“The innovation award is a great prize for our BEGO Varseo and confirms that we were spot-on with our solution of a 3D printer and optimally coordinated system components”, says a delighted Christoph Weiss, Managing Partner of the BEGO Group. He attended the gala with system developers Heinz Lambrecht, Head of Equipment Development BEGO and Dr. Markus Jordan, Material Development BEGO, who, together with their respective teams, were the brains behind the conception of the device and the associated materials.
Since as early as 2001 this owner-managed family company has been using 3D printing in the dental sector with metal powder, selective laser melting (SLM), and has been able to secure corresponding patent rights. Hundreds of thousands of patients around the world have been fitted with dental restorations printed by BEGO and finalised by dental laboratories. “After having been so successful with selective laser melting for many years, it was a logical progression to use our 3D printing expertise for other materials. With and for dental laboratories we have therefore developed our 3D printing system for a range of dental restorations using high-performance resins”, says Weiss.
Dental laboratories can use Varseo to, for instance, print drilling templates to show the direction and depth of drilling for implantations. This gives both the practitioner and the patient a high level of security. But the 3D printer can do even more, such as printing CAD/Cast partial denture frames which can then be invested and cast in whatever alloy is required. A process which is very efficient since it saves dental technicians time to spend on other tasks.
Splints, customised impression trays and dental models can also be printed quickly in the dental laboratory using Varseo. The compact device can be easily installed and put into operation in the laboratory. The file to be printed, which is designed and nested in advance using dedicated software, is transferred to Varseo via USB stick or data interface. Then printing can be initiated via a user-friendly touch screen.
“We have lots of plans for the future. The system is to be expanded to offer additional treatment options and services. We see a lot of potential here because the field of 3D printing overall is still in its infancy in medical technology. For the moment, though, we are just very pleased to receive this award, which is above all praise for the whole team behind the development,” says Weiss in conclusion.
Further information on the BEGO Varseo can be found online at: www.bego.com/3d-druck.
