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|CASE STUDY|
Global
MDA
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TwinCAT CNC controls grinding machine for dental drills with exceptional precision
Machine evolution yields higher efficiency and
quality in processing
Beckhoff Automation Pvt Ltd
Dentsply Sirona provides advanced products and solutions for dentists and dental technicians around the
world. As the company’s internal equipment division, the Advanced Technology Group sets the foundation for
innovative and high-quality offerings. One example is the new IM4P grinding machine for dental drills, which
was developed in 2017. Through the use of TwinCAT CNC software, the advanced machine features a faster and
more stable grinding process than its predecessor. It also reduces tool wear, and requires only half the typical
adjustment time for product changeovers.
W
ith over 15,000 employees, 800
of whom work at the company’s
location in Ballaigues, Switzerland,
Dentsply Sirona has been making
dental products since 1877. It invented
the electric dental drill and developed
the first bulk fill composite and the
first partial matrix, which makes direct
dental restorations faster and easier.
The company is also a leader in the
development of dental implants and
digital tools for safer and more efficient
patient care.
François Aeby, who heads the Advanced
Technology Group, explains its role as
follows: “Our goal is to provide efficient
and customized high-tech machinery
for all Dentsply Sirona production sites
around the world. The reason for this
approach is to keep core expertise in-
house while supporting customers and
their product development activities
with new processes and technologies.”
To do this, the Advanced Technology
Group focuses on four main areas:
dental labs, process automation,
automatic inspection and packaging
systems.
Major improvements in drill grinding
machine
Producing small dental drills requires
exceptional precision in machining.
56 | may-june 2019
The new IM4P grinding machine
for dental drills represents a major
evolutionary step compared to its
predecessor, says François Mottier,
project manager at Dentsply Sirona.
“Using TwinCAT CNC simplifies the
machine’s commissioning process and
improves its machining quality. It also
makes changeovers between the various
drill types easier and more flexible.
Changing the product now involves only
changes in software without having to
replace any mechanical components.”
François Aeby adds: “This also applies
to conversions to other application
areas. For example, the same CNC
functionality can be used to produce
dental milling cutters in the future. All
we need to do is to adjust the tools
accordingly.”
The grinding machine consists of four
modules, each with five interpolated
axes and one virtual CNC axis, says
Daniel Roy, automation engineer
at Dentsply Sirona. “Controlled via
TwinCAT CNC, the five axes position
the tool with maximum precision and
move a trolley that holds the various
machining tools. There is also a tool
table that moves with the same axes
and an additional spindle. The virtual
axis, which is a combination of the x-
and y-axes, is a function provided by the
TwinCAT CNC system.”
Improved control performance for
higher machine efficiency
Due to the need for greater
performance, Dentsply Sirona employs
TwinCAT CNC for the new grinding
machine model. The TwinCAT 3 system
comprises the following CNC functions:
o TC3 CNC Basic Pack (including TC3
PLC/PTP/NCI).
o TC3 CNC Axes Pack for a total of 64
axes/controlled spindles, of which
32 can be path axes and 12 can be
controlled spindles
o TC3 CNC Channel Pack for extending
another CNC channel to a maximum
of 12 channels
o TC3 CNC Transformation with 5-axis
functionality, kinematics library,
RTCP and TLC functionality, and the
definition and/or chaining/transition
of various coordinate systems
Global MDA Journal