Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) is beginning the roll-out of products from its acquisition of digital light processing (DLP) startup Origin. The 3D printing stalwart has announced the release of the Origin One Dental, a system meant to complement the company’s existing J5 DentalJet 3D printer and provide Stratasys with a comprehensive portfolio for the dental market.
The Origin One Dental system offers an open material infrastructure and designed for small batch production with a single resin at a time. The hardware is the same as the Stratasys Origin One, but the validated materials and workflows, for pre- and post-printing, are tailored specifically for dental labs.
This compares to the J5 DentalJet, a multi-material PolyJet machine that 3D prints up to five resins at once, allowing for batches of different parts made up of more than one color or texture in a single build. Together, Stratasys is able to offer two solutions for dental clients, with the DLP machine more likely used to produce models for casting, thermoforming, or dental tools and the PolyJet system better suited for realistic models.
“When our inbound digital impression requests started to increase, we knew that we needed a production-grade 3D dental printer that would allow us to scale our operation. With the Origin One Dental printer, we found the unique combination of accuracy, detailed reproduction, and the lowest cost per part,” said Chris Waldrop, President, Burdette Dental Lab. “We have been using our printer for more than 10 hours per day, and the reliability has been the best that we have ever had.”
“Stratasys is the only additive manufacturing company that is offering multiple 3D printing technologies to dental labs. We enable labs to scale production today and stay prepared for tomorrow,” said Osnat Philipp, Vice President, Healthcare for Stratasys. “Each printer presents an additive manufacturing solution for a different type of production need, maximized throughput and production time, while providing flexibility in addressing the changing needs of this growing market set to reach 6.5 billion dollars by 2025.”
It is not entirely true that “Stratasys is the only additive manufacturing company that is offering multiple 3D printing technologies to dental labs,” however. While some firms, like EnvisionTEC, may offer one primary technology for dental 3D printing, others, like 3D Systems offer a variety of processes. 3D Systems manufacturers DLP, metal, MultiJet Printing (the business’s PolyJet competitor) for wax materials and polymers, and stereolithography. Nevertheless, it does now have a broader dental offering.
The Origin One Dental machine in a dental lab. Image courtesy of Stratasys.
According to SmarTech Analysis “Additive Manufacturing in Dentistry 2021” report, the dental 3D printing sector should surpass $3.1 billion this year. In the past, Stratasys equipment has more widely been used in industrial applications, such as aerospace and automotive manufacturing, as well as modeling and prototyping. The release of a DLP system for dental allows Stratasys to better compete in an increasingly profitable segment where DLP and stereolithography machines typically dominate.
Those attending LMT Lab Day Chicago 2022, Feb. 24-26, will have a chance to see the new Origin One Dental 3D printer in person.