New Stratasys Dental 3D Printers Offer Low Cost Entry to Advanced Digital Dentistry

Stratasys have recently introduced two new precision wax 3D printers for the dental industry. The Stratasys CrownWorx and FrameWorx 3D Printers allow dental laboratories to produce wax-ups for crowns, bridges and denture frameworks. The machines were unveiled on May 17 at the LMT Lab Day West Show in California, USA.

Stratasys CrownWorx and FrameWorx 3D Printers use wax deposition modeling technology, a jetting technology that is designed to enable consistent quality and a reliable process. The machines produce superior-fitting wax-ups for crown, bridge, coping and denture frameworks via an automated method that can fit easily into a lab’s established workflow, enhancing production capacity.

The wax-like material delivers smooth surface finishes that minimize post-processing. The materials burn-out with no residue, material shrinkage, cracking or expansion to allow precision casting and reduce costs previously incurred when finishing gold and other precious metals.

Stratasys CrownWorx

Based on resolution, the CrownWorx 3D Printer is best-in-class for creating crown, bridge, and coping wax-ups. CrownWorx uses WDM Technology to jet micro-drops of TrueCast material that builds dental wax-ups, layer-by-layer.

CrownWorx Dental 3D Printer

CrownWorx can create exceptionally thin-walled wax-ups which save alloy and material costs, labor and finishing time. Plus, its large build plate can easily produce 40 restorations a day, so you can eliminate handwaxing and its associated time and costs.

CrownWorx offers a consistent, repeatable and reliable automated process that yields the highest level of precision and accuracy in the industry. As a result, you can create the highest quality dental restoration wax-ups for casting, easily and cost efficiently.

Stratasys FrameWorx

The FrameWorx 3D Printer uses WDM Technology to jet micro-drops of TrueCast material onto the build tray to create a denture wax-up layer-by-layer. TrueSupport material is quickly sprayed around the casting material to form a support structure. This enhancement increases production speed for partial denture wax-ups because they require more support material than crowns and bridges. After printing, TrueSupport is dissolved, leaving behind smooth and detailed wax-ups.

FrameWorx 3D Printer

FrameWorx can create exceptionally thin-walled wax-ups which save alloy and material costs, labor and finishing time. Plus, its large build plate can produce multiple wax-ups a day so you can eliminate hand waxing and its associated time and costs.

TrueCast and TrueSupport

TrueCast is a firm but flexible material that mimics real wax and allows labs to 3D print any dental wax-up with extreme accuracy. It is 100 percent castable for any alloy. TrueSupport is a true wax-blend material that is automatically generated to protect a wax-up during printing. It has a low melting point that produces delicate restorations and is easily removed from each wax-up, after production.

Wax Deposition Modeling Technology

WDM Technology not only offers the highest precision in the industry but it also produces digital wax-ups at a fraction of the cost as compared to traditional hand-milling techniques. By creating wax-ups with exceptionally thin walls at a resolution of 5,000 x 5,000 x 8,000 dpi, WDM Technology can save precious alloy and material costs, labor and finishing time.

Typical 3D Printed Wax Model Cost

The benefits of WDM for producing dental wax-ups are clear:

Partial Dentures

• Excellent dimensional stability
• No distortion of designed clasps

Crowns and Bridges

• Amazing fine feature detail for highly precise occlusal morphology
• Superior margin lines for best patient fit
• Snap fit for best final tooth restoration outcomes

Which Stratasys 3D wax-jetting printer is best for my dental lab?

Selecting between CrownWorx and FrameWorx is largely dependent upon the type of restorations your lab focuses on. If your lab specializes in larger wax-ups for partial dentures, FrameWorx can significantly scale up your production abilities. If your lab produces mostly crowns, copings, and bridges, CrownWorx is the perfect way to enhance production capabilities without sacrificing quality.

View the Stratasys Dental Series for more information.