Nabertherm expands dental range with CoCr sintering and AM heat-treatment furnace
Nabertherm GmbH, headquartered in Lilienthal, Germany, has expanded its range of furnaces for dental laboratories with the LCA 04/13 LB, a compact unit designed for both the sintering of cobalt-chromium (CoCr) restorations and stress-relief annealing following laser sintering.
Depending on the application, the furnace can be equipped with either a dedicated sintering bell set or an annealing bell set, enabling dental laboratories to use the same furnace for either heat-treatment process.
For the sintering of CoCr crowns and bridges, restorations are heat treated in a dedicated sintering bell under an argon atmosphere. The furnace uses sintering pearls to create an almost oxygen-free environment while limiting argon consumption, states the company.
The open system is compatible with commonly available CoCr blanks and can be programmed for different materials, with a sintering temperature of up to 1,280°C.
For stress-relief annealing following laser sintering, components are processed under a dedicated annealing bell. An integrated gas supply system enables adjustment of the protective gas atmosphere, while the lifting table allows components to be cooled rapidly. Cooling can be controlled automatically through the selected programme or initiated manually according to process requirements.
The LCA 04/13 LB is operated using Nabertherm’s P580 touchscreen controller and supports process documentation through NTLog Basic, as well as mobile process monitoring via the MyNabertherm app. The furnace also uses a single-phase power connection to simplify installation.
Nabertherm states that combining the two heat-treatment processes in one compact system is intended to simplify workflows for dental laboratories processing CoCr restorations.
