Success Story with Ewert Zahntechnik
Digital Hybrid Manufacturing: Precision & Efficiency with 2onelab & CIMSystem
Discover how Ewert Zahntechnik achieves a precise workflow for high-quality telescopic restorations using the digital hybrid solution from 2oneLab and CIMSystem. This solution offers flexibility, precision, and economic advantages compared to conventional or purely additive methods.
Initial Situation
Ewert Zahntechnik, based in Soest, Germany, is an innovative dental laboratory specializing in high-end prosthetic solutions. To meet the growing demands for precision, repeatability, and cost-efficiency, the company decided to implement a hybrid manufacturing workflow—comprising the 2Create metal 3D printing system from 2oneLab and the Make&Mill CAD/CAM solution from CIMSystem.
Objective
Ewert Zahntechnik aimed to make the production of secondary structures for telescopic dental prostheses more efficient. This type of dental restoration requires the highest level of precision, complex geometries, and seamless integration into existing digital workflows.
Hybrid Workflow Solution
By combining the 2Create metal 3D printer and Make&Mill CAD/CAM software, a fully integrated hybrid workflow (3D printing and miling) could be implemented.
2Create Metal 3D Printer
Make&Mill: CAD/CAM Sofware
Hybrid Workflow
Hybrid Workflow
Further elements for the hybrid workflow by 2onelab
For a complete digital dental workflow, Ewert Zahntechnik also implemented additional components from the 2oneLab ecosystem to streamline the production process and ensure maximum efficiency, repeatability, and precision:
- 2Build (CAM software),
- 2Connect (web-based monitoring app),
- 2Sieve (ultrasonic sieving system),
- 2Clean (cleaning system),
- and Glow Cube HTS-2/Metal Glow-120+ (furnace)
Hybrid Workflow – Step by Step
1. Scan
Digitalization of the Patient Model – Foundation for CAD Design
Learn More
– At the beginning, the patient’s physical model – such as a plaster model or an intraoral scan – is digitized using a 3D scanner. This step is essential for capturing the exact geometry of the oral situation and transferring it into the digital workflow.
– The resulting digital model (usually in STL format) then serves as the basis for the CAD design of the dental restoration.
-
- Digitalization of the patient model
2. Design
Digital Design for Precise Hybrid Manufacturing – CAD + Make&Mill Software
Learn More
– The telescope prostheses are initially digitally designed using a CAD system such as exocad or SilaParts. (Picture 1)
– The completed design is then exported in STL format and imported into CIMSystem’s Make&Mill software.
– Special support bridges are then designed on the component. These ensure precise positioning on the milling machine’s fixture and enable reproducible alignment for the subsequent hybrid manufacturing process. (Picture 2)
-
- CAD design of the telescopic work followed by the import (STL) into Make&Mill
-
- Design of special support bridges on the component in Make&Mill
3. Preparation
Preparation for 3D Printing – 2Build CAM
Learn More
– After designing in Make&Mill, the file is transferred to the 2Build CAM software, where the build job is created. The model is sliced, and the necessary machine parameters and G-code are generated.
– The completed build job is then sent to the 2Create metal 3D printer, where the additive manufacturing process (selective laser melting) begins.
-
- Creation of the 3D print job in the 2Build CAM software
4. Production / Metal 3D Printing
Printing the Part with 2Create
Learn More
– The build job is constructed layer by layer in the 2Create metal 3D printer, resulting in the metallic structure of the part with high dimensional accuracy and fine detail.
-
- Additive manufacturing process (3D printing): Powder Bed Fusion (PBF)
+ Post-Processing
Heat Treatment
Learn More
– After printing, the part undergoes heat treatment to eliminate internal stresses (residual stresses). This step is essential to prevent material warping and deformation during subsequent processing.
-
- Heat treatment to relieve internal residual stresses in the component
5. Milling Process
Precise Milling of the Part in the Make&Mill Fixture
Learn More
– The component is separated from the build plate after the heat treatment and clamped into the specially designed Make&Mill fixture for the milling process. This holder is then inserted into the milling machine (e.g., T5 from Siladent). Thanks to the pre-calibrated zero-point system, the defined surfaces and cavities can be milled with the highest precision.
– This results in a precisely fitting dental restoration that meets the highest functional and aesthetic standards.
-
- Precise milling of the component in the Make&Mill fixture
-
- 3D-printed telescope components with re-milled cavities
Result:
- Maximum precision through the combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing
- Time savings in the production of complex secondary structures
- Material efficiency by building up only where necessary
- Optimal integration into existing digital workflows
Ewert Zahntechnik finish: 3D-printed telescope components with re-milled cavities
Conclusion
The hybrid manufacturing approach with 2Create and Make&Mill enables Ewert Zahntechnik to produce high-quality telescopic restorations at an industrial standard. The system offers not only flexibility and precision but also a sustainable and economical advantage over purely conventional or purely additive methods.
We sincerely thank Ewert Zahntechnik for the successful collaboration and their trust in our hybrid manufacturing solution. Their commitment to innovation and quality sets a strong example in modern dental technology.
We look forward continuing our partnership. 🚀
