Noah Levine

	Adding a scanner creates a clear path for a dental lab to transfer existing work from a physical to a digital workflow. But the process doesn’t start by scanning the next impression to arrive. The real first step to this process is deciding what type of scanner to invest in.

	There are a range of available technologies to digitally capture impression geometries, but they can be broken down into two scanner types: open scanners that export designs in a standardized format for output to a range of mills and printers, and closed scanners such as Straumann’s SC2 and Nobel Biocare’s NobelProcera that send data to the scanner manufacturer for production at the company’s industrial-scale production facility. Of course closed is not the term those companies prefer to use.

	“Our system is more of a network system now,” NobelProcera Product Manager for North America Kim Solomon said. “We bring value because we’