Golden opportunity: for dentists and jewellers

Paul Boughton

With the SLM 50, Realizer delivers a selective laser melting (SLM) desktop machine for manufacturing components made of metal.

The desktop device has been designed for the manufacturing of components with a diameter of up to 70mm and a height of up to 40mm. Due to its small build volume the SLM 50 is suitable for gold applications in both dental and jewellery industry. All other material could be processed as well.

Realizer, in its function as technology leader, can fall back on many years of experience with this process in the development of SLM machines. As the developers of Selective Laser Melting, in 1999 they launched the world-wide first SLM machine for the manufacturing of components made from metallic materials.

Optionally, the SLM 50 can be expanded into a laser welding unit. With this functionality, metal components can be connected using the smallest of welding spots or very fine welding seams. In this case, seams are created without moving the work piece.

An important application for the SLM 50 is the manufacturing of crown frameworks, bridge frameworks or brackets made of cobalt-chrome. For this, following moulding by the dentist, initially a conventional dental die is prepared. 

The dental technician scans the model and prepares the data for the individual components using a special CAD software. Based on these 3D data, the SLM 50 produces exactly fitting dental components – quickly and of high quality. 

The components are absolutely true to size, absolutely leak-proof and require only minimal post processing. On the construction platform with a diameter of 70 mm, up to 30 individual components can be manufactured concurrently. 

In comparison to the conventional casting technique, the manufacturing with the SLM 50 becomes economical already starting at 100 units per month.

Another practical area of application for the SLM 50 is the manufacturing of jewellery.

By means of the optional integrable stereo microscope, this device furthermore offers universities and research institutions optimal opportunities for process monitoring.

 

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