3D printing technology bullet train continues to accelerate the pace of change in dentistry

Chris Brown
Manager, APEX Dental Milling Center.

Case Study
Company: APEX Dental Milling Center URL: http://www.apexdentalmilling.com/ Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA

APEX Enjoys Complete Digital Workflow & Lower Costs Thanks to 3D Printing
Located in Ann Harbor, Michigan, APEX Dental Milling Center was one of the early adopters of CAD/CAM technology for producing dental parts straight from CAD design imagery. Instead of outsourcing production to CNC traditional milling techniques, the company then switched to in-house 3D printing. Having brought digital dentistry into the heart of its business, APEX Dental Milling Center has discovered that in addition to lowering prices, it can provide faster delivery times while maintaining its high quality standards.

Background

Challenges
Manual preparation of crowns, inlays, bridges, etc. is slow, unpredictable and requires use of non-ideal materials Expand the digital workflow to also include digital production of models

The Challenge

Solution
Objet Eden 260V 3D Printing System in-house

Dental technicians traditionally rely on steady hands and expert eyes to prepare crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, veneers and frameworks. Although they often are considered artists, the manual process is time-consuming and imprecise, and it requires materials that might not provide the best durability or aesthetic appearance. Increasingly, dental companies now have access to 3D printing, whether in the dental practice or laboratory or via production centers. This produces valuable benefits, including: access to new, industrially prefabricated and controlled materials; higher quality and reproducibility; data storage commensurate with a standardized chain of production; and improved precision planning and efficiency. APEX Dental Milling Center saw that it too had much to gain by adopting 3D printing, and began investigating its options.

Results
A new, complete digital workflow, from scanning through restoration and 3D model printing, enables: Higher productivity Lower-cost production of dental models Faster delivery times, with no compromise on high quality standards Predictable and reproducible results, providing perfect fit and occlusion New business opportunities and growth potential

The Objet Eden260V 3D Printing System provided the ideal solution. For APEX Dental Milling Center, any worthwhile 3D printing solution had to provide one or more business advantages, such as better products, shorter processing times or more accuracy. The company found all of these advantages, and more, with the Objet 3D Printer. APEX Dental Milling Center was impressed with the ease and speed of the Objet Eden260V 3D Printing System. Staff quickly learned how to use the system and initiate efficient production and the company soon discovered that the Objet 3D Printer radically speeded up its normal manufacturing workflows.

The Solution

About APEX Milling Center

APEX Dental Milling Center is a premier facility, dedicated to working closely with customers to provide a precise and excellent result each and every time. The first authorized LAVA milling center in Michigan, APEX also provides 3M LAVA and Crystal Crown and Bridge zirconia copings, and it prides itself on being in the forefront of CAD/CAM technology. The facilities are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, amongst a world class biomaterials testing center, a busy aesthetic dental practice, and a full-service laboratory so that APEX can consistently be aware of the day-to-day challenges customers face. Apex Dental Milling Center serves doctors across the US and is proud to partner with customer laboratories in providing continuing education to both Dentists and Dental Technicians.

The printed models produced on the Objet Eden260V delivered exceptionally fine details and an outstanding surface finish all necessary for ensuring the high accuracy required by the labs team and its dentist customers. The Objet 3D Printer also ensured consistent quality of APEX Dental Milling Center end products. Printed models were predictable and consistent thus providing a perfect fit and occlusion on the physical model.

The Value

APEX Dental Milling Center has now progressed to a digital workflow that includes scanning, restoration and 3D model printing. The workflow takes full advantage of CAD/ CAM technology and a fully digital workflow to produce a restoration within shorter time. A unique attribute of the digital dentistry process allows APEX Dental Milling Center to receive and process scans from major intra-oral scanners nationwide. The Objet Eden260V 3D Printing System at APEX Dental Milling Center yields an excellent cost-per-case and takes the lab to whole new productivity levels, with highspeed manufacturing and ultra-efficient batch and multi-case processing capabilities. The 3D printing technology bullet train continues to accelerate the pace of change in dentistry, says Chris Brown, Manager of APEX Dental Milling Center. For those who have predicted the day when everything from scheduling to finished restoration can be handled digitally, the day is here. Rapid manufacturing is an affordable and attractive option for dental lab owners. Using the Objet Eden260V 3D Printing System allowed APEX Dental Milling Center to become completely modern dental solution providers, added Brown. By adopting the Objet 3D Printer, APEX Dental Milling Center was able to realize a complete digital workflow for inhouse fabrication of models of any size or shape. Efficient in-house manufacturing opens many new indication possibilities.

APEX Dental Milling Center has found that the Objet 3D Printers system capabilities continue to create new business opportunities and power growth. ABOUT OBJET
Objet Ltd., is a leading provider of high quality, cost effective inkjet-based 3D printing systems and materials. A global company, Objet has offices in North America, Europe, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and India. Objets 3D printing systems and 3D printing materials are ideal for any company involved in the manufacture or design of physical products using 3D software or other 3D content. Companies using Objets solutions can be typically found in sectors such as consumer goods & electronics, aerospace & defense, automotive, education, dental, medical and medical devices, architecture, industrial machinery, footwear, sporting goods, toys and service bureaus. Founded in 1998, the company has thousands of customers worldwide including a substantial share of the relevant Fortune 100 and Fortune 500. Its award-winning technology (12 awards in 5 years) is based upon over 110 patents and patent pending inventions. Objets advanced 3D printing systems and range of over 60 materials enable professionals to build prototypes that accurately simulate the true look, feel and function of an end-product, even complex, assembled goods. The Objet Connex line of multi-material 3D printers features the worlds only technology to simultaneously jet 2 materials. With this, users can print many different materials into a single part and print various mixed parts on the same build tray. Users can also create advanced composite materials, or Digital Materials featuring unique mechanical and thermal properties. Objets range of over 60 3D printing materials simulate properties ranging from rigid to rubber-like, transparent to opaque and standard to ABS-grade engineering plastics, with a large number of in-between shore grades and shades. Objets 3D printers are available in a range of form-factors, from cost-effective desktop 3D printers ideal for entry-level professionals all the way to industrial-scale multimaterial machines for front-line designers and top manufacturers. Objets 3D printers feature the industrys highest-resolution 3D printing quality, based on 16-micron (0.0006 in.) super-thin layering, wide material versatility, office friendliness and ease of operation. For more information, visit us at www.objet.com, and for more about 3D printing industry-related news, business issues and trends, read the Objet Blog.

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