Adding to the line-up of dental-focussed 3D printing technologies launched at LMT Lab Day Chicago 2018 from the likes of 3D Systems and DWS, Stratasys unveiled a new machine, material and support removal technology aimed at boosting adoption of professional-grade 3D printing in dental laboratories.

Leveraging its PolyJet triple-jetting technology, the new Stratasys Objet260 Dental 3D Printer will enable labs to print surgical guides, models, and appliances with up to three different materials on a single tray. Additionally, when in single-material mode, Stratasys claims the system will allow operators greater efficiency with shorter change-over and reduced material waste.

Though the company has not published the price of the machine, Stratasys says it will be affordable to mid-sized labs looking to expand service offerings, while not impacting versatility, and is available to order from its partner network.

If the Stratasys Objet 260 sounds familiar to you, that’s because the company launched a similar system back in 2015, the Objet260 Dental Selection 3D Printer. Though familiar in name, Stratasys confirms the specifications are very different. The new machine promises multi-material printing and increased productivity by allowing labs to print realistic models and surgical guides in a single print, whilst the Objet260 Dental Selection provides multi-material printing plus the ability to digital mix materials (colour, shore value, etc.), to print realistic implant models with soft tissue in a single build.

However, in the interest of future-proofing current investments, the Stratasys has designed its new Objet260 Dental 3D Printer to be upgradeable to “Dental Selection” to allow the use of next-generation digitally mixed materials.