 2010 introduction of the T75 PreX.

The T75 PreX features a blade that swings through a tilting range of 92° (-46° to +46°) and cuts at a blade height of 204 mm (8 inches). It won a Challengers Award at the 2012 International Woodworking Fair, because, Martin says, it has revolutionized the engineering of the dual-tilting drive for the saw blade (inset).

“It was especially challenging for our engineers to design a system to precisely adjust the heavy trunnion over a tilting range of 92° to 0.01°,” Martin notes. The saw blade arbor is moved from two sides, defining Martin’s unique DualDrive system.

A CANBus motor evenly transmits power to both sides of the tilting trunnion and positions it accurately via two chain drives that run synchronously. A built-in sensor monitors the angle position and permanently compares it with the values set by the controller.

Applicable to cutting square panels, sawing complex angular cuts in solid wood or processing glued up stock, its 7.5 kW motor can be equipped with a variable-speed control. The T75 PreX features touchscreen control, and what Martin calls an “intuitive operator dialog” with the controller, which automatically synchronizes adjustments on all axes on the saw blade, rip fence, and 3-axis scoring saw.

Software to manage these functions is also updated continuously. A blade guard moves throughout the tilting range of 92°, “without being a nuisance to the operator,” says Martin. MartinUSA.com