Dental Restoration Equator Finishing Without Piece Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental machining systems are inefficient, leading to long machining times and increased risk of damaging dental restorations and tools, as they often require multiple steps and can cause unmachined pieces to separate from the block, prolonging patient wait times and increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a dental tool that moves along a path with an overlaid lateral motion, avoiding separation of unmachined pieces from the block, allowing for complete machining around the equator in one or multiple steps, using a double-spindle machine to simultaneously or sequentially machine from both sides, and employing various tool shapes and materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a channel is machined around the equator to cut out unmachined pieces, then machining time is reduced, but the unmachined pieces pose a risk of damaging the dental restoration
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes unmachined pieces (burrs) from the dental block during the machining process, preventing them from remaining attached to the restoration. By actively removing these potential harm sources rather than leaving them in place, the system reduces the risk of damage while maintaining efficient machining times.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potentially harmful unmachined pieces into a beneficial process feature by designing the machining path to intentionally create and then immediately remove these pieces. The controlled creation and removal of burrs allows for faster machining while ensuring the restoration remains undamaged.
2Manufacturing precision
If material is machined from the outside of the block up to the restoration with low lateral infeed, then machining precision is maintained, but machining time increases to approximately 10 minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies dynamic lateral infeed that varies during the machining process. Instead of using a constant low lateral infeed throughout, the system adjusts the infeed amount based on the machining stage and position, allowing for faster material removal while maintaining precision where needed. This dynamic approach reduces total machining time from 10 minutes to approximately 5 minutes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the machining parameters, specifically the lateral infeed amount, during different phases of the machining process. By varying this parameter dynamically rather than keeping it constant, the system achieves both high precision and reduced machining time, resolving the contradiction between quality and productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple machining steps are used to finish the equator, then machining precision is improved, but the overall time spent increases, affecting patient comfort and manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a continuous single-step machining process that completes the equator finishing in one operation rather than requiring multiple discrete steps. The optimized machining path and dynamic parameters enable the system to achieve high precision while maintaining continuous operation, reducing patient waiting time and improving overall efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of machining a dental block (2) by using at least one dental tool (4) to finish or pre-finish a dental restoration (5) at least completely along the equator (5a) with or without a holding stub (5b). The method includes: a step of moving the axis (4a) of the dental tool (4) along a path (6) with an overlaid lateral motion having an amplitude (A), and without separating an unmachined piece (2″) from the rest of the dental block (2). The path (6) lies away from the equator (5a) at least by an amount equal to half of the diameter of the dental tool (4) plus half of the amplitude (A) of the overlaid lateral motion.