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May 2015
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alex_lex_24
May '15

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
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MB3D
May '15

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.

FormWerk3D
May '15

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:

alex_lex_24
May '15

@bgreenslade the Form 1+ is the main candidate for this study, but i was also thinking that a comparison between printers would bring a lot of knowledge in this field. We are also considering printers like B9 Creator, Pegasus, Projet 1200, DaVinci Nobel, mUVE 3D and other printers like these. From what i have read so far, there are only a handful of castable resins… SLS and SLM printers are way out of my league with prices well above my low cost target budget. Dental SLM printers are used for quite some time right now, so that would not bring anything new… The American Dental Association set a required accuracy of a crown to about 50 microns, so 25 microns for the print should be ok, if we take into consideration that the optical impression of the patients jaw also introduces a deviation of 15-25 microns. Anyway, it would be worth a shot to use a fdm printer, although i don’t see a way to achieve a visible degree of dental anatomy on the crown surface at that size.

@gabriela3d FormWerk3D este “mentorul”, “sensei”-ul si colaboratorul meu drag, caruia ii datorez intr-o mare masura idea pentru acest proiect.

gabriela3d3D Hubs Employees
May '15

@dave_kal_3 what’s your experience with the B9 Creator? Would you be able to help with this? Cheers

@Wes_1 what about your Projet? Can you help with this project? Thanks

Joe_Prod
May '15

I’d be interested in helping out. One option for the printer is the Form1+ (which I have) which can print at 25m microns, and now has a specialised castable resin.

alex_lex_24
May '15

@Henry_3 @James_12 i will contact you as soon as I will have the study protocol clearly prepared.

I kinda set my mind on the Projet 1200, Form 1+, B9Creator, Titan 1 and Pegasus Touch. Any other suggestions?

6 months later
ceramdent
Nov '15

Hi,

I have a Titan 1. I can print at 25microns. All I require is the stl of the tooth prep and a few adjacent teeth. From here I can make up a 3D sectional dental model using Zbrush (non-dental application). I can then digitally construct the crown, print it for you and if you wish cast it as well, in a metal of your choice. I can then retro-fit the crown back onto the resin 3D dental model for you to inspect. All the equipment will suit your requirements of sub $6000. Let me know what you think.

Regards Wolfgang

4 months later
Veloforge
Mar '16

HI, I’m interested in helping out, I’m using the mUVe3D DLP-SLA 3D printer (under $4000) and I can help you complete this project. Here’s some castable resin, if you’re willing to cover the costs of the resin and the shipping charges. Did you have some resins in mind?

Also, I honestly only recommend the mUVe3D printer for dental models, it’s super high quality and highly adjustable (easy to raise quality to higher levels manually). No other printer can go above its quality at even 100 microns of detail.

1 month later
alex_lex_24
Apr '16

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