3M Innovative Properties Company

Patrick Colm Dunne

David E Altobelli

Micah J Rosenbloom

Michael Patrick Girard

Eric B Paley

Erie B Paley

Simon KJ Schiessl

The systems and methods disclosed herein employ a combination of digital three-dimensional modeling and rapid fabrication technologies to provide pre-indexed, pre-registered, and/or precut components for articulated dental models. Dental articulators and components of dental models as described herein use a positioning key to encode positional information for components of the dental model, and/or a reference grid on mounting surfaces to enforce local accuracy of fabricated parts against a fixed reference array.

Local enforcement of accuracy in fabricated models

Systems and methods disclosed herein employ various modes of material deposition and material removal to build a complex, three-dimensional structure upon a rotating base. The systems and methods may be usefully employed to fabricate geometrically and aesthetically accurate dental articles from digital models.

Three-dimensional fabrication

Dental articulator with positioning key

Growing community of inventors

Maynard, MA, United States of America

Patrick Colm Dunne