Cool Roland (51d) tool I'd like to share

[karlanm]

I know the Roland DWX-51 isn't the most common mill anymore, but here is a tool and gcode I created a while back

Had something I was experimenting with and needed to remove pucks and place them back exactly in the same spot (using the C clamp). Been able to get .05-.1mm precision using this, which is pretty darn surprising, and probably not repeatable 100% of the time, however this could be useful to get every smidge of space out of pucks without worrying about alignment.

If you are clever you can come up with other uses for this........

Attached as 7zip file is the gcode for milling the alignment holes using a 3mm acrylic endmill and the STLS to print the alignment tool in FDM printers for 20,25,&30mm puck sizes.

Disclamer, use gcode at your own risk, and obviously with right puck size.

 

[karlanm]

Not sure if file attached so I uploaded it to my website:

http://www.shielddentallab.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/roland_align.7z

 

[CoolHandLuke]

If you are clever you can come up with other uses for this........

would love to know what other uses you may have

 

[tuyere]

Neat, always nice to see people's homebrewed solutions to thorny issues.

 

[karlanm]

would love to know what other uses you may have

If you are good with the post processor or fusion 360. You can do multi-material... however, dental applications aren't allowed due to patents. Allegedly.

 

[karlanm]

Here is the gcode setup in vcarve for 25mm puck if anyone ever wants to do artsy stuff. Also if you were ever curious about the coordinate system on these machines. You can use a header and footer from hyperdent/millbox nc/prn file.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

how do you mean Multi Material?

 

[karlanm]

how do you mean Multi Material?

idea which I think isn't covered by a patent would be to mill the female side of a hybrid (with reduced gingiva) and a, oversized in Z direction, a trilor male piece you cement in. Apply pink composite. Then remill as a monolithic (designed without bar) giving you a multi material hybrid milled as one unit. Ready to have sprues cut off, polished and ti bases cemented in and out the door.

This requires placing everything in the same coordinate space and substituting them out and doing boolean cuts with expanded meshes as finish lines for things like gingiva/enamel junctions in a program like meshmixer or blender. Also modifying the gcode and maybe having template generator to make sure the gcode doesn't try to mill anything the opposite side of the A axis would have milled (but was not milled)

Don't take my word for it, and not sure if this would save anytime. But that will give you an idea, but its not what I've used this for.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

sounds like a lot of unnecessary work

 

[karlanm]

sounds like a lot of unnecessary work

I agree, but since they aren't making many new techs anymore; I wouldn't be surprised if the whole industry turns into one large Rube Goldberg machine.

 

[RileyS]

I don’t think I fully understand Would making marks on the holder and marking the disc do the exact same thing?

 

[RileyS]

Tried opening the link but my computer doesn't seem to want to...?

 

[karlanm]

I don’t think I fully understand Would making marks on the holder and marking the disc do the exact same thing?

Yea, the puckholders/cassettes accomplish this without the need alignment holes. The C clamps, at least on 51d, require removing the puck entirely.

If you wanted this to work for a cassette (for example, to avoid buying more),you could modify the STL to match the geometry of those little divots on the silver metal piece on the outside. Also, I think the indexing holes are 1.5 mm deep in the puck, so it may not be the best solution if that is too much.

 

[karlanm]

Tried opening the link but my computer doesn't seem to want to...?

Chrome for me blocks it because its not https, if you copy it into the url and choose keep it'll download. I zipped it with 7zip because it's 1.5mb vs 5mb for zip and thought it would attach here

 

[tuyere]

fwiw I know we've occasionally roughed out denture teeth + base, cemented them together, and then did the finishing passes on the combined parts simultaneously. gives better results than doing it all separately and then cementing.

 

[karlanm]

fwiw I know we've occasionally roughed out denture teeth + base, cemented them together, and then did the finishing passes on the combined parts simultaneously. gives better results than doing it all separately and then cementing.

Yep, you can use the "exchangepart" command in hyperdent for this, and export the stls directly from exocad so they are aligned correctly in 3d space

 

[MrNeverFixit]

I don’t think I fully understand Would making marks on the holder and marking the disc do the exact same thing?
View attachment 44711

This is how i do it on my 52d. I mark the notch on the regular adapter with a marker and then align the mark on the c-clamp notch. See picture. No need of extra tools…just a marker pen which is simple and easy…

If i take it out from a regular adapter and had to put in back on it again. I mark it on the second picture with a sharpie pen with the fine tip.