Although the panel saw market has changed in recent years, there remain some basic operating tips to maximize efficiency. Here are a few of them:

1. A front loading system may offer more flexibility, especially for manufacturers trying to achieve the same output of batch cutting, but with single sheets.

2. Also for front-loading models, always have the material on a scissor lift positioned at the side away from the right angle fence and oriented for crosscutting first. The panels can then easily be pivoted onto the air tables at the front of the machine.

3. By starting the ripping cycle as far from the controller side of the saw as possible, there is room to turn the first strip or strips, orienting them for crosscutting.

4. Keep idle time at a minumum. Instead of offloading the last part of a cutting cycle, pull it away from the cutting line, load the next sheet into the clamps of the saw, initiate the next cutting cycle and then offload the last part.

5. Eliminate morning downtime by pulling material at the end of the day for the next morning’s production.

6. Equipment manufacturers also have available features that allow for processing a higher percentage of customized parts quickly and efficiently. For horizontal saws, these include: high speed movement in the saw carriage, pusher and side aligners, dual pushers for crosscutting and downloading of information to the saw for label generation.

7. Vertical saw manufacturers are also seeing increased demand for flexibility. Today’s options include: digital positioning of the stock, the ability to cut a variety of substrates, repeatability, laser alignment and auto positioning on the X axis.

Source: WoodworkingNetwork.com

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