Leica Sp9000 User Manual

Instruction Manual

Leica SP9000 V2.2 English – 08/2007
Always keep this manual near the instrument.

Read carefully prior to operating the instrument.

Leica SP9000

Automatic knife sharpener

IMPORTANT NOTE

The information, numerical data, notes and value
judgments contained in this manual represent the
current state of scientific knowledge and state­of-the-art technology as we understand it follow­ing thorough investigation in this field. We are un­der no obligation to update the present manual
periodically and on an ongoing basis according to
the latest technical developments, nor to provide
our customers with additional copies, updates etc.
of this manual.

For erroneous statements, drawings, techni­cal illustrations etc. contained in this manual
we exclude liability as far as permissible ac­cording to the national legal system applicable
in each individual case. In particular, no liabil­ity whatsoever is accepted for any financial loss
or consequential damage caused by or related
to compliance with statements or other infor­mation in this manual.

Statements, drawings, illustrations and other
information as regards contents or technical
details of the present manual are not to be con­sidered as warranted characteristics of our

products. These are determined only by the
contract provisions agreed between ourselves
and our customers.
Leica reserves the right to change technical
specifications as well as manufacturing pro­cesses without prior notice. Only in this way is
it possible to continuously improve the tech­nology and manufacturing techniques used in
our products.
This document is protected under copyright
laws. Any copyrights of this document are re­tained by Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH.

Any reproduction of text and illustrations (or of
any parts thereof) by means of print, photocopy,
microfiche, web cam or other methods – in­cluding any electronic systems and media –
requires express prior permission in writing by
Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH.

For the instrument serial number and year of
manufacture, please refer to the name plate at
the back of the instrument.

© LeicaBiosystems Nussloch GmbH

Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH

Heidelberger Str. 17 - 19
D-69226 Nussloch
Germany

Telephone:[phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
eMail: [e-mail]
Internet : http://www.histo-solutions.com

Leica SP9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

Serial no.: ....................................................................

Year of manufacture: .................................................

Country of origin: ...Federal Republic of Germany

3

Table of contents

1. Important Notes .............................................................................................................. 5

1.1 Symbols used in this manual and their meaning ............................................................... 5

1.2 Designated use / misuse .......................................................................................................... 6

1.3 Selection and qualification of personnel ............................................................................. 6

2. Safety................................................................................................................................. 7

2.1 General information on instrument design and safe handling ....................................... 7

2.2 Safety instructions for handling the instrument ................................................................. 7

3. Instruments properties ................................................................................................. 8

3.1 Technical Data ........................................................................................................................... 8

3.2 General Description .................................................................................................................. 8

3.3 Overview - SP9000 ..................................................................................................................... 9

4. Installation..................................................................................................................... 10

4.1 Check list .................................................................................................................................... 10

4.2 Installing the instrument......................................................................................................... 11

5. Coarse honing procedure ........................................................................................... 13

5.1 . Inspect for presence and size of nicks .............................................................................. 13

5.2. Put honing plate on holder .................................................................................................... 14

5.3. Apply coarse abrasive to the plate ..................................................................................... 14

5.4. Attach knife ............................................................................................................................... 15

5.5. Centre the knife using a ruler ................................................................................................ 15

5.6 Set coarse honing knob ......................................................................................................... 16

5.7 Set Timer at 30 minutes .......................................................................................................... 16

5.8 Push the blue coarse button on the control panel .......................................................... 16

5.9 Remove knife carefully ........................................................................................................... 16

5.10 Clean knife - inspect condition ............................................................................................. 17

5.11 Clean glass plate - continue Coarse Honing if necessary............................................. 17

6. Fine coarse procedure ............................................................................................... 18

7. Redressing hone glass plates .................................................................................. 21

8. Trouble shooting .......................................................................................................... 26

9. Warranty and service ................................................................................................. 27

10. EC Declaration of Conformity .................................................................................... 28

Peoples Republic of China......................................................................................... 29

4

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

1. Important Notes

The individual chapters of the
Leica SP9000 instruction manual:

Chapter 1 Important notes

• Table of contents

• Important information on this
manual

Chapter 2 Safety

• Make sure to read this
chapter before operating the
instrument!

