Delcam Launches New DentMILL Dental Milling Software

By DE Editors

Delcam has launched what the company describes as a major upgrade to its DentMILL software for the milling of dental implant restorations. DentMILL 2012 includes a new interface for better ease of use, improved nesting for more efficient use of materials, and faster calculation times.

The solution includes improved integration with the DentCAD design software, including the introduction of a new interface that replicates the cleaner style introduced in the 2010 version of DentCAD. The new interface features a reduced number of toolbars to allow the maximum screen space for toolpath generation and simulation, together with clearer icons. It has been designed in association with dental laboratories and milling centers to ensure that technicians with limited experience of computer-aided machining will find the software easy to learn and to use, the company says.

Material use has been made more efficient with improved and more flexible nesting tools to position the various restorations within the block. In particular, the ability to undertake part-to-part pinning has been added, rather than having to use separate support pins for each restoration. The restorations are oriented in the optimum alignment so that the most cost-effective thickness of material block can be used.

The milling templates supplied with the software have been extended to a wider range of materials, including titanium, cobalt-chrome and glass ceramics. These allow automated generation of toolpaths.

DentMILL also includes enhancements found in the latest version of PowerMILL, on which it is based. These include a number of new strategies that offer smoother machining to give the best possible surface finish. In addition, new background-processing capabilities mean that toolpath calculations can be started on the first items added to the block, while the remaining restorations are still being positioned. The technology also allows work to be undertaken simultaneously on a number of projects.

Closer integration has also been added between DentMILL and Delcam's OrderManager workflow management software, so that the system is updated automatically with manufacturing data as it is generated. This is in addition to the ability for milling-centre staff to immediately see incoming orders, approve them and download design data to begin programming. The additional automation makes it easier to use the system to manage all the manufacturing steps through to eventual dispatch, and to maintain a 'real-time' view of the centre's total order status.

For more information, visit Delcam.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.