Go to homepage
5 / 18
May 2015

Hello guys! I am doing my PhD thesis on low cost solutions for computerized dentistry and i would require your help in completing a task.

I want to research if it would be possible to use low-cost (under 5-6000$) SLA and DLP printers to produce a dental crown out of castable resins and then transform them through the burn-out technique into metal or ceramic crowns for patients.

First of all, we need some printers that produce a layer thickness of at least 25 microns. The second request is that the castable resin must burn without leaving a residue.

I will prepare a mock case next week and i will be attaching the STL file of a crown.

I will cover the costs of the resin + shipping charges if anybody is interested in helping me out. Any suggestions and comments are welcomed.

Also, can you suggest a list of possible printers i might use to achieve the goals of this project?

  • created

    May '15
  • last reply

    Apr '16
  • 17

    replies

  • 3.2k

    views

  • 8

    users

Hi there !

you might be looking for something similar to this:

http://formlabs.com/products/materials/castable/ 3

You can search for local hubs, that have a Form 1 or Form 1+ and offer castable resins.

As your final object should be out of metal or ceramics you might want to look for SLS printers (regaring metal prints).

These use a laser to sinter metal powder, these are usually only used by industrial buisnesses and the prints are expensive. However the quality is maybe the best you can get and you don’t have to care about the casting process.

As I mention the most expensive method I will also introduce you to the cheapest one: FDM printers.

While these have common layer thicknesses of 0,1mm (which is not enough for you) there are also some (like mine),

that are capable of 0,02mm layer heights.

A material called “Moldlay” is plastic, that’s intended for the casting process. The only purpose of this material is to get burned out of a mold to allow metal or ceramic castings.

Moldlay: https://www.3printr.com/kai-parthy-releases-moldlay-filament-casting-3327324/ 3

As FDM printers do barely waste material and are the cheapest to purchase this is also the cheapest production method.

My recommendation would be to first look out for the castable resin, and if the quality isn’t pleasing you have to go with SLS or other industrial printers. If the quality is good enough you might want to take FDM printers into concideration, however small objects, like a crown are barely printable on a FDM printer.

Good luck with your PhD,

Marius Breuer

by the way I don’t offer Moldlay at my hub, but you can search for it locally, or create another thread in which you ask for specific materials, that would suit your purpose.

Aaa… lucram cu Alex, tocmai ce i-am dat de… gandit, mai ieri-alaltaieri :wink:

Suntem si noi in cercetare, dar inca nu ne-am decis.

Avem deja o rasina buna (speram, dar s-o vedem la treaba) si ieftina (sigur), proiectorul si “mecanica” sunt pe… vine :slight_smile:

L.E. Arata naspa cu diacritice. Probabil ca fontul folosit in CSS nu le suporta si atunci utilizeaza substitute. Orice caracter cu diacritice iese ingrosat :frowning:

6 months later
4 months later
1 month later

Hi again. Ok, I will get my 3D hub online. If you upload the STL file I will have a look. Cheers Wolf

I can have them uploaded on your hub in aprox 8 hours when i will arrive at the lab. Hope it’s ok!