The dental profession continues to look for more efficient and more comfortable ways to handle implants. One development is the Drillstops® stainless steel dental component, which increases the safety and precision of dental implant procedures. In use, a tiny setscrew locks the stop to the drill bit; the stop rotates with the drill bit, while avoiding tissue damage as the drill penetrates the bone.

Twenty-two components make up the Drillstops kit. All were machined by Marshall Manufacturing, which offersSwiss machinging capabilities. The collaboration with Dr. Emil Verban included the efficient planning of the machining as well as improvements to the component finishes and the addition of laser marking for permanent product identification.

The multi-function machines were equipped with numerous turning and milling operations, so they could perform all of the needed operations in a single setup. Designed in a range of diameters and lengths to accommodate different implant requirements and to fit the range of drill bit sizes customarily used by dentists, the collar diameters range from 6 to 13 mm and lengths from 10 to 14 mm.

The collar components on the Citizen L20 machines are equipped with CAV20-IS bar feeders. These machines have a main spindle and secondary spindle that share machining operations. The main spindle offers maximum rotational speed of 10,000 rpm while the secondary spindle offers 8,000 rpm.

The CNC machines are specifically designed for small diameters. The components are machined from a 303 stainless steel (an FDA approved material used in the manufacture of dental instruments), in 12-ft bar stock lengths in 3/16 and ¼ in. diameters.

The single setup machining operation included: turning O.D. to size by the machine’s primary spindle, followed by facing, drilling and boring to a specified depth. A cross hole is drilled and tapped for the setscrew. A flat is milled on the part with the machine’s end mill. The machine’s secondary spindle then collets onto the part at which point the part is cut from the bar stock. The secondary spindle then faces off the backside of the part, puts a radius on the part’s outer diameter and the part’s inner diameter through-hole.

Spindle speeds vary according to the operation and ramp up to the machine maximum where possible. The machining process takes less than two minutes per part. Accuracy on critical surfaces is 0.0005 in. Certain parts in the kit of components are bead blasted to a matte finish to minimize glare when in use, while others in the kit are laser marked for easy identification. As a final step, all collar components are passivated to remove impurities on surfaces to avoid corrosion.

Marshall Manufacturing
www.marshallmfg.com