Chapter 3 Instrument properties

• Technical Data

• Overview

Chapter 4 Installation

• Standard delivery

• Unpacking and installing the
instrument

Chapter 5 Coarse honing procedure

• Controls

• Working with the instrument

Chapter 6 Fine coarse procedure
Chapter 7 Redressing hone glass plates

1.1 Symbols used in this manual and their meaning

Warnings
appear in a grey box and are marked
by a warning triangle:

Useful notes,
i.e. important user information appear
in a grey box and are marked by an in­formation symbol:

(5)
(Fig.5)

Instrument type:

All information given in this instruction manual
applies only to the instrument type indicated on
the title page.

A name plate, indicating the instrument serial
number, is attached to the back of the instrument.

Figures in brackets refer to item num­bers in drawings or to the drawings
themselves.

Chapter 8 Trouble shooting

Chapter 9 Warranty and service

Leica SP9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

Required information for all inquiries:

For any inquiries please specify:

• Instrument type

• Serial number

5

1. Important Notes

General

This instruction manual includes important instructions and information related
to the operating safety and maintenance of the instrument.

The instruction manual is an important part of the product. It must be read
carefully before using the instrument for the first time and must always be
kept with the instrument.

If additional requirements, which exceed the scope of this manual, are im­posed by regulations and/or laws on accident prevention and environmental
protection in the country of operation, appropriate instructions for compli­ance with such requirements must be added to this manual.

Read this instruction manual carefully before attempting to work on or oper­ate the instrument.

1.2 Designated use / misuse

Please pay particular attention to chapter 2 (safety features,
safety instructions).
– Please read this information, even if you are already familiar
with the operation and use of other Leica products.

- The Leica Automatic Knife Sharpener is specifically designed to quickly and
accurately hone microtome knives to a precise and fine cutting edge. Addi­tionally, provision has been made to eliminate the tedious task of manually
redressing the honing plates. In total, the new sharpener will provide you
with greatly increased efficiency in honing, convenience in redressing plates,
and a considerable amount of valuable time saved.

- The instrument may only be operated according to the instructions con­tained in this manual.

- Any other use of the instrument is considered contrary to its designated use.

1.3 Selection and qualification of personnel

- The automatic knife sharpener SP9000 may only be operated by
trained laboratory personnel.

- Prior to starting work with the instrument, all laboratory personnel des­ignated to operate the instrument must carefully read the present instruc­tion manual and must be familiar with all technical features of the instru­ment.

6

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

2.1 General information on instrument design and safe handling

This instrument has been built and tested in accordance with the safety
regulations for electrical measuring, control, regulating and laboratory
devices.

In order to maintain this condition and ensure safe operation, the opera­tor must observe all the instructions and warnings contained in this in­struction manual.

For current information about applicable standards, please refer to the
CE declaration of conformity on our Internet site:

www. histo-solutions.com

2.2 Safety instructions for handling the instrument

2. Safety

Potential hazard

Caution: risk of injury when touch­ing the knives and blades as these
are extremely sharp.

Warning: Avoid touching live parts
under any circumstances!

2.2 Safety instructions for hand­ling the instrument

Correct behavior

Make sure to handle knives and blades very cau­tiously!
Never touch the cutting edge of knives and
blades!
Do not leave knives, blades and bladed knife hold­ers unprotected.

The instrument cover may only be removed by
qualified service personnel!
Before removing the cover, ensure that the instru­ment is unplugged.

Leica SP9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

7

3. Instruments properties

3.1 Technical Data

Power supply : Overall Dimensions :

Model 930 is 115 V / 60 Hz Width : 370 mm
Model 940 is 230 V / 50 Hz Height : 460 mm

3.2 General Description

Your technical skill is the key to the successful performance of any labora­tory equipment. While the Leica Microtome Knife Sharpener is efficient and
simple to operate, the results you get depend entirely on your knowledge of
how badly damaged the knife is and how to determine when your knife is to
be sharpened.
Consequently, careful microscopic examination of the edge and facets is
necessary before you start to resharpen, so you can decide on the amount
of coarse honing required. Also, when you complete the coarse and fine hon­ing procedure, it is recommended that the knife be examined microscopi­cally, to assure yourself that good results have been obtained.

Depth : 540 mm

The unit is designed to sharpen Leica Histostat knives up to 250
mm in length. Do not attempt to sharpen any Leica knife with the
Knife Sharpener that has been previously sharpened by another
method unless it has first been factory reconditioned by Leica.

See later section on reconditioning for information on restoring knives, elimi­nating large nicks, etc.

