3D inkjet printing produces biocompatible full-color resin components.
The dental industry has been a posterchild for additive manufacturing (AM) for years, encompassing both polymer and metal 3D printing applications. In the former case, stereolithography (SLA) has been the preferred technology but now the Japanese imaging and electronics provider, Ricoh, has announced the development of an alternative approach based on material jetting (MJ).
Citing the lack of mechanical strength and limitation to single-colors in the case of SLA parts, the company has designed a new ink and MJ process that aims to address both issues.
More specifically, Ricoh’s new ink incorporates fillers that increase the mechanical strength of MJ parts while still being jettable. The system uses high-strength clear and white inks to form the base of the part, then adds highly concentrated yellow, magenta, and cyan inks for color.
According to the company, this formulation of the monomers and resins is fully biocompatible, passing JIS T 10993-1 testing standards for medical devices and making parts made with the new technology suitable for dental prosthetics. Other potential uses, according to Ricoh, include eyeglass frames as well as custom prosthetic parts.
Ricoh has stated that the new MJ system has already been adopted by Core Dental Lab Yokohama and is currently being evaluated for clinical use.
The technology platform is not yet available in Europe or North America, but the company has stated that it is exploring expansion into these regions.
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