Seamless Integration of the exocad

Model Creator with the Stratasys

Eden260V 3D Printing System
By Stratasys

ABSTRACT
The digital dental landscape is in a state of constant technological evolution. For the discerning dental professional, being at the

forefront of these changes ensures enhanced, long-term business viability. For example, exocad® GmbH’s computer-aided design

software and solutions are utilized by many dental CAD/CAM providers and resellers as platforms in their own digital design

software. The company’s versatility and breadth of solutions provide the digital dental professional with robust solutions for

the dental treatment team. Among the many solutions available, the exocad Model Creator add-on module allows a

physical model to be printed directly from an intra-oral or impression scan with different pinning modalities. This

white paper illustrates the seamless integration of the exocad Model Creator with the Objet® Eden260V™

3D Printer from Stratasys®.

THE 3D PRINTING SOLUTIONS COMPANY

Seamless Integration of the exocad
Model Creator with the Stratasys
Eden260V 3D Printing System

OVERVIEW maximum flexibility. The Objet Eden260V 3D Printer

Digital design solution providers throughout the offers seamless integration with Model Creator

world use exocad software as a platform for and easily accepts the design file to produce an

their solutions, including some of the foremost accurate, clean and smooth dental model.

innovators in the digital dentistry arena. These

technology providers have sold numerous systems

comprising the lion’s share of the computer-aided CASE PRESENTED
design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing Segmented with removable dies

(CAM) market. They selected exocad because of its An intra-oral scan of a patient’s mouth is

ease of use and shortened learning curve, which in captured with a chair-side dental acquisition unit,

turn, allow dental laboratories and technicians to illustrating a detailed rendering of the existing

minimize training costs and maximize productivity. dental topography (Figure 1). The scan is sent to

Its open-architecture CAD software platform easily the dental laboratory in an STL file format and

allows it to seamlessly integrate with other digital downloaded into the exocad software. An STL file

solutions, including CAD and CAM. The software is open formatted, which means it’s possible for

is remarkably intuitive to use and has extensive additional open digital systems to accept, retrieve

capabilities to design some of the most complex and manipulate its digital data. This output allows

dental restoration options. users to be selective with their digital solutions,

yet seamlessly integrate the process through

exocad GmbH introduced the Model Creator add-

on module in late 2013; it offers dental practitioners

the ability to take intra-oral or impression scans,

and then create a digital file that is used to build a

physical model. The physical model can be created

in multiple pinning modalities, allowing the dental

professional to remain in control and validate the

process throughout the dental treatment. Model

Creator supports solid or hollow clinical casts with

independent dies or pin-based model creation for

Figure 1: Loading a dental scan file.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF THE EXOCAD MODEL CREATOR WITH THE EDEN260V / 2

Seamless Integration of the exocad
Model Creator with the Stratasys
Eden260V 3D Printing System

software, the software proposes a set of strategic

cuts in the clinical cast. This auto-selection function

proposes these cuts with consideration for the

geometric considerations, to ensure strength and

stability with regard to the removable dies (Figure

3). The design user remains in complete control

throughout the design phase and can either

accept the software’s proposal or alter the cut

strategy to individual specifications. After choosing

Figure 2: Inserting the Baumann plate.

which virtual cuts to make, the user approves the

segmented section and proceeds (Figure 4).

multiple systems to achieve an optimal restorative

solution. The user opens the STL file with the Removable dies are an essential part of the dental
Model Creator add-on module and imports model. They provide the dental laboratory with
the scan for assessment and virtual design access to the peripheral extent of the preparation
manipulation. After all of the corresponding data

is correctly imported, the model design is initiated

by adding pre-fabricated bases, called Baumann

plates, to create the detachable segmentation

possibility (Figure 2). The user then aligns

the detachable plates with the virtual model,

which is anchored or pinned to the detachable

segmentation of the working die in place.

Once the user establishes the base position and

identifies preparations that need restorations in the Figure 3: Auto-selection of the cut sections.

The design user remains in complete control

throughout the design phase.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF THE EXOCAD MODEL CREATOR WITH THE EDEN260V / 3

Seamless Integration of the exocad
Model Creator with the Stratasys
Eden260V 3D Printing System

identical position it was before removal. When

choosing this protocol, consider two preparation

sites: the first being the shaft by which the die will

be situated, and the second being the die itself,

including the pin. The recommended setting for

horizontal shaft gap is 0.15 mm and the vertical

shaft gap is 0.15 mm. These gaps provide a small

space between the die and the rest of the model

Figure 4: Segmented sections approved by the user.
for ease of removal. The minimum thickness of the
called the margin. In order for the restoration to wall – the outer membrane of the model, or the
be sound in the mouth, the crown must conceal gingival portion of the patient’s oral cavity – needs
the margin precisely. Furthermore, removable dies to be no less than 0.95 mm to ensure stability and
facilitate the contouring of the restorations and the

proper inter-proximal contact placement. Use of

the Baumann plates allows for a consistent positive

retrieval of the removable dies to the clinical dental

model. The digital design proposal is converted to

an STL file and imported to the Objet Eden 260V 3D

Printer (Figure 5).