While under certain specific conditions competitive knives may be
sharpened on the Leica Knife Sharpener, optimum results cannot
be assured.

8

Instruction manual V 2.1 – 04/2003

3.3 Overview - SP9000

Plastic cover

Glass Plate

Glass plate
thumbscreen

3. Instrument properties

Knife holder

Hone glass plate
holder

Timer

Plate positional
dial

Off Lap Fine Coarse

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

9

4. Installation

4.1 Check list

The Leica Microtome Knife Sharpener is shipped with all accessories re­quired for coarse and fine knife honing of knife edges and for dressing glass
hone plate surfaces when necessary.

1. Coarse abrasive, 2 bottles, for coarse honing procedure.

2. Fine abrasive, 2 bottles, for fine honing (final sharpening).

3. Hone glass compound, 2 bottles, dressing for glass plates.

4. Two glass hone plates, both sides are identical, providing four usable

honing surfaces.

5. Knife inspection block (hardwood), used to hold knife et proper angle for
inspection of cutting facet with microscope.

6. Bridge assembly maintains pressure on glass plates during glass hone
plate resurfacing.

10

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

4.2 Installing the instrument

1. Place the sharpener on a sturdy table or laboratory bench and remove

tags and retaining tape used for shipment.

2. Assure that the plastic cover fits securely upon the base and is firmly

supported when opened.

3. Be sure that the push-button switch is „OFF”. Plug the instrument into a

GROUNDED receptacle providing the voltage and frequency indicated
on the data plate at the rear of the instrument.

4. Select the proper knife holder for the length of knife to be sharpened.

The standard knife holder (no holes through back) is used for all Leica
knife blades up to 185 mm in length. For 250 mm length knives, use the
special knife holder (two round holes through back). Improper matching
of knife length can be dangerous and can cause damage to the cutting
edge.

5. To attach the knife holder to the knife carrier arm, turn the arm, by hand,

so that the pin is vertical (Figure 11.1). Position the knife holder so that
the blade clamps are „UP”.

6. Slide the knife holder onto the shaft until the „slot” in the holder com-

pletely engages the pin and is seated firmly against it. Tighten locking
screw securely (Figure11.2).

4. Installation

Do not operate instrument without knife in holder ... to do so may
cause damage.

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

Abb. 11.2Abb. 11.1

11

4. Installation

Key to sharpening success

The starting point of any successful sharpening technique is the careful ex­amination of the condition of the knife edge using a microscope. Periodic re­examination during sharpening is equally important.

Please remember !

The width of the entire cutting facet is only from 0.1 to 0.6 mm, and nicks in
the edge due to normal use are just a few microns deep. Therefore, there
simply is no satisfactory substitute for the use of a good microscope in knife
inspection. The microscope should be equipped with a measuring device
such as an eyepiece reticle.

There are two basic methods of illuminating the knife for examination: When
studying the surface of the cutting facet to check for smoothness and uni­formity of bevel, „reflected light” is used as shown in Figure 12.1. The lamp
is positioned so the light is directed on the knife facet.
When you wish to study only the edge of the knife to observe for presence
and measurement of nicks, „transmitted light” is used as shown in Fig-
ure 12.2.
In both instances above, it is recommended that you examine the knife at
100 X resultant magnification. Always wipe the edge with a clean cloth moist­ened with solvent such as xylene before examining.

12

Abb. 12.1

Abb. 12.2

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

5. Coarse honing procedure

For the first resharpening of a new Leica knife or one that has been
factory reconditioned by Leica, the honing process must begin
with coarse honing. This is necessary in order to develop the sec­ond facet as is explained in the section on ,,Factory Recondition­ing”.

Again, please note that microscopic examination of the knife before and
after honing is the only proven method of determining how much honing
time is required and when coarse honing has been completed.
In coarse honing, it is important to remember that the sharpening process
begins at the back of the cutting facet and gradually moves toward the front
edge of the knife. The highly efficient honing process is dependent on four
factors:

1. Backward and forward movement of the knife arm to which the knife and

holder are attached.

2. Automatic turnover of the knife at the end of each cycle for equal honing

of both knife sides.

3. A solenoid applies approximately 4 pounds of pressure to the knife when

the coarse button is pushed.

4. An undulating motion of the honing plate is coupled with its back and forth

movement that moves contrary to the knife arm.

