Not so dusty: How tech is changing woodworking

"“We've understood so much more about the safety of our lungs,” Saunders says. From high-pressure extractors to high-quality filters, there are more tools than ever before to protect the lungs of people working with wood. Better dust collection was at the core of a company launched in 2024 by Chris de Jongh, an engineer and woodworker."

"He noticed that companies were running their dust collections systems too much, sometimes around the clock. So his company, BlastGate.com, sells a device that “ensures that you're only extracting dust when needed”. For one Dutch client making kitchens, the system paid for itself within half a year, according to de Jongh."

"The blade has an electrical signal that detects when skin comes into contact with the metal. Within five milliseconds of that contact, the spinning blade comes to a dramatic brake, and the blade whooshes below the table. Because the safety system is activated by contact, a finger may get nicked. But “that is the difference between having a plaster and going to a plastic surgeon,” says Saunders."

"Since 2022, the Hand Guard technology of the German company Altendorf has used cameras and AI to detect when a hand comes too close to a blade. Both companies are continuing to collect data to refine when the safety feature gets triggered. False alarms would result in unnecessary downtime, while the machine is reset."

Woodworking has changed in recent decades through technology that improves health and safety. Better dust collection systems use high-pressure extractors and high-quality filters to protect workers’ lungs. Some systems are designed to extract dust only when needed, reducing unnecessary operation; a device sold by BlastGate.com targets dust extraction timing and has reportedly paid for itself within months for a kitchen-making client. Machine tools have also gained safety features. SawStop detects skin contact with an electrical signal and stops the blade within milliseconds. Altendorf’s Hand Guard uses cameras and AI to detect hands near blades, while ongoing data collection aims to reduce false alarms and refine trigger timing.

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