EnvisionTEC Introduces the Perfactory Vida for 3D Printing in Orthodontics

The use of 3D printing has become so ubiquitous that it is nearly impossible to attend a conference or trade show where it doesn’t make an appearance in some capacity. This provides quite a challenge for anyone trying to keep you up to date on what’s happening in the world of 3D printing. Our latest piece in the ongoing story of innovation comes from booth #3121 at the American Association of Orthodontics 2015 Annual Session being held in San Francisco, California.

It is there that EnvisionTEC showcased their latest contribution to orthodontics: the Perfactory Vida, a 3D printer designed specifically to assist in orthodontic practices and laboratories. This machine promises impeccable performance with a high-resolution projector offering a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080 complete with custom UV optics. A simple USB connection allows the user to move the preprocessed print job from computer to the machine without needing to thereafter maintain a continuous connection between the two.

The Perfactory Vida is a versatile machine allowing for prints to be produced in a wide array of materials from EnvisionTEC’s line of premium dental materials such as:

• E-Appliance M – a nano-filled material developed to work with PVA based and tin foil substitute separators
• E-Partial M – designed to enable the creation of wax-like partial dentures
• E-Guide M – optimized for the creation of highly accurate, transparent drill guides
• Ortho Tough M – a tough resin for use in high temperature situations such as the creation of orthodontic aligners by vacuum thermoforming
• E-Guard M – biocompatible and transparent for the production of accurate bite splints and night guards

The new Perfactory Vida is compatible with 3Shape, Orchestrate 3D, Dental Wings, and Exocad design software, making it easy to integrate into a practice’s already existing workflow. EnvisionTEC promises that its minimum of moving parts helps to guarantee its durability as a reliable production system.

A spokesperson for EnvisionTEC describing the benefits of their latest release:

“The versatility of the Perfactory Vida allows for an impressive range of materials to be processed, giving dental labs and practices the ability to 3D print multiple types of orthodontic models, bite splints and retainers, surgical guides, and partial dentures.”

In addition, the Perfactory Vida is open architecture, plug and play, and relatively low cost and in comparison to competing technologies produces prints with a higher overall surface quality.

Among the Perfactory Vida’s specs are an overall 15.55″ x 13.75″ x 31″ footprint and a build envelope of 5.5″ x 3.1″ x 3.95″, as well as a dynamic voxel resolution of 0.001” to 0.006” (25 µm to 150 µm).

EnvisionTEC is well known as a provider of professional grade 3D printing solutions. Since 1999, when it submitted its first patent, they have been involved in myriad aspects of the 3D printing industry from desktop applications to large scale enterprises. In addition to its contributions to dental practice, EnvisionTEC works with the automotive, sporting goods, aerospace, and medical industries among others.

Let us know what you think of EnvisionTEC’s latest offering in the Perfactory Vida forum thread at 3DPB.com.