Before starting any procedure, be certain that the ,,OFF“- but­ton is depressed.

5.1 . Inspect for presence and size of nicks

Clean knife edge with solvent such asxylene. Place the knife on the micro­scope and inspect the edge for presence and size of nicks. Also, note the
other surface characteristics of the cutting facet to more easily recognize
the “changes” that will take place during coarse honing.

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

13

5. Coarse honing procedure

5.2. Put honing plate on holder

Two plates are supplied, each with two usable sides. When the plate is
properly positioned, tighten the thumbscrew. (Figure 14)

Thumbscrew should be finger tight.
Excessive tightening may damage
plastic plate positioning pins.

Fig. 14

5.3. Apply coarse abrasive to the plate

(Shake the abrasive very thoroughly until all particles are in suspension. If
necessary remove dispenser top and stir to mix contents.) Squeeze a nar­row „ribbon“ (about the width of a pencil) of the coarse abrasive on the glass
plate. The „ribbon” should be approximately equal in length to the knife being
sharpened. Apply coarse abrasive at least an inch inside the front edge of
the plate. Do not permit plate to run dry; add abrasive if needed. Avoid using
excess or abrasive will „pile up” on plate and may necessitate cleaning of
knife holder.

Be sure that the knife holder used matches the length of the knife
to be sharpened. See “Installation” on Page 5. Use of the wrong
knife holder be hazardous and may cause damage to the knife
edge can be hazardous and may cause damage to the knife edge.

14

Instruction manual V 2.1 – 04/2003

5.4. Attach knife

With the two clamps facing ,up” and clamp screws loosened, install knife so
that the end with the Leica trademark to your right (Figure 15.1). This places
the slotted end of the knife to your left as you face the front of the Leica Knife
Sharpener. Tighten the two clamp screws until the knife is safely, but tempo­rarily, fastened.

Always sharpen longest knives first.

5.5. Centre the knife using a ruler

Carefully centre the knife for proper balance during honing. Use a ruler and
adjust knife position until you can measure exactly the same distance from
the outside edge of each clamp to each end of the knife (Figure 15.2). Keep
the knife evenly snug against the back of the holder. Gradually tighten the
two clamp screws - alternating from one to the other - until the knife is held
in place.

5. Coarse honing procedure

Fig. 15.1 Fig. 15.2

Leica SP9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

15

5. Coarse honing procedure

5.6 Set coarse honing knob

Switch the coarse honing knob on the left-hand side of the control panel fully
to the left so the direction of the knob is towards „Coarse”.

5.7 Set Timer at 30 minutes

When beginning coarse honing operation, set the automatic timer for 30 mi­nutes. This initial setting of 30 minutes holds true for knives being sharpened
for the first time on the Leica Knife Sharpener as well as those previously
sharpened on this instrument. Close plastic cover.

5.8 Push the blue coarse button on the control panel

The solenoid will lock in and release automatically with each turn of the
knife. The knife is automatically stroked against the undulating honing plate.
After the equivalent of three full strokes on one side, a cam follower auto­matically turns the knife and hones the other cutting facet again using three
strokes. Cycle is repeated continuously until time has run out.

5.9 Remove knife carefully

16

At the end of the time cycle, the knife holder will stop in a raised, horizontal
position. Loosen clamp screws and remove knife. As a safety precaution
and for ease of handling, insert a knife handle into the slot on the left side of
the knife (Figure 9).

If the holder should stop upside down (knife clamps facing down­ward), turn the automatic time knob beyond the 10 minute setting.
Wait until the knife starts to move upward and then turn timer to
,,zero”. The knife holder will then go through a half cycle and stop
in the correct, raised position. Shut off Machine by depressing
„OFF” button.

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

5. Coarse honing procedure

5.10 Clean knife - inspect condition

Wipe knife with clean cloth moistened with solvent and inspect the cutting
facet under a microscope (1OOX). Keeping in mind that the coarse honing
action proceeds from the back of the facet to the edge of the knife, check to
see how much of the surface has been honed. Because each knife and its
condition is different, no specific time can be given to achieve the results
illustrated.

5.11 Clean glass plate - continue Coarse Honing if necessary

Wash the glass hone plate with a detergent under hot running tap water to
remove abrasive and fine metal particles. Wipe dry. If you feel further coarse
honing is necessary apply fresh, coarse abrasive and continue honing as
required. Inspect periodically to check progress. Add abrasive as needed.
Wash hone plate when abrasive becomes a dirty, raish colour.

