Versatility
That Powers
Your Lab

E-BookLeverage the Value ofMixed-Tray 3D Printing

Chapter 1

If you work in a dental lab, you understand the pressures thatlabs face in today’s market. Technology disruption, market
consolidation, and a shrinking pool of skilled technicians createa challenging business landscape. This eBook will demonstrate
a clear path and opportunities for dental labs to grow, maintainindependence, remain competitive, and enhance the quality ofthe products they offer to their customers.

3D Printing:
Both a Solution and a Challenge
The current landscape of dental laboratories
presents an intriguing paradox. On one hand,
the growing needs for lab services, driven byan aging population and increasing demand fororal care and advanced cosmetic procedures,are evident. On the other hand, labor
shortages and the high costs associated withkeeping pace in an industry rapidly embracing
digitalization make it challenging for labs tomaintain profitability.

E-Book3D printing and digital workflows havebeen widely adopted across the dental
industry enhancing production scalability andautomating labor-intensive processes thatwere once the exclusive domain of highly
skilled technicians. Labs have diversified theirservice offerings accommodating a rangeof applications, a growing number of which
originate from a digital record.
Single-material printers, with their small
footprint and lower acquisition cost, havefacilitated the transition of numerous
laboratories into the realm of digital dentistry.
The aim has been to increase production
without compromising quality, all while
avoiding the need for workforce expansion.
However, while 3D printing has streamlined
certain aspects of the workflows in the lab,it has also presented challenges such ascontinual switching between materials or theacquisition of additional printers to support
new applications, and in some cases, both.

Managing print queues for a large variety ofcases in which each component requires adifferent material leads to suboptimal printerutilization, increased labor requirements andgrowing inventory. Without sufficient cases toprint a full tray with a particular material, existingcases are frequently delayed until there areenough parts to maximize printer utilization
which may cause turnaround delays. In addition,
frequent build changeover and inherent variability
in quality also contribute to a loss of productivity.
Furthermore, most single-material printersdemand continuous attention, diverting skilled
technical labor from other value-added tasks.

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E-BookEfficiency
Challenge:
One case –3 different
print jobs
Consider an implant case example. Implants
require three parts made of different materials:
an opaque rigid model, a soft gingival mask, anda clear surgical guide. All three parts need to be
shipped together, but a single-material printercan only produce them sequentially.

To print the rigid models and maximize build
capacity, you must consolidate models fromother unrelated cases. Next, you must changematerials to print the clear guide. However,if there are no other implant cases, you must
either wait for more cases to fill the printer tray
capacity or print the single implant case on its
own. The same scenario applies to the gingival
mask. Coordinating the print schedule to produce
a single implant case by the end of the day adds
time that a technician could spend on moreproductive tasks.

From a workday productivity perspective,
while smaller resin printers may print quickly,
total output often falls short. Most labs load upa print queue at day’s end so that new models
are ready the next morning. However, thesesmaller printers are only capable of building a few
models at a time. The printer may complete thejob quickly, but that benefit is negated when there
is no one available to load the next job. Increasing
overnight production means either adding atechnician during night hours to reload the printeror using a printer with more capacity.

One solution is to buy several smaller printers
to minimize material swapping. This requires
coordination among lab staff to ensure that thework is done in the right order and with the rightmaterials. Safety is also a concern because
exposure to uncured resin is a health hazard.

Labs looking to level up their capabilities would liketo 3D print different types of cases on one build,for example, the parts for implants, orthodontics,
crown and bridge, and removable partial dentures.
In this scenario, one could print the surgical guide,
all the models, the castable patterns, gingiva
mask, and a custom tray all at the same time,in the same print job on the same tray.
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Chapter 1

Maximize
Productivity withOne PrinterOne of the most effective ways to maximize your lab’s productivity iswith multi-material 3D printing. It gives labs the versatility of producing
multiple applications at the same time on a mixed-tray. This meansthat labs can print models in different materials during the same print
job on the same build tray. There’s no need to wait for sufficient parts
to print in one material and then change to another material for otherparts. You can print the parts as you need them, whether they’recrown and bridge models, cast partial patterns, clear aligner arches,or implant models and guides, regardless of material requirements.
This offers significant workflow efficiency.
For orthodontic labs, mixed-tray printing provides the ability toproduce mixed trays of clear aligner arches, study models, and flexible
indirect bonding trays with biocompatible materials. This radicallystreamlines your workflow and gives you the flexibility to print what
you need when you need to without having to wait for the printer tofinish a run and change out the resins.

E-BookSimpler case workflow management is another benefit of a mixed-tray
printer. You can print the entire implant set—model, gingival mask,and surgical guide—together. This saves time and avoids errors whenmatching all the parts for the right case, which often happens when
they can’t be printed together.

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Chapter 1

Multi-Material vs.
Single-Material Printer
Productivity Comparison
To validate the capability of multi-material printing, Stratasys compared theJ3 DentaJet® printer to several competing single-material dental printers. A surprising
result involved the total number of “touch points” needed to produce parts, a factor not
readily apparent when comparing printers. “Touch points” reflect the number of times atechnician is involved in the printing process. That includes emptying and reloading theprinter, changing materials, and post-processing the parts. Counterintuitively, the fastersmaller printers produce parts, the more labor, or “touch points,” are needed to manage
the printer, effectively minimizing or negating productivity benefits.
The scenario described below summarizes the findings of these comparison tests,
using a “16 Case” implantology print load scenario. This scenario was chosen because
it represents a full build tray on the J3 DentaJet, using three different materials for themodels, gingival mask, and surgical guides.

