ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTING BATCH PRODUCTION IN DENTISTRY
Key Benefits:
Individual patients' teeth in a batch print for 20 models take 5 hours to print; each model takes less than 15 min to produce, compared to an outsourcing time of 7 days.
Optimize work efficiency, as batch production can take place overnight in non-working hours with no supervision.
Cost-saving in setting up the machine, because batch 3D print takes once as opposed to multiple times, to set up to get the same result of 3D models using a CNC machine.
No need to swap tools or materials.
3D printing in batch allows you to save time printing many models in one instead of CNC milling one at a time. With batch production of print done for a specific job, you only need to create and set the print file once. Afterward, you can print it as often as necessary. The users will need to make sure there is always enough resin in the 3D printer tank. With the ability to make a batch of prints, it makes 3D printing a viable solution instead of injection molding and various other traditional methods of manufacturing dental models.
The alternative method of making a dental model is using CNC milling techniques. This technique uses various tools to achieve the final product one item at a time. With 3D printing a batch print, we remove the need for tooling; we no longer need to wait days or weeks to produce teeth models. We also do not require making a mold of the teeth first. The traditional method of making teeth dentures was and still is done by a skilled model maker before 3D printing and CNC technology came about in this industry.
DWX-4W Roland CNC Machine
Individual patient teeth printed in one batch
Due to no tooling involved in 3D printing, there are no setup costs – this means that you can make each teeth model in a batch of 20 models a unique piece. It is great because dental labs can add name tags to each tooth model to identify which patient they belong to. The dental lab operator does not need to set up the 3D printer 20 times like a CNC machine. They only need to set it up once, and they will have all 20 different patients' teeth 3D printed in one batch overnight.
3D Printed On U3DS PlusUltra In Grey Dental model Resin
Timekeeping
By making a batch print, we minimize downtime for the 3D printers. Having a batch of 3D prints start at 5:30 pm before the lab operator leaves the office, we can have a 5-6 hour print of 20 different parts printing and finish without the CAD/CAM technician's presence. When they return in the morning back to work, the print job is finished and ready for them to take off the parts and start another batch.
The organization of batch printing
If the machine's operator is printing the 3D teeth models using an SD card or USB drive, they can have all batches saved and organized by length of time to optimize the lab's printing order. And by printing untethered, you can copy and paste the same .zip file to all the other same model U3DS 3D printers.
The accuracy and precision of an MSLA 3D printer such as the machine offered from U3DS 3D Printers allow you to create a batch of 20 identical teeth models.
20 Teeth Models With Supports
A batch of 20 teeth models takes 5 hours to be printed on the U3DS PlusUltra 3D Printer. A single teeth model will take 2 h 42 minutes to 3D print standing up with supports on the build plate. Once 3D printed the models require minimal post-processing. First, we remove the supports from the model. Second, we clean the models in an ultrasonic tank, and the final step is to UV cure the models in the curing chamber.
Teeth Models Clean & Processed
The time it takes to print 2 of these models stacked in the same orientation takes just as long to print 20 of these models. The 3D print takes the same amount of time because the model's height is the same. A model's time to print on an MSLA machine is defined by the model's height and orientation. The table below lists modes, material, volume, weight, price, and printing time compared against printing one model and printing 20 models on the same 3D printer U3DS PlusUltra.
Final Teeth Models Result
Teeth Model Print Time Optimisation in Batch Production
