Abutment module and 5-axis options for Delcam dental machining system

Delcam has added a new module for the manufacture of abutments to its DentMILL knowledge-based machining system for the manufacture of components for the dental industry. This will make it easy for technicians with minimal manufacturing experience to produce abutments using the latest computerised machining technology. Previous versions were able to produce copings and bridges in ceramics and titanium. The new release, DentMILL 4, also include 5-axis machining options for the first time, to allow the manufacture of more complex parts with more efficient use of materials. The new five-axis options are particularly important for abutment manufacture as these components are difficult to produce with three-axis machining. The new functionality can also reduce material wastage when producing copings and bridges. Previously, all the components needed to be oriented within the material block so that they could all be machined in a single direction. With the 5-axis approach, the components can each be rotated to minimise the block thickness required, since the different pieces, or even different areas within a single part, can be machined in different directions. This means that a set of parts can be produced from a thinner block of material so reducing material costs and machining times.