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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
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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.

6 months later
4 months later
1 month later

I’m definitely interested! Do you want to use my new Form 1+ at 25 microns? That would be much better quality than the mUVe 3D, if only for ease of use, and because the mUVe 3D can’t print at any other resolution than 100 microns. If you want to begin, I’ll get the castable resin right away and I’ll start working on getting your files ready for the print as soon as you send them. Also, the form 1+ would keep the total cost under your specified research parameters for production cost.

I can give you detailed specs on the cost of the production and the material/machine details in an organized spreadsheet/report to accompany the model. For the form 1+ the castable resin is $150, but we can discuss the material and the cost after I see the model, it shouldn’t be very expensive for you, considering you want to make a tooth model.

You can send the models to my email - abaker1617@gmail.com.

Hi. I can use the Titan at this resolution. If you like I can cast it for you, with or without ceramic build-up. I run a crown and bridge lab on the Gold Coast of Australia. Is the STL file a scan of the tooth prep?

Hello! The stl files are already processed as simple copings with the thickness of 0.5mm. I processed the crowns in Dental Wings DWOS software.

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!