Cutting stone? Be safe! With SAFEFLEX SF

An angle grinder is commonly used to cut stones to size on site while paving. Accident statistics show that this is far from risk-free. The new Safeflex from Probst protects the worker and replaces a cutting table. It earned the innovation medal at G

An angle grinder is commonly used to cut stones to size on site while paving. Accident statistics show that this is far from risk-free. The new Safeflex from Probst protects the worker and replaces a cutting table. It earned the innovation medal at GaLaBau 2018.

According to accident statistics, angle grinders are the leading cause of injury by far on German construction sites: the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) 2016 annual report states that hand-held power tools are involved in more than one quarter of all accidents! With a clear focus on the requirements, the team at Probst GmbH worked out a solution for safely cutting flagstones and similar products. The Swabian innovator has set ground-breaking standards time and time again in the company’s nearly 60-year history. Now the success story continues with the Safeflex SF: at the GaLaBau 2018 trade fair, the Safeflex was awarded the innovation medal. The jury agreed: “The risk of cutting injuries can be reduced with the Safeflex SF.” This was already the fifth GaLaBau innovation medal for Probst.

To cut stone with an angle grinder, the current habit is frequently to omit adequate fixation and simply hold it down with one’s foot. The building material can shift in the process so one loses control of the tool, with incalculable consequences. The risk of cutting injuries can be reduced considerably with the Safeflex SF. Stones are secured quickly and reliably so they cannot shift and turn into dangerous projectiles. The building material such as a flagstone is placed between two clamping elements pushed apart by springs. Two locking bars mounted on the side are used to set the clamping elements to the building material height in the range of 30-160 mm. After the stone or slab is in place, one closes the upper clamping element, which has an extension that serves as a handle and cutting guard in one. The user simply steps down with the foot, securing the product, and the cut can be made as usual with the angle grinder or stone saw. The clamping surfaces with non-slip mats hold even small remainders securely for accurate cutting.

Holger Merholz, Director Sales & Marketing at Probst GmbH, is elated about the award: “Our products are made for the realities of a construction site. The Safeflex SF is a handy, easy way to considerably reduce the risk of accidents when cutting with an angle grinder.” Ergonomics were also taken into account, since the Safeflex is much handier and easier to transport than for example a wet cutting table.