Figure 5: The model is ready to print and can be exported as an STL

Non-segmented dental model file.

If segmented dies are not desired, a removable die

within the clinical dental cast can be attained by

virtually annotating and segmenting near the margin

(Figure 6). The die will appear as a wedge within

the clinical cast that is easily removable. Removal

of the die is necessary to complete the restorative

fabrication functions, however, it is critical that

the die is seated back into the clinical cast in the

Figure 6: Tooth annotation for relevant restorations.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF THE EXOCAD MODEL CREATOR WITH THE EDEN260V / 4

Seamless Integration of the exocad
Model Creator with the Stratasys
Eden260V 3D Printing System

ensures minimal movement and a consistent seating

position, a groove should be established with a

width of 1.74 mm and depth of 0.95 mm. Once the

user sets and approves all the printing parameters,

the design proposal is ready to be exported to the

Eden260V 3D Printer. After printing, the clinical model

and removable dies, which are printed separately,

Figure 7: Side view of the Baumann plate prepared automatically. are used to verify the treatment protocol. A cost-

reduction feature in the software allows the user

no perforation. If the wall is perforated, the die will
to set parameters within the program. The non-
not have a positive seat and therefore introduce
sectioned components aren’t required to be made
unwanted discrepancies in the position of the
of solid printed material (Figure 7). In areas where
preparation.
removable dies are unnecessary and a long span of

printed material is present, the long span is stable

Shifting attention to the removable die and its
enough to be hollow and/or void of printed material.
characteristics, the wedged die needs to be
This feature, however, should not be used in areas

Digital dentistry is quickly becoming a staple

for dental treatments.

where preparations are present so that the stability of

established with a ditch width of 0.67 mm and
the dental model is not compromised. With multiple
ditch average of 0.50 mm. The preparation margin
cases and full arch printing capabilities, this cost-
extrusion should be 0.23 mm, with a seating width
reduction method can yield a significant cost savings
of 0.72 mm and a pin height of 1.80 mm. Finally, in
in material and time.
order to create an anti-rotational mechanism that

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF THE EXOCAD MODEL CREATOR WITH THE EDEN260V / 5

CONCLUSION
Digital dentistry is quickly becoming a staple

for dental treatments among discerning dental

professionals. 3D printed models can now easily,

quickly and cost-effectively validate the intricacies

of oral topography via inta-oral or impression

scans (Figures 8 and 9). Since its introduction,

Figure 8: A clean segmented 3D printed model with easily retrievable
exocad has been one of the premier digital design dies.

software products in the market, but with the

Model Creator add-on module, users can now

seamlessly and effortlessly integrate files with the

Objet Eden260V 3D Printer to create optimal 3D

model solutions.

Figure 9: A 3D printed model made from VeroDentPlus™ by Stratasys.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF THE EXOCAD MODEL CREATOR WITH THE EDEN260V / 6

 PL ATELESS MODEL DESIGN SET TINGS

Horizontal Shaft Gap 0.15 mm

Vertical Shaft Gap 0.15 mm

Ditch Width 0.67 mm

Ditch Depth Average 0.50 mm

Pin Height 1.80 mm

Preparation Margin Extrusion 0.23 mm

Seating Width 0.72 mm

Groove Width 1.74 mm

Groove Depth 0.95 mm

Wall Thickness 2.50 mm

Figure 10: Recommended plateless model design parameters.

All parameters can be found in the pre-loaded settings
“defaultparameters.xml”.

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ST R ATA SYS .C O M

HEADQUARTERS
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Rehovot 76124, Israel
+972 74 745-4000
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© 2014, 2015 Stratasys Ltd. All rights reserved. Stratasys, Stratasys nautilus logo and Objet are registered trademarks and PolyJet, Eden260V, and VeroDentPlus are trademarks of Stratasys Ltd. and/or is subsidiaries or affiliates and may be registered
in certain jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and Stratasys assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these non-Stratasys products. Product specifications subject to
change without notice. Printed in the USA. WP_PJD_Exocad_0915.

For more information about Stratasys systems, materials and applications, call 888.480.3548 or visit www.stratasys.com