E-BookLoad One Tray and Walk Away
Multi-material printing streamlines labor and enhances production scalability,
reducing the manual intervention required to produce a wider range of applications
simultaneously. In contrast, smaller, single-material printers shift the labor from handson operations, such as constructing models and appliances, to the management ofthe 3D print queue. Instead of operating the 3D printer, it’s the printer that directs youractions. This critical aspect is often overlooked when comparing different 3D printers.

16 Case Scenario:
Case Turnaround Time: A single overnight print
job for the J3 DentaJet vs. 2 days and multiple prints
for a single material DLP printer.
Total touch points: 3 touch points for theJ3 DentaJet vs. 108 touchpoints for single DLP printer.

J3 DentaJet – printing 3 resins simultaneously•	Print setup and job initiation (automated nestingand support generation)•	Print (a single print job)•	Support Removal with waterjet. (No recontouring,smoothing, IPA bath, or post curing)
DLP Printer – printing a single material at a time•	Nesting builds: 8 model plates, 2 gingiva mask,
2 surgical guide•	Replace build head, remove parts, clean build
head, stir/prep resin, start job(5 x 12 = 60 touchpoints)•	IPA clean each build immediately (2 touch pointsper build) Dry, Post cure (12 x 3 = 36 touchpoints)

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) burden:
The J3 DentaJet requires up to 2 partial resources(headcount) to complete the 16 cases (print set-up andsupport removal) whereas competing printers requireda full-time dedicated resource or multiple resources tomanage all the touch points.
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Harness the power of color
Beyond mixed trays, multi-material printing enables printing in color. This capability can be used toprint either realistic dental models or multi-shaded dental appliances such as permanent dentures.

Color Dental Models
Color lets you differentiate your products in an otherwisecompetitive space. Some labs use different colors on models
to highlight the treatment area and outcome for the patient1,enabling more constructive dialogue between patient andclinician. Other labs use the color model as a reference
producing a more accurate restoration based on the actual
color data.

TrueDent™ Dentures
TrueDent is a Class II FDA-cleared resin developed for 3D
printing of dentures and temporary crowns and bridges on theJ5 DentaJet platform. It enables batch production of highly
aesthetic, monolithic, multicolor dental appliances on a single
mixed-part, high-capacity tray2.

1E-Book2

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jerd.12873
https://www.aegisdentalnetwork.com/idt/2023/02/polyjet-monolithic-high-fidelity-polychromatic-printed-prosthetics

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Chapter 1

Multi-Material Printing:
A Solution for All Dental Labs
3D printing a single material at a time has its limitations. It may print quickly, but at thecost of increased labor. Multi-material printing increases a lab’s productivity and efficiency,
optimizing resources. Mixed-tray capability has been the go-to tool for large dental labs
but has been out of reach for smaller and mid-size labs, mainly due to cost. The Stratasys
DentaJet Series offers a solution for any lab that is interested in expanding their service
offering and growing their business.

Benefits of Multi-Material Printing
for Specific Dental Applications•	
Orthodontics: Produce high volumes of aligner arches,orthodontic models, and indirect bonding trays unattended.
DentaJet also eliminates the need for applying a separator
that is necessary in many orthodontic appliances. Optimize
resources by managing both printing technologies throughthe GrabCAD Print™ software platform.

E-Book•I mplant Workflows: Simplify the complexity of 3d printing
implant components and maximize production andrepeatability. Print high precision opaque and rigid implantmodels, biocompatible and transparent surgical guides,
and soft gingiva masks — all on one tray — in a single,unattended print job.

• emovables: Make the difference with high aesthetics,
R
precision, and customization in monolithic polychromatic
dentures, try-Ins, and flippers. Expand your dentureoffering with TrueDent, our patented FDA-cleared (Class II)
resin matching a varied patient demographic on one tray.

• rown & Bridge: increase capacity, improve efficiency,
Cand reduce cost per model. To improve color matching
restorations and reduce remakes implement utilize color
printing capabilities. With TrueDent resin, long term
temporary crowns and bridges as well as highly aesthetic
diagnostic models can be printed.

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In the ever-evolving landscape digital dentistry, the challenges
are undeniable. Yet, solutions that empower growth and elevateyour practice are within reach. Multi-material 3D printing ismore than a technological advancement; it’s a game-changer
for dental labs of all sizes.
By streamlining workflows, reducing manual intervention,and offering the versatility to produce a diverse range ofapplications on the same tray, multi-material 3D printing is yourkey to enhanced productivity and efficiency.
So, whether you’re a seasoned lab with ambitious growth goals
or a smaller practice aiming to level up, consider the profound
impact that multi-material 3D printing can have on your journey
toward success.

If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of your dental lab, don’t hesitate to take the next step.
Contact us for a personalized consultation and discover how multi-material 3D printing can scale
your operations, improve your efficiency, and expand your service offerings.
Together, we can help your lab thrive in an increasingly digital and competitive landscape.
Your future starts now.

Stratasys Headquarters
7665 Commerce Way,
Eden Prairie, MN 55344+1 800 801 6491 (US Toll Free)+1 952 937-3000 (Intl)+1 952 937-0070 (Fax)

1 Holtzman St., Science Park,PO Box 2496Rehovot 76124, Israel+972 74 745 4000+972 74 745 5000 (Fax)

E-Bookstratasys.com
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