TigerStop’s Mission
At TigerStop we believe that hope is a job. A job gives people purpose. It gives people dignity and a reason to wake up in the morning. It gives people meaning.
Jobs allow people to afford basic necessities and, most importantly, an education. Knowledge is power. A job means income and the ability to support oneself and one’s family, which breeds pride and a sense of hope for the future.
TigerStop believes in growing and protecting manufacturing jobs globally. Because a thriving manufacturing sector builds thriving communities.
Why Manufacturing?
Because each manufacturing job creates three to five local jobs. This manufacturing phenomenon is called “Manufacturing’s Multiplier Effect.”
“Because manufacturing has so many substantial links with so many other sectors throughout the economy, its output stimulates more economic activity across society than any other sector. And a new study suggests the multiplier effect of manufacturing may be much higher than previously calculated … Earlier projections based on Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) annual input-output tables have calculated that a dollar’s worth of final demand for manufacturers generates $1.48 in other services and production… A new analysis by Inforum, an economic consulting service working out of the University of Maryland, suggests the manufacturing multiplier is much higher — $1.92, almost doubling the base value of the manufacturing output itself.”
– Industry Week
That is why our mission is to help manufacturers sustain jobs in their local communities, which in turn allows them to compete in a global marketplace.
In addition to creating manufacturing jobs, TigerStop believes in sustainability. By sustainability we mean producing what we consume where we consume it. This is good for local economies and the environment we all share. It’s the reason TigerStop is proud to manufacture machinery in the United States of America.
TigerStop believes in a level playing field for all manufacturers and their communities. Governments may hold the keys to much of this with good economic policy, but technology that aids manufacturers to be more competitive truly helps. TigerStop believes that all people should have the opportunity for meaningful work and a meaningful life. That’s why we make it our mission to empower local manufacturers to be globally competitive.
TigerStop’s Values
TigerStop’s core values are integral to its success. We emphasize people over profit and tackle each day with the following tenets as our drivers:
- Golden Rule
- Integrity
- Community
- People
- Passion
- Curiosity
- Diversity
TigerStop Is the First
TigerStop was founded in 1994 by Spencer and Mary Dick. Spencer was the owner of a thriving manufacturing business and became frustrated with the inherent inefficiencies of his operators stopping to reset, recalibrate, and double-check tape measures and machinery while cutting or processing material to various lengths. Spencer also noticed that regardless of how carefully material was measured, the end results were always of slightly different dimensions. He co-founded TigerStop to automate cutting, boring, punching, and machining processes so that fast and accurate parts, whether wood, metal, or plastic, would be the result each and every time.
We have since become a global leader in automated stop/gauge and pusher systems under the TigerStop and SawGear brand names. Headquartered in Washington State, TigerStop is a US manufacturer with a second manufacturing and distribution facility in Wierden, Netherlands; a distribution network spanning six continents; and product support in five languages.
TigerStop was first to the market nearly 25 years ago and continues to be the market leader. We hold the original patents to automated gauge systems and automated fences systems. Because of this, our machinery and software is time-tested. We’ve had a quarter of a century to perfect our designs with extensive research and development. There’s a reason we’re still here innovating. There’s a reason more factories around the world trust TigerStops to keep inaccuracies and scrap waste at bay. There’s a reason the average user has four machines. We’re every manufacturer’s best-kept secret.
Customer Service
A company is only as good as its customer service. Why buy something you can’t maintain over 5, 10, 15, 20 years? You wouldn’t buy a car from just any random dealership. Customer service is TigerStop’s specialty. It’s why we have a team of dedicated service members who are available to answer questions, troubleshoot, and assist with enabling each and every machine we send out in the world.
TigerStop’s extensive online Service Page hosts a library of manuals, current and legacy, troubleshooting guides, and how-to videos for diagnosing and fixing machinery on the fly. We have a great selection of YouTube videos as well. We give our customers the option of contacting us via an online form, email (service@tigerstop.com), or phone.
TigerStop also has service technicians at your disposal for on-site installations, and we frequently invite customers to the TigerStop Headquarters in Vancouver, WA, for hands-on training. We’re always looking for ways to streamline our customer service offerings. We’re nothing without our customers, and we do everything in our power to maintain our excellent customer service record.
An added bonus of having well over 45,000+ systems in operations is that TigerStop has become accustomed to retrofitting hardware and software on machines up to two decades old. Meaning, the machine you buy now will be fully functional and serviceable for many years to come.
Best-In-Show Software
TigerStop invented Dynamic Optimization years ago to help customers optimize material and increase yield on the go. Our proprietary algorithm constantly moves and thinks as each part or remnant piece is introduced. Since then, we have introduced an extensive array of software programs designed to help streamline our customers’ operations and put dollars back on their bottom lines. Click here to check out all of TigerStop’s software offerings as listed in our guide: From Design to Done.
Rugged, Industrial Hardware
Industrial Controller
TigerStop utilizes an industrial controller necessary for the harsh environments our machines call home. We have an optional touch-screen controller with easy-to-use editable buttons. Our controllers and touch screens are easily replaced, upgraded, sealed, and serviced.
TigerStop Tables
TigerStop’s tables aren’t just tables. They’re tables you will only have to buy once in your lifetime. We like to think that the two most expensive tools are:
- the one you don’t have and need and
- the cheapest tool that you have to buy over and over again.
Invest in your machinery and invest in your tables. Your bottom line will thank you in the long run.
TigerStop’s Bearings
TigerStop utilizes ultra-high molecular weight bearings with a large surface area. Because the surface area of our bearings is so large, they can withstand a significant amount of stress, which in turn enhances longevity.
