What are we all looking for in a CAD/CAM system?

[Digitaldentist]

What if you were trying to put together a really knockout system ?

What should it be able to do ?

What pricing would you you like to see ?

What if you, the user, could design a system ?

Maybe you can...

Got some ideas ?

Talk to me folks....


Thanks,

Mike

 

[sidesh0wb0b]

4 or 5 axis setup (upgradable 4axis maybe?)
including ALL cad/cam and accessories (vac, furnace, etc)
cost is obviously the biggest issue for smaller labs (the numbers have to work) ie:75-150k just doesnt work for the small guys
fast scan and mill times
ease of use during design stage
zirconia, pmma, wax milling capabilities. (im sure some want Ti but i dont need it)
ability to mill implants

QUALITY milling. if anatomy is required, it should look like a tooth when done. not chicken scratches.
long lasting tools, or cheap replacement costs
easy clean up, and easy access to the milling portion

hope that helps some

 

[k2 Ceramic Studio]

Multiple milling strategies 20+
Super fast tool path generation
2 to 3 disc holder
+/- 5-micron accuracy
Laser tool measurement
Tool changer 20+ tools
Nice and heavy, vibration dampening polymer base
Powerful spindle
5 Axis (upgradeable to 6/7 once the software is available)
Built in coolant system for metal and vacuum for Zr
Built in cleaning cycle and auto calibration during hibernation mode

 

[CoolHandLuke]

automatic disc replacement (fill the disc holders with blanks on an system that picks and holds blanks for milling, and places them in a position that allows you the user to cut the product from its sprues once finished)

final finished unit should fit through a doorjam and occupy minimal floor space.

i dont quite think 7axis robotic articulated arms are much more useful than 5axis milling, except where differentiating between 3+2 axis milling vs true 5 axis milling. an issue of semantics.

but yes, modifiable parameters for adjusting speeds, feeds, cut rates, coolant flow, tool change...

where we need to advance though is not with merely cutting tools and such; those may make the process easier for the average kid off the street... what i want to see is cutting in 3d with laserbeams or high pressure water or extreme pressure gas. this means cutting not out of a big blank, but cutting angles off of cubes. perhaps cutting finished sintered zirconia. maybe we should look this way and save us the sintering process.

 

[shane williams]

OPEN!!!
I want my CAD/CAM setup to be totally open to use whatever product I want to use. I don't want to be tied into a scanner that has to send only a one milling center. I don 't want to buy an open scanner with a closed mill and be locked into only using product from one company.

Open architecture is the key to finding what works for your lab and what doesn't.

 

[k2 Ceramic Studio]

what i want to see is cutting in 3d with laserbeams or high pressure water or extreme pressure gas. this means cutting not out of a big blank, but cutting angles off of cubes. perhaps cutting finished sintered zirconia. maybe we should look this way and save us the sintering process.

Sorry my friend but what you are on about is just not acurate enough, the closest you are going to get is ultrasonic milling or a Low voltage Parallel Pre-stress Actuator! An ulrasonic DMG can cut sintered ZR as fast as our units can cut green state. Comes in at about £150K WITH THE DISK CHANGER MAGAZINE THROWN IN! LOL

But I was told by the manufacturer that it can also cut lenses for satellites at 30k each so not a bad side line.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

maybe digital dentist can make it happen. he wanted input... thats the future of technology. unless he wants to cater to the dental field that has ever increasingly been slow to adopt good technology, then sure, sell us some tooled milling machines.

cmon guys, can we not advance past the phase of "waiting until the technology gets accurate to within a single micron" to adopt it? the more money we throw at it, the faster it gets better.

 

[Digitaldentist]

Wow !!! Sorry for the delay, I've been kinda' busy...
OK,...Deep Breath.....
Side show....Great stuff...I've got you covered...not a problem...consider it done..
K2...I know you were just trying to have some fun with this, which is cool... but I'm just wondering, what are you planning to do with 20+ tools,...you must be getting some big money for these masterpieces...I can't imagine the need for 20+ tool options for a dental application...is there something that I don't understand...don't get me wrong...if you want to pay for 3 or 4 ATC's, you've got it..not a problem but the addition of wet/dry, auto-clean and overnight auto-calibration...now those better be some deep pockets my friend !!!!
Cool hand...I'm thinking a true 5 axis as opposed to a 3 + 2 is more an issue of time management than anything else, let's see now...first the z , up and down or in and out, 2nd and 3rd are x and y, side to side, to and fro,4th is A, the flip ,5th is B, tilt and/or spin, 6 and 7 I'm thinking would require an explanation as it sounds more like robotic intervention or marketing to me, I've got an ultrasonic swarfing mill if you need it,..but you'll probably need that second mortgage after all.
Shane...Amen brother...I'm all about open architecture...I absolutely agree...consider it handled...
Lasers,...3D.....how 'bout 5D.....great stuff guys...keep it going
I'm getting close now
You can expect news very soon !!!
Thanks everybody !!!!!

-Mike

 

[k2 Ceramic Studio]

Digital, sorry man some people love cars but I love my milling units so I was just giving you my dream set up. 20+ tools? No problem just think of all the materials that are available now. I use/need 9 tools for my everest now and they go from size 1mm to 3mm with one of them being a 4mm so no .5 tools and all of them are ball nose no flat end for implant work so me thinks you could get up to 20 tools easy. Auto calibration I think would be a must for my next mill. You need every coping fzc and implant stent/bar to be perfect. So its on my wish list, if a car can run an overnight diagnostic and recalibrate itself then so can a milling unit Lol.