Chipping and shattering of large sheets of flexible material such as thin acrylic is caused by movement in the sheet. This movement is due to the sheet being picked up by the saw blade, resulting in the material 'chattering'.

By using a sacrificial backing board, the sheet is supported by a large, flat surface and cannot move when being cut. Limiting the depth of cut to just over the work piece thickness will ensure that the backing board has a very long life.

The risk of chipping can also be reduced by minimising cutting depth to approximately 1mm over depth, thus keeping the minimum amount of blade in the sheet and reducing the risk of pick-up.

For very thin panels Sagetech supplies fine toothed saw blades which further reduce the risk of damage. These are, however, rarely needed.

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