TigerStop’s bearings are also adjustable. You won’t ever need to replace TigerStop’s bearings due to failure. If after years of wear and tear you wish to adjust bearing tension, you’ll simply need the twist of an Allen wrench, and just like that, they’ll be made perfectly new again.
Why do our bearings matter so much? Well, if you hit a TigerStop carriage with a dead blow hammer while it’s mounted, you’ll notice that our bearings will absolutely not break. This is intentional. They can withstand a lot of abuse in an industrial environment.
Zero Backlash
TigerStops have built-in software settings to safeguard to prevent backlash. This is why we don’t need superfluous backlash prevention gears. Accuracy is everything to our customers, and therefore, accuracy is everything to us.
Pulleys
Our pulleys are twice as strong as a system, for example, using two-inch diameter pulleys. This means that TigerStop pulleys are able to maintain immense pushing load positions. It also increases the accuracy of our system’s encoder by double.
Because our pulleys are designed so well, every single TigerStop can push, pull, and position material right out of the box. It’s been that way since 1994. Our HeavyDuty 2 system can even push up to 2,100 lbs. How about them apples?
TigerStop’s pulleys have been steadfastly working for 25 years. The spacing between our pulley teeth creates a greater distance between gears, preventing them from grinding up next to one another. The end result? TigerStop pulleys last for decades upon decades. We know this because all of our equipment is time-tested since 1994.
Renishaw Certification
All TigerStop systems are stringently tested and calibrated prior to their release into the world. They receive the highest level of calibration certification possible using Renishaw lasers. That’s calibration you can trust, and you can’t put a price on trust.
783,820,800 Options and Growing
TigerStop knows that every shop is unique. No two shops are the same in terms of size, layout, and capacity. For this very reason, we have designed our equipment to be flexible.
We offer lengths in a range of sizes from 4 feet all the way up to 108 feet, pushing capacities from 90 pounds all the way to 2,100 pounds, and belt or rack and pinion driven systems. We also offer Standard Interconnect Kits with each machine for semi-automatic operation and an upgradable Advanced Interconnect Kit for a fully automatic operation. There are various controller options, standard or TigerTouch, and a wide array of software features from Cut List Downloading to Dynamic Pack Optimization. We have label printers for custom part identification, UV crayons for laser defecting material, a Software Development Kit for those who’d like to expand on our offerings, and more.
We have machinery solutions and kits available for chop saws, drills, ironworkers, haunches, vertical panel saws, sliding table saws, veneer clippers, band saws, and jig borers, to name a few.
TigerStop has a wide range of pusher foot accessories, back fence rulers, and metal value packs. We supply quality control caliper tables for lengths up to 16 feet, portable tables for easy jobsite setup, steel roller tables, plastic roller tables, 10-degree tilt tables, and friction tables.
A TigerStop for Every Shop
We have so many features and so many options that when we did the math to calculate all of the possibilities, we were shocked (but not that shocked in reality) to find out that there are 783,820,800 different combinations of TigerStops available as of today. Yup. You heard us correctly.
So, if you ever overhear a shop owner saying there’s isn’t a TigerStop option available for him, that his operation is either too big or too small or too something, you can confidently tell him, “You are right, there isn’t a single option for you, there are actually 783,820,800 options for you to choose from.”
Bonus: Choosing the right product is pretty easy using the help of our Configurator.
Fast Payback
Our customers have incredibly fast paybacks. When you factor in TigerStop’s 5-Finger Discount, a.k.a., TigerStop’s top five benefits, you’ll understand why:
- Zero set-up time
- 100% accuracy
- No more rework
- Increased productivity
- Improved yields
Put your calculators away! TigerStop even helps you calculate your return on investment with the help of our online ROI Calculator. Simply enter a few values related to your current labor, material, and rework costs and the amount you’re investing, and we’ll calculate your annual savings, ROI percent, and payback period. It’s that simple.
Spare Parts on Demand
As a manufacturer, we know exactly what it’s like to be kept waiting for machinery parts. We know the disruption it causes, the havoc it wreaks, and the bottlenecks it creates.
Because we have a 25-year history of product innovation, we have developed a streamlined supply chain. We either locally source or manufacture parts in-house and can get them to our customers in no time flat. You can purchase parts online and we often overnight ship parts directly to factories. Spare parts on-demand means that our customers aren’t ever down or, in worst-case scenarios, aren’t down for significant periods of time. It’s just one more added benefit of purchasing machinery and software from TigerStop, an American manufacturer.
A World-Class Brand
At TigerStop, we bleed orange. We’re fast and accurate … every time. We make sure our customers receive the highest quality machinery that’s made in the US so they can produce accurate parts, “Because Size Does Matter.” You’ll see our ferocious tiger at trade shows, on our website and on social media, at industry events, at lectures, and throughout manufacturing facilities across the globe.
We’ve spent time and attention building a brand with impact. Over the last 25 years, we have diligently collected customer feedback and adopted a lean manufacturing mantra of continuous improvement. By constantly innovating and improving our products based on real-life user feedback, we have been able to bring our customers an incredible amount of value. Our customers are our partners. Together we will forge a pathway forward, continually refining and improving our machinery and software offerings so that we can, now and in the future, help local manufacturers across the globe be successful. After all, our mission is to empower local manufacturers to be globally competitive.
All of these reasons and more make TigerStop a market leader. We are the brand people trust when it comes to accuracy and repeatability. It’s the reason we have so many customer success stories—because once you become part of the TigerStop family, once you enter our doors or enter in your first enable code, you’re family for life.