Stratasys
Stratasys J5 DentaJet
France-based dental laboratory Ident’M is transforming the production of dental parts and addressing an inherent challenge for greater accuracy and precision with a Stratasys J5 DentaJet 3D printer at its facility in Saint-Etienne.
Although Ident’M had moved from the creation of plaster models to 3D printed version, similarly to other dental labs, quality had often been an inherent issue, affecting approximately 50% of prints, according to Olivier Mangot, Co-director at Ident’M.
Mangot said: “For us, delivering a prosthesis without a reference model is inconceivable, but depending on the 3D printer used there are deformations.”
The Ident’M team were also constrained by the lengthy production time required to produce dental models.
“We knew we needed a 3D printer that would pack a hard punch by delivering a higher-level of precision and faster production speeds, as well as being user-friendly,” explained Mangot.
According to the company, the J5 DentaJet meets the fundamental objective for increased precision, down to layers that measure just 18 microns, while also enabling it to develop a greater variety of models and devices far more effectively than it could previously. Since installation in late 2021, the J5 DentaJet, using PolyJet technology, has had positive benefits for Ident’M in several areas.
A key area stated by Ident’M is accuracy, with the company’s co-director Frédéric Imbert saying that it has an obligation to deliver superior precision to its clients. Also, Ident’M states that it was able to save time and improve productivity by producing multi-material models on one J5 instead of three 3D printers dedicated to three different applications.
This was helped by the 360-degree rotating build tray of the machine. The tray allowed the lab’s technicians to simultaneously 3D print various models and dental devices in multi-materials and colours. These include rigid and opaque implants, soft gingiva masks and transparent or biocompatible options for surgical guides.
The improved productivity is further enhanced by a level of reliability that enables the J5 to operate around the clock.
“We’re running the J5 20 hours a day, right through the night, which is currently seeing us create around 1000 different models a month,” said Imbert. “This is a massive benefit, as it means we can send files to be printed and arrive the next day with a full tray of models.”
Accurate 3D printed isn’t just of benefit to the lab of course, it is also a help to the the patient and dentist, who can count on just two appointments instead of as many as five, to get a good fit, according to Ident’M.
Stratasys
“A typical scenario might see a patient visit the dentist, who will then prepare a crown and produce a metal framework,” said Mangot. “The patient returns to have it fitted and the device will go back to the lab. There might be the need for adjustments, which demands another fitting before the finishing, which all in all demands four appointments ahead of a final validation.”
Mangot added: “Using a digitised process with the J5 we can do everything in just one appointment, with a second required simply to insert the crown in the patient’s mouth. This has led to some very positive feedback from our customers.”
Stratasys claims that the J5 DentaJet 3D printer is the only multi-material dental 3D printer that enables technicians to load mixed trays of dental parts. The company also says that it is able to produce at least five times more dental parts on a single mixed tray than competitive 3D printers, despite the compact footprint taking up 4.6 sq. ft of floor space.
Stratasys recently added Evonik as the newest materials partner for its P3 technology-based Origin One 3D printer.
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