Laboratories Taking 3D Metal Printing In-House

While larger companies have been offering 3D metal printing services for years, a more recent trend is labs purchasing their own powder bed fusion printers to fabricate chrome cobalt partial denture frameworks and parts for rapid palatal expanders in-house. By incorporating these high-ticket and high-tech machines into their workflows, these labs are gaining more control over production, labor and turnaround time while expanding their product lines.

For example, Drake Precision Dental Lab, Charlotte, NC, was digitally designing frameworks and then outsourcing about 300 printed frameworks a month. “We were comfortable with the design process and got to the point where we were doing enough frames that the ROI to purchase the printer and ancillary products made sense. By handling the whole process ourselves, we’ve streamlined our workflow and have more control over the final product and our labor costs,” says President Bob Savage, who purchased...