October 4, 2013
The new version of WorkNC Dental provides a wide range of innovative automatic machining functions for dental prosthesis, whatever the process.
This latest release of the dental solution creates increasingly efficient and reliable toolpaths. For example, the addition of new morphing strategies and spiral transitions produces finishing toolpaths where the cutter is permanently in contact with surfaces, giving a perfect surface finish while reducing machining times.
WorkNC Dental V4 also includes new automatic cavity recognition for fully automatic machining on both 3+2 and 5-axis machines, through the faultless detection of concurrent or diverging insertion axes. This new functionality provides optimal use of 3+2 machines which do not have simultaneous 5-axis capabilities. Also, preparation times are significantly reduced as the interactive management of undercut machining routines is no longer required.
Another step forward in automatic machining processes: machine characteristics and kinematics are now taken into account before calculations are run. This means users are immediately aware of any feasibility issues, managing project preparation in real time.
Complex cavities can now be analysed through a precise display of existing undercut areas on elements to be machined, which also takes into account zones that are inaccessible for machining.
And users can now freely define machining extremity curves, improving access for machining strategic areas of complex prosthesis. Depending on machine kinematics when using the 5-axis simultaneous remachining toolpath on undercuts, this function allows remachining angulation to be increased, improving toolpath performance.
Numerous enhancements have been made to the dental implant module, including the library now featuring generic connectors which are compatible with the leading brands of implants, and interactive 3D repositioning of prosthesis connectors. Also, manual detection algorithms have been optimised to ensure improved recognition and reconstruction of STL models.
The software now includes convertors for all common native dental CAD files, allowing Cerec®, Procera®, 3Shape® and Cercon® files to be imported directly, as well as IGES format.
Finally, a number of new features and enhancements simplify and automate how WorkNC Dental is used:
• Improved sintering supports for large bridges
• Machining axis display
• Multiple prosthesis offset extensions
• Communications plug-in for automatic ISO file processing on the machine controller
• Automatic generation of job related technical documents
• Automatic support pin addition and one-click interactive insertion
• Compatible mouse configuration with all major dental CAD systems.