With experience you will soon be able to determine when you
have a good, even coarse facet, uniform in appearance and have
completely removed the single, factory facet-or-the fine, cutting
facet produced by the Leica Knife Sharpener.

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

Abb. 17

17

6. Fine coarse procedure

Coarse honing must be followed by fine honing using the Leica Fine Abra­sive. As illustrated in Figure 10, the coarse honing action produces a single
facet. In proceeding with the fine honing operation, a second cutting facet
is ground on the knife at the cutting edge as shown in Figure 18.

Fig. 18

The width of the fine facet is not of significance. This will vary from one knife
to the next. Also, this width often varies from one side of a particular knife to
the other; however, this fine facet should be approximately the same width
from one end of the knife to the other end. (See page 26 for comments on
typical sharpening problems.) While the above should be kept in mind, the
most critical factor in judging the success of fine honing is the degree to
which the small, remaining nicks are removed. Nothing exceeds this in im­portance! Exactly how microscopically free of nicks the knife edge must be,
depends, of course, on the thickness of the tissue sections being cut. For
example, with a four-micron nick in the knife, you cannot obtain a satisfac­tory section five microns thick because of a ,tearing” action. However, with a
ten-micron section, results may be acceptable although not uniformly even.

Either plate may be used for fine hon­ing (either side), but be especially
careful to remove all coarse honing
abrasive and honing remnants from
the plate and knife. Washing both un­der hot running water and using ordi­nary detergent should suffice. Wipe
dry.

Your Leica Knife Sharpener . . .

is capable of producing an edge so near to perfection that subsequent hand
stropping will only result in „turning over” the edge. Do not strop!

18

Instruction manual V 2.1 – 04/2003

6. Fine coarse procedure

The fine honing procedure is identical to coarse honing with three excep­tions:

1. Lower honing plate to fine honing position by turning honing dial on the

left-hand side of the control panel fully to the right. Note red dot.

2. Apply a ribbon of the Leica Fine Abrasive to the plate. After extensive

testing, it was determined that the Fine Abrasive is a superior abrasive
and produces a finer polished facet. This new abrasive has the following
advantages.

a. Improved performance. Sharpening in the fine honing cycle will be con-

siderably reduced. Failure to use the Leica Fine Abrasive may result in the
accumulation of metal particles on your hone plate which will damage
the edge.

b. Leica Fine Abrasive is in suspension and will not settle out. It requires no

shaking or stirring.

c. Leica Fine Abrasive is water soluble and hone plate cleaning is accom-

plished easily under running water. If a film remains on the knife, it should
be carefully wiped with a soft cloth.

3. Set timer to 10 minutes and push red fine honing button in the centre of

the control panel. Note the solenoid, which applied pressure to the knife
in coarse honing, is not engaged. After the 10 minute period, examine the
knife and continue additional honing if necessary.

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

19

6. Fine coarse procedure

After Fine Honing is Complete

Shut off instrument by depressing ,OFF” button. Clean knife and wipe dry care­fully (Figure 20.1). Where atmosphere is corrosive and the knife is to be stored
for any length of time, lubricate with a good grade of light, neutral oil.

After the knife has been used, only a ,touch up” of the edge, using fine hon-

Abb. 20.1

Abb. 20.2

ing may be sufficient to restore cutting qualities. (Never strop.) Much will
depend upon the type of tissue and desired thickness of the sections. Again,
microscopic examination will assist you in determining what is necessary.

As illustrated in Figure 20.2, fine honing is complete. Note the even width of
the fine facet (from end to end of knife). Small knicks have been satisfacto­rily removed. Microscopic „S” - shaped lines on fine facet are a normal
result of polishing action and do not affect cutting qualities.

In redressing hone plates the switch will stop the action of the
hone table when the timer runs out only if the knife carriage as­sembly is in a normal stop position. It is essential therefore, that
the previous cycle be allowed to run to completion and the ,,OFF”
button be depressed to prevent any further movement of the car­riage.

