Latest Bar Case

[brayks]

IMO, if it is not something that anyone can do without some magic potion, then it is not ready for primetime.

I am assuming you are referring to IO scanners 2thm8ker.

That would put you (and about 68% of the buying public) in either, what marketing people call, the early majority (34%) or late majority (34%) group of technology adopters as defined by The Technology Adoption Lifecycle- for IO scanners anyway.

The technology adoption life-cycle model describes the adoption or acceptance of a new products or innovation, according to defined "adopter groups".

The process of technology adoption over time is typically illustrated as a "bell curve." According to this theory (de facto marketing theory btw),the first group of people to use a new product is called "innovators," followed by "early adopters." Next come the early and late majority, and the last group to eventually adopt a product are called "laggards".

The struggle for companies developing and initially marketing "disruptive" technologies (like CNC machines, scanners, cellphones, smartphones, PC's etc) is "crossing the chasm" between early adopters and early majority. That is, to reach from 15% of the market to 85% of the market.

Companies like 3M, Sirona, Itero, Ivoclar etc. rely on the innovators and early adopters to help prove out and refine their new potentially disruptive technology products so they are acceptable to the larger markets of early and late majority adopters.

Personally, I am (just as many are) an early adopter in some areas and a late adopter in others.

I would submit that in terms of what we have been discussing with IO scanners, the post model preparation that may be required in some cases is less like a magic potion than it was back maybe 10 years ago or so when the software tools were less available and reliable and the computers were of lower performance. These days its more of a workflow/training thing and actually more acceptable to the adopters on the "other side of the chasm".

Boy I'm glad I am now only distributing technology products and no longer involved in the development and marketing of them...

 

[rkm rdt]

I might as well scan the friggin arch, have the bar made and see what happens.

 

[brayks]

Why not? No pain... no gain or was it No guts..no glory? hey, isn't that the name of a Molly Hatchet album?

 

[2thm8kr]

I am assuming you are referring to IO scanners 2thm8ker.

That would put you (and about 68% of the buying public) in either, what marketing people call, the early majority (34%) or late majority (34%) group of technology adopters as defined by The Technology Adoption Lifecycle- for IO scanners anyway.

The technology adoption life-cycle model describes the adoption or acceptance of a new products or innovation, according to defined "adopter groups".

The process of technology adoption over time is typically illustrated as a "bell curve." According to this theory (de facto marketing theory btw),the first group of people to use a new product is called "innovators," followed by "early adopters." Next come the early and late majority, and the last group to eventually adopt a product are called "laggards".

The struggle for companies developing and initially marketing "disruptive" technologies (like CNC machines, scanners, cellphones, smartphones, PC's etc) is "crossing the chasm" between early adopters and early majority. That is, to reach from 15% of the market to 85% of the market.

Companies like 3M, Sirona, Itero, Ivoclar etc. rely on the innovators and early adopters to help prove out and refine their new potentially disruptive technology products so they are acceptable to the larger markets of early and late majority adopters.

Personally, I am (just as many are) an early adopter in some areas and a late adopter in others.

I would submit that in terms of what we have been discussing with IO scanners, the post model preparation that may be required in some cases is less like a magic potion than it was back maybe 10 years ago or so when the software tools were less available and reliable and the computers were of lower performance. These days its more of a workflow/training thing and actually more acceptable to the adopters on the "other side of the chasm".

Boy I'm glad I am now only distributing technology products and no longer involved in the development and marketing of them...

Yes IO scanners. We have been using them for quite some time and experimenting with full arch scans. It has been hit or miss. I believe that in time software developers will find a way, but until it becomes more predictable and less technique sensitive they are not ready yet.
If you were a carpenter would you use a hammer that could drive nails only 50% of the time? We have experience with 4 of the most popular scanners and various generations of them. Will be trying again with Trios 3 soon.

 

[brayks]

Yes IO scanners. We have been using them for quite some time and experimenting with full arch scans. It has been hit or miss. I believe that in time software developers will find a way, but until it becomes more predictable and less technique sensitive they are not ready yet.
If you were a carpenter would you use a hammer that could drive nails only 50% of the time? We have experience with 4 of the most popular scanners and various generations of them. Will be trying again with Trios 3 soon.

It's pretty exciting being on the "bleeding edge" right? well knowing you are contributing to the betterment of the technology (and hopefully reaping some of the benefits as well). -cheers!

 

[2thm8kr]

It's pretty exciting being on the "bleeding edge" right? well knowing you are contributing to the betterment of the technology (and hopefully reaping some of the benefits as well). -cheers!

Sometimes it's exhilarating and sometimes it's.

 

[rkm rdt]

As long as the guy making my bar knows how to laser weld,I should be good to go.

 

[zero_zero]

BTW, can you laser weld titanium ?

 

[brayks]

BTW, can you laser weld titanium ?

Yeppers. Works well with Grade 5 Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) mostly due to its precision and processing speed (pulse energy & duration ratio controlling penetration depth).

 

[2thm8kr]

BTW, can you laser weld titanium ?

I wouldn't, but here's a thread about it.
http://dentallabnetwork.com/forums/threads/laser-welding-titanium-cad-cam-bars.8427/

 

[2thm8kr]

Yeppers. Works well with Grade 5 Titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) mostly due to its precision and processing speed (pulse energy & duration ratio controlling penetration depth).

I've spent a while searching for info on this.
You have any links to studies on the joints or other useful info?

 

[brayks]

Did you see these?
https://app.aws.org/wj/supplement/WJ_1989_08_s342.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924013608006572
http://www.mlpc.com/uploads/Laser Welding for Medical Applications.pdf
Then there's plasma welding: http://www.primotecusa.com/sites/default/files/downloads/PUB0405-US-Plasma-versus-Phaser.pdf

 

[2thm8kr]

Did you see these?
https://app.aws.org/wj/supplement/WJ_1989_08_s342.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924013608006572
http://www.mlpc.com/uploads/Laser Welding for Medical Applications.pdf
Then there's plasma welding: http://www.primotecusa.com/sites/default/files/downloads/PUB0405-US-Plasma-versus-Phaser.pdf

I appreciate it brayks! I have read most of them before, the first PDF was new to me.
I remember the Dental Dialogue article from when I used to be a subscriber. That was were my doubt started, essential it is a series of surface spot welds on thin sheets of Ti, pretty easy to fill the joint. This is not the type of joint that we would typically see in a milled implant bar that was sectioned for failing a Sheffield's test. I've also seen filler 'blocks' added to gaps and spot welded circumferential joints. This just isn't for me. So for now I will remain a doubting Thomas. I'm sure there are guys out there with lots of success stories and solutions to problems have to start somewhere to be improved and perfected.