[CASE STUDY] Metal 3D Printing in Dental Industry: HBD SLM 3D Printers

Modern dental production is virtually impossible without the use of advanced additive manufacturing technologies, primarily selective laser melting of metals. 

The Turkish province of Izmir is one of the global centers holding dozens of dental outsourcing laboratories and receiving orders for the production of dental and orthodontic appliances from Europe and the Middle East.

Over the past two years, dental laboratories in Izmir have purchased more than 80 HBD SLM printers. Top 3D Shop representatives were able to talk to the management of the lab cluster and discuss the increased interest in this additive manufacturing equipment.

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About the company

In 2023, the dental laboratory called Dentarium will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Dentist Şenol Gürbüz began his professional career and founded one of the most reputable dental laboratories in Izmir in 1983.

Dentarium has been manufacturing dental and orthodontic products for clinics in Germany and France since 1989. The laboratory moved to the center of Izmir in 2000. Today it is one of the largest dental laboratories in the city housing 70 highly qualified specialists who engage the latest equipment on an area of 600 m².

Dentarium has a large fleet of modern equipment, which is constantly expanding. On the backdrop of increasing orders, the laboratory management started gradually abandoning traditional methods such as casting and switched to digital methods for manufacturing dental structures.

Initially, the technicians were focused on milling to produce dental appliances. Currently, the Izmir-based laboratory has a fleet of Roland five-axis milling units and machine tools manufactured by the Turkish company Redon Teknoloji.

Equipment

In 2020, Dentarium made the decision to purchase an HBD-100D SLM 3D printing unit manufactured by the China-based company H3D HBD. This machine utilizes selective laser melting technology and is engaged primarily in printing clasps, bridges, and crowns.

The company entered the metal 3D printing industry in 2007 and launched its first 3D printer, the HBD-150, in 2013. Since then, HBD has expanded its lineup of equipment and released over a dozen of industrial SLM printers with different build volumes: from the HBD-80 with a 120 x 80 mm cylindrical shaped chamber to the HBD-1500 with a working area of 460 x 460 x 1500 mm.

The HBD-100D 3D printer is widely used for medical applications, primarily in dentistry. The machine is equipped with a 100W laser and is widely used to print dentures, crowns, and jaw implants.

The unit works with titanium, aluminum, chromium-cobalt, nickel alloy, as well as stainless and tool steel fine metal powders.

Why HBD?

Dentarium chose HBD equipment for several reasons. The main ones are reliability and print speed as well as responsive and qualified technical support. In addition, HBD SLM machines carry an excellent price-performance ratio.

Only one technician is needed to perform the unit’s maintenance. This technologically sophisticated equipment is nevertheless easy to operate, which is another big draw for additive HBD installations.

The Dentarium laboratory plans to acquire a second SLM unit for manufacturing dental crowns, also from the HBD equipment lineup.

Bottom line

Due to their advanced printing capabilities, automated operation, and recognized ease of use, the HBD SLM systems are ideal for digital dentistry. These machines completely eliminate the process of waxing, embedding, and casting as well as reduce hidden costs, which allows for more economical production compared to traditional techniques. Thus, the printers of the company are great for professional use in medical treatment and other spheres, like automotive, research and development, jewelry, prototyping, and customization.