NFinity Nitrogen Generator Makes Dental Resin Curing Pure

Ackuretta is a company that develops everything needed for 3D printing in the dental field. The company offers 3D printers, curing stations, cleaning tanks, resins, and software. In the dental industry, this kind of integrated solution set, tailored specifically for a group of customers, is becoming the norm. Different solutions are made for splints, crowns, or other parts, with varying options for individual dentists, dental labs, and high-volume production of items like aligners.

I follow the dental market closely because I believe it’s a portent of our future. In dental, we see companies developing client-specific, usable, and efficient 3D printing solutions that are easy to implement. Compared to the well-developed dental solutions available, other industries are lagging behind. Bro, do you even have a starter kit?

A lot of you reading this article are probably puzzled: why on earth would a 3D printing company release a nitrogen generator? Trust me, in dental, this makes sense. I used to quip that dental 3D printing is like regular 3D printing but with better images. Now it’s becoming increasingly clear that the dental sector is pushing the market much more than other areas in our industry.

The NFinity nitrogen generator is a partner device to the CURIE Plus UV curing station, a highly automated curing unit for Ackuretta’s FLOW resins. These biocompatible resins are used for long-term restorations and provisionals. Being FDA and EU Medical Device Regulation compatible is not a one-time achievement but part of a system designed to enable customers to consistently implement the requisite steps to generate safe devices reliably. Devices and software must be certified, procedures followed, and workflows well described and easy to follow.

This is especially crucial in the dental field, where tasks might be performed by a specialist dedicated to printing restorations or by someone in a dental office multitasking between answering phones and greeting patients.

Ackuretta has streamlined the workflow with its ALPHA AI slicing software, SOL printers, and CLEANI compressed air and alcohol cleaning stations. The compressed air feature reduces the amount of IPA needed, which is a smart idea for dental offices. After cleaning, the parts go into the Class IIa biocompatible curing oven, the CURIE Plus. This is where the NFinity nitrogen generator comes in, providing an internal 95% nitrogen purity to the curing station.

The nitrogen generator enhances the curing process, resulting in more transparent and smooth devices due to better light absorption. The company claims this leads to a 25% increase in strength. The nitrogen atmosphere should also improve reliability and repeatability by ensuring a more uniform cure than alternative methods. It reduces the amount of resin gunk on the surface of the implant, expediting the curing process and addressing the oxygen inhibition layer issue. Instead of wheeling in more nitrogen tanks, users can now generate their own nitrogen. Ackuretta hopes this will enhance the mechanical properties, strength, and durability of parts made with FLOW resin.

Try to buy a curing station, and many vat polymerization vendors won’t have one or even recommend a partner. For many biocompatible or other stringent workflows, you may have to figure it out yourself. In dental, however, many vendors are making it easier to adopt their technology. Integrated solutions, economically designed to work for specific clients, are leading the way. Integrated workflows with software, materials, and devices supporting clients’ daily workloads drive success in dental. Selling a nitrogen generator to its installed base to improve part properties is a completely logical move in the 3D printing market for dental. This approach should also be logical in other sectors of the 3D printing business, especially if you are serious about growth.