3D Printing Trend Up Front and Center

3D printers dominated the product launches at this year’s LMT LAB DAY East, indicating that this market is full steam ahead. Innovations include new types of 3D printing technology; smaller, more economical units; and faster, more accurate prints. Here’s the roundup of the latest in the market—as well as a look at other new products and services—right from the exhibit hall floor:

For the first time, Arfona demonstrated its new r.Pod^®, a 3D printer optimized for printing Valplast^® dentures and appliances as well as custom impression trays, study models and soft tissue gingiva. The unit uses extrusion-powered technology: a continuous filament of Valplast thermoplastic material is fed into the unit, melted inside a printer head, and then deposited on the build area to create the restoration. Two types of material are used simultaneously: a clear support material and a pink material that’s used for the restoration itself. 

The r.Pod comes with Simplify3D^® software, touch-screen LCD interface with real-time monitoring of prints and Wi-Fi connectivity, and is validated for use with 3Shape scanners; more scanners will be validated in the coming months. The company is currently taking pre-orders for the $4,999 unit; it will be ready to ship in December 2016. Also available: a $1,499 starter kit that includes a 1-lb spool of Valplast material, a 1-lb spool of support material and two one-hour online training sessions; the kit is included for free on all preorders from now through November. Visit arfona.com.

CAD BLU featured three new desktop 3D printers. The smallest and most economical of the trio, the compact CBX34 is for C&B applications and retails for $7,500. The CBX62 is compatible with multiple materials and ideal for models, RPDs, surgical guides, crown and bridge, and gingival masks. Featuring a large build platform and the highest resolution and accuracy, the CBX94 is ideal for surgical guides, ortho models and gingival masks. All of the units come with the company’s proprietary UNYX software and Wi-Fi capability for material ordering and support. Visit www.cadblu.com.

Software manufacturer CIMsystem launched two new innovations. Sint&Mill is a complete software solution that enables the production of laser-sintered chrome-cobalt implant bars and abutments while leaving the interface portions unfinished to be milled out afterward, resulting in a faster process with less waste. Pyramis software is an open system for managing the 3D printing process (DLP, SLA, SLS and SLM). Simple and intuitive, it has multiple modes for ideal object positioning, performs complex surface calculations to determine the ideal support points and can be customized for beginning or experienced technicians. Visit www.sum3ddental.com.

The Form 2 3D printer created a lot of buzz among LAB DAY attendees. From Formlabs, the printer brings advanced stereolithography technology to the desktop for $3,499, and is ideal for printing surgical guides using the company’s Class I biocompatible Dental SG Resin. A first-time LAB DAY exhibitor, Formlabs is based in Somerville, MA, and was founded in 2011 with the backing of a Kickstarter program that raised three million dollars. Form 2 is its second-generation printer. Stay tuned for other dental materials and applications on the way; visit formlabs.com.

A new player in the market, Issaquah, WA-based GigaTech International offers two 3D printers: the original Gigatech Digital Dental 3D Printer (80x50x150mm) that retails for $9,800 and a new $12,800 unit that offers a larger build volume (120x80x100mm) for printing surgical guides, partials and full dentures. “We’ve sold three units so far and we’re thrilled with the traffic we’ve seen,” said George Chang, General Manager. For additional information, call 425-503-7136 or email [email protected].

More New Products
& Services 

First-time LAB DAY exhibitor BOFA—which stands for Breath of Fresh Air—offers three dust and fume extraction units for the laboratory. The DentalPRO Xtract 100 and 200 are for use during finishing and monomer mixing; each unit has a small footprint, an easily replaced screen protector for clear visibility, removable collection tray and rigid construction. The DentalPRO Universal is a stand-alone dust extraction system for CAD/CAM milling machines and is popular for use with the Roland mills. Based in Staunton, IL, the company has a 30-year history in a variety of industries, including lasers, electronics, engineering and pharmaceutical. Call 618-205-5007 or visit www.bofaamericas.com.

For the first time in the U.S., CADstar debuted its CS ULTRA PRO, a 3D structured white light scanner with color and texture acquisition. Forty percent faster than the original CS ULTRA, it offers an accuracy of less than 10 microns and comes with exocad software. The company is seeking East Coast distributors. For more product details, visit www.cadstar.dental.

Digital Age Dental Laboratories launched its new removable outsourcing services. Labs can now outsource CAD/CAM frames, flexible partials and full dentures to DADL with a four- to five-day turnaround time and flat-rate pricing. For more information, call 877-530-3235 or visit www.dadlinc.com.

Ivoclar Vivadent showcased IPS Style, its latest metal ceramic that features patented oxyapatite crystals that reflect incident lighting to a very high degree. The oxyapatite content of all the IPS Style materials, from opaquer to incisal, varies so you can directly control the translucency of the restoration. Also, the material’s fluorapatite crystals reflect and scatter light. This coordinated interplay of oxyapatite and fluorapatite crystals contributes to the shade and light management of the entire restoration. Call 800-533-6825 or visit ivoclarvivadent.com. 

Kerox previewed its new line of dipping liquids for its ZircoStar zirconia—available in all 16 VITA shades—as well as its new effects and marker liquids. For more details, visit keroxdental.com.

Meta Dental Corp. featured its new SBase Adapter Plates for its line of BesQual magnetic articulators. The plates allow the SBase Dual Pre-Pinned bases to be easily attached and removed from the articulators, saving time and enhancing case esthetics. For more information, visit www.metadental.com.

After over four years of development, Schottlander’s new enigmalife+ denture teeth made their U.S. debut. Available in 16 A-D shades and two bleach shades, the esthetic line offers a true-to-nature appearance, an advanced occlusal concept to improve stability and comfort, and high strength and wear characteristics. Contact enigmalife USA at 425-512-2011 or email [email protected].

Zahn Dental introduced two new scanners to its Novux^® line of digital products. The D750 features two 1.3-MP cameras and a blue LED, and can scan dies in 25 seconds and full arches in 55 seconds. It has an extended interior that allows for multi-die scanning, can be used for impression scanning and offers 10µ (ISO) accuracy. 

The D2000 offers four 5-MP cameras, a blue multi-line LED and 5µ (ISO) accuracy and can scan dies in 15 seconds and full arches in 20 seconds. Scans can include color and texture, there is no need for separate die scans, and it offers all-in-one scanning with room for two models. For information on both scanners, visit www.zahndental.com.

ZrO² launched newly designed burs for titanium and CrCo materials, especially ideal for pre-milled abutments. It introduced a bur for milling zirconia in Dentsply Sirona’s MC X5 milling system that has a unique diamond coating and three cutting edges for milling up to 700 copings or crowns. In addition, the company has improved its bur for the Roland DWX-50 and DWX-51D by changing the tool length from 45 to 50mm, making it much easier for the customer to place the ring on the shank of the bur. For more information, visit Zro2.net.

 Click here for more from the LMT LAB DAY East 2016 exhibit hall!