Dental Part Manufacturing with Rotatable Blank Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing multi-membered dental replacement parts or auxiliary elements with tilted insertion or drilling axes are limited by the need for five-axis machining tools, as four-axis tools cannot efficiently produce recesses aligned in a skewed manner, requiring re-clamping or assembly of components.
Innovation Solution
A computer-assisted manufacturing method where a blank is clamped to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the tool's feed axis, with a three-dimensional data record aligning two skewed axes of insertion, allowing machining with four degrees of freedom by rotating the model data record within the blank data record in multiple positioning steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a five-axis machining tool is used to manufacture multi-membered components with tilted insertion axes, then manufacturing precision and capability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blank holder is made rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the tool feed axis, allowing the workpiece to dynamically change its orientation during machining. This enables a four-axis tool to effectively access multiple skewed insertion axes by rotating the blank between different positioning steps, eliminating the need for a complex five-axis tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a rotational degree of freedom to the blank holder rather than increasing the tool's axial movements. By rotating the blank about an axis perpendicular to the tool feed direction, the system achieves five-degree-of-freedom functionality using a four-axis tool, effectively adding a dimension of freedom through workpiece rotation.
2Device complexity
If a four-axis machining tool is used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing capability for skewed recesses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blank holder rotates dynamically during the machining process, allowing the workpiece to present different orientations to the tool. This enables the four-axis tool to manufacture recesses along multiple skewed insertion axes by repositioning the blank between machining operations, maintaining manufacturing capability while using simpler equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The machining process is divided into multiple positioning steps, where the model data record is arranged in the blank data record at different orientations. Each positioning step corresponds to a specific insertion axis, allowing the four-axis tool to sequentially manufacture different recesses that would otherwise require simultaneous five-axis capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If re-clamping or assembly of individually manufactured components is required, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but productivity and time consumption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The machining process is segmented into multiple positioning steps within a single clamping operation. The blank remains clamped in the rotatable blank holder while the system rotates to different orientations and machines different insertion axes sequentially, achieving the flexibility of multiple operations without the productivity loss of re-clamping or assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The blank remains continuously clamped and held in the rotatable blank holder throughout the entire machining process. The rotation and repositioning operations are performed without releasing or re-clamping the workpiece, ensuring continuous productive action and eliminating downtime associated with re-clamping or assembly operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the computer-assisted manufacturing of a dental replacement part or a dental auxiliary element from a blank, which can be rotated about an axis of rotation, by means of a machining tool, wherein a blank data set comprising the axis of rotation and a model data set of the dental replacement part or dental auxiliary element are stored and the model data set has a first region having a first insertion axis and a second region having a second insertion axis askew to the first insertion axis, wherein in a first positioning step (S1) the model data set is arranged in the blank data set in such a way that the first insertion axis of the model data set is oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the blank data set and in a second positioning step (S2) the second insertion axis of the model data set is oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the blank data set by rotating the model data set about the first insertion axis.