20

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

7. Redressing hone glass plates

In order to eliminate excessive redressing time on the hone plates, it is sug­gested that users accumulate no more than three or four hours sharpening
time on any plate surface.
The honing action of the knife against the frosted surface of the glass plate
will eventually cause a ,shiny” path to be worn on the face of the plates as
wide as the length of the knife. The number of hours before the appearance
of a shiny area depends upon the type of abrasive most frequently used.
When such a shiny surface exists, time required for proper honing increases
substantially. Coarse honing, in particular, becomes very time consuming.
Also, should one attempt to sharpen a knife that is longer than the worn part
of the plate, correct honing becomes impossible. The ends of the longer knife
will ride high on microscopic shoulders (areas still frosted) and the centre
will not make proper contact on the shiny, worn area.
To economize time, most technicians wait until both glass hone plates re­quire dressing. In addition, if desired, each side of the two plates can be
dressed during the same procedure thus restoring the frosted appearance
to all four identical plate surfaces.

Abb. 21.1

1. Depress “OFF” button.

2. Remove knife holder from arm (Figure 14) and raise arm approximately

1-1/2". Turn the,Table” dial completely to the left to the ,Coarse/Glass Lap”
position.

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

Abb. 21.2

21

7. Redressing hone glass plates

3. If the plastic glass retainers are not in place, install them on the posts on
the platform and tighten the two thumb screws in each one (Figure 15).

The two glass retainers may be left in place during knife sharpen­ing.

4. Position one hone glass on the plate holder and tighten thumbscrew (fin­ger tight only). Be sure that the top surface of the clamp is below the top
surface of the glass (Figure 16).

Abb. 22.1 Abb. 22.2

5. Shake Leica Hone Glass Compound thoroughly until all particles are in
suspension. If necessary, remove dispenser top and stir to mix contents.
Apply an ,S“ shaped line of compound over the surface of the plate (Fig­ure 17). There must be sufficient compound so that the entire plate sur­face will be covered when the second plate is inserted and redressing
begins.

USE ONLY LEICA HONE GLASS COMPOUND. DO NOT USE DRY
ABRASIVE.
ALL TRACES OF HONE GLASS COMPOUND MUST BE REMOVED
FROM GLASS PLATES BEFORE SHARPENING KNIVES.

6. Place the second plate between the two glass retainers so that it is lying
flat. It is unimportant as to which side is down first (Figure 18).

22

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

7. Redressing hone glass plates

7. Insert the two lips of the bridge assembly into the slot behind the front

panel. Then, with the spring mounted suction cups on the top plate, press
down on the bridge and tighten the thumb screw (Figure 19).

8. Set the timer for 10 minutes and push the „LAP“ button.

9. When the machine stops, wash the plates and inspect their condition.

Repeat with fresh hone glass compound. After 20 minutes of redressing,
wash each plate thoroughly under running water and dry completely.
Inspect for uniform, frosted appearance over the entire surface of each
plate. If there is a ,,shadowy” indication of the shiny area still present,
repeat the above procedure until a uniform surface is obtained.

10. When you are satisfied with both plates, turn over both plates and repeat

the process.

11. Test glass hone plates for „flatness”. After plates are properly dressed

and dried, they can be tested for flatness in the following manner: Bring
the plates into contact (dressed surfaces together) with a sliding, circu­lar motion until edges match. Lift the top plate with your fingertips. If both
plates are perfectly flat, the bottom plate will cling to the top plate and
raise with it, about 1/2 inch, until its own weight finally pulls it free.

Abb. 23.1 Abb. 23.2

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

23

7. Redressing hone glass plates

widened bevel

Surface must be
factory ground to
restore proper bevel
width

The new, or factory reconditioned, Leica Knife has very precise wedge and
cutting facet angles. These angles permit the knife to ,meet“ the glass hone
plate in the correct manner for proper coarse and fine honing.

For this reason, please remember :

1. The use of only new or factory reconditioned Leica Knives in good condi­tion is recommended. In a very few instances (where angles and configu­ration are similar) competitive knives may be sharpened on the Leica Knife
Sharpener. Even in these cases, Leica does not guarantee optimum re­sults. Hollow ground knives of any type simply cannot be sharpened sat­isfactorily on the Leica Knife Sharpener.

2. If your Leica Knives have been sharpened by any other method, they
must be reconditioned by Leica to restore proper angles prior to shar-

pening on the Leica Knife Sharpener.

3. Leica Knives with large nicks in the area of the knife used for sectioning
should, as a general rule, be factory reconditioned.

