Small Footprint, Big Impact
Inside Dental Technology delivers updates on digital workflows, materials, lab techniques, and innovation in dental technology through expert articles and videos.
March 1, 2020
Volume 11, Issue 3, March 2020
Page(s): p. 50
Mark Peters, RDT
Peters Dental Ceramic Studio has a long history of innovation. It was founded in 1959 by my mother, Tea Peters, RDT, only the second female RDT in Canada. Back then, our business was strictly crown and bridge. When I came on board in 1979, we became a full-service laboratory.
Thanks to digital technology, we have remained small but increasingly efficient. I began using CAD 25 years ago, and then we integrated milling into our laboratory production workflow in 2014. Today, we produce crowns, bridges, and implants, along with some partial frameworks, dentures, and night guards. Our client base is primarily dentists and denturists, though we also do some milling for other laboratories.
Our laboratory needed a milling machine with a smaller footprint that had the accuracy and reliability of a larger mill. One thing I noticed immediately about the DWX-52DCi was that it is quite heavy, which helps with stability and vibration reduction.
The quality of the crowns milled on the DW52DCi is amazing. The fit, the look—they are all exactly the way they should be. From a basic crown to the most complex implant restoration, this mill performs extremely well.
The DWX-52DCi a very well-built and reliable machine, and it is so accurate and stable that the burs last over 300 hours. There are just so many positive features of this technology: The disc changer improves production efficiency, the DWINDEX software makes it easy to track disc use and bur wear, and the user-replaceable spindle can be swapped out in a matter of minutes.
Using this mill has streamlined our production and brought it to a new level. We run all our zirconia, wax, and PMMA in the DWX-52DCi, freeing up the larger mill to use for wet-milling only. The Roland has absolutely saved the laboratory money, as we only outsource complex titanium bars now.
The 24-hour production capability of this machine is a game-changer for the quality of life of laboratory workers and owners. I can load up the DWX-52DCi at the end of the day and leave work at a normal time, while I monitor the mill status from my smartphone.
I bought this mill based on Roland's reputation and the machine's automation, but it has exceeded my expectations. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
Key Takeaways
› The DWX-52DCi produces high-quality, accurate restorations with a smaller footprint
› DWINDEX performance visualization software helps manage indexing operations
› 24-hour unattended milling can be monitored from a smartphone
› A six-slot automatic disc changer dramatically improves production efficiency
› User-replaceable spindle can be changed in a matter of minutes
Disclaimer: The statements and opinions contained in the preceding material are not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology.
About the Author
Mark Peters, RDT
Owner
Peters Dental Ceramic Studio Ltd.
Toronto, Ontario
Manufacturer Information
DGSHAPE, a Roland Company
rolanddga.com/dental
800-542-2307
