About Safety When Using Cutting Tool Products 3. Cautions regarding the handling of tool materials Warning ① Cutting tool materials have the characteristics of being extremely hard yet brittle. Therefore may be broken by impact or by overtightening. ② Since carbide tool materials have high specific gravities, be carefull to handle large pro- ducts or large quantities as heavy materials. ③ If a laser or electric pen, etc. is used to mark carbide material or products, crack may form. Do not mark sections which may be subject to stress. ④ The thermal expansion of carbide tool materials is different from that of metal materials. Be- cause of this, for shrink-fit or cooling-fit products, if the usage temperature is slightly higher (lower) than the specified temperature, cracking may occure. ⑤ When brazing hard tool materials, if the temperature is too high or too low from the melting point of the brazing material, loosening and breakage may occur. ⑥ Please note that products in this catalogue are continously under study and are improved. The products therefore may be changed in the future and thus become different from the catalogue. Stock status is mentioned for the products in this catalogue. However, please note that the products here may be replaced by the new grades and products in the future. ⑦ When cutting tool materials are grounded or heated, dust or mist (smoke) occurs. If a lot of it is inhaled, swallowed or comes in contact with eyes or skin, it could result injury to the body. When machining, be careful to avoid exposing your body to the dust or mist; it is recommended that localized ventilation equipment to be used and that a protective mask, protective goggles, and protective gloves be worn. In addition, if the dust, etc. comes in contact with hands, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. Do not drink or eat in the work area, and wash your hands before drinking or eating. Dust on clothes should not be shaken out, use a vaccum, etc. to remove the dust or wash the clothes in a washing ma- chine. If the cobalt contain in the cutting tool material is touched repeatedly or over a long period of time, it has been reported that it may affect skin, respiratory organs, or heart, etc. For detailed information refer to the MSDS = Material Safety Data Sheet for each material. Caution ⑧ If cutting tool materials become corroded due to cutting fluid, lubricating agents, or other moisture, their strength will be reduced. Care should be taken regarding storage conditions ⑨ For carbide tool materials, the strength may be slightly reduced due to the surface condi- tions. For finishing, always use diamond grinder. ⑩ Machining hard tool materials on EDM may cause cracks on the surface due to electrons remaining after the EDM operation, resulting in lowering of the toughness. Eliminate these cracks by grinding,etc. 3