4. After many repeated sharpenings, the angles of coarse and fine honed
cutting facets will widen excessively. At that time, the knife should be
sent to the factory where the entire knife thickness will be ground down
slightly to restore proper angle, as illustrated above.

Knives which, by sharpening or reconditioning, have eventually
been reduced in size (from back to cutting edge) to 27 mm or less
cannot be resharpened on the Leica Knife Sharpener nor can they
be factory reconditioned.

24

The Leica Microtome Knife Sharpener is of durable construction with re­markable design simplicity. Except for routine cleaning and occasional lu­brication, no other maintenance should be required. Even after years of use,
only a few parts are likely to need replacement.

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

1 . CLEANING :

2. LUBRICATION:

7. Redressing hone glass plates

Should the occasion ever arise, the Leica Knife Sharpener can be re­conditioned at the Leica factory in Nussloch, Germany or at many of the
Leica Microsystems Technical Service Centres worldwide. This is a cus­tomer service provided at a nominal charge.

Plastic cover and outside enamelled surfaces should be kept clean. Use only
warm water and detergent. Sponge out and wipe dry the catch-basin on the
hone table after each sharpening session. Knife holder, knife holder shaft
and exposed fittings are non-corrosive and require no attention other than
normal cleaning.

Lubricate two slide rods approximately once each month, depending on how
extensively it is used.

Reconditioning

Leica Messerschleifdienst
Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH

Heidelberger Straße 17-19

D-69226 Nußloch

Telefon: [phone]
Telefax: (0 6224) 143-200

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

25

8. Trouble shooting

Appearance Problem Cause Correction

Fine facet fades out at
ends of knife (opposite
side of knife has even
bevel).

or

Fine facet fades out at
centre of knife (opposite
side of knife has even
bevel).

Fine facet starts back of
(away from) cutting
edge.

Microscopic curvature
on one side of knife.

1. Facet angle too wide

(see page 11).

2. I Insufficient coarse

honing. (Microscopic
examination would
have revealed this.)

3. Knife accidentally

reversed (end for end)
in holder.

Continue coarse honing.

1. Recondition at factory.

2. Coarse hone.

3. Repeat coarse honing

cycle with knife in
proper position.

26

These are typical sharpening problems that may be encountered.
Should you ever experience an unusual sharpening situation in
which you cannot identify the problem write to Leica for prompt
assistance.

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

Warranty

Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH guarantees that the contractual prod­uct delivered has been subjected to a comprehensive quality control proce­dure based on the Leica in-house testing standards, and that the product is
faultless and complies with all technical specifications and/or agreed char­acteristics warranted.

The scope of the warranty is based on the content of the concluded agree­ment. The warranty terms of your Leica sales organization or the organiza­tion from which you have purchased the contractual product shall apply ex­clusively.

Technical service information

If you require technical service or replacement parts, please contact your
Leica sales representative or dealer who sold the product.

Please provide the following information:

• Model name and serial number of the instrument.

• Location of the instrument and name of the person to contact.

• Reason for the service call.

• Date of delivery.

9. Warranty and service

Decommissioning and disposal

The instrument or parts of the instrument must be disposed of in compliance
with the local laws.

Leica SP9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

27

10. EC Declaration of Conformity

We herewith declare, in exclusive responsibility, that the instrument

Leica SP9000 – Automatic Knifesharper

was developed, designed and manufactured to conform with the

• Council Directive 73/23/EEC, (Low Voltage) and

• Council Directive 89/336/EEC, Appendix I (Electromagnetic Compatibility),

including their amendments up to the date mentioned below.

The following harmonized standards were applied:

• EN 61010-1: 2001

Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use ­Part 1: General requirements

• EN 61326-1:1997 + EN 61326/1:1998

Electrical equipmentl for measurement, control and laboratory use - EMC requirements ­Part 1: General requirements

• EN 61000-3-2:1995 + A1:1998 + A2:1998 + A14:2000

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
Part 3-2: Limits - Limits for harmonic current emissions

• EN 61000-3-3:1995

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
Part 3: Limits ­Section 3: Limitation of voltage fluctuations and flicker in low-voltage
supply systems for equirement with rated current ≤ 16 A

Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH
Postfach 1120
D-69222 Nussloch

October 11, 2007

28

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Anne De Greef-Safft

President Biosystems Division

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007

Peoples Republic of China

Leica SP 9000 – Automatic knife sharpener

29

Notice

30

Instruction manual V 2.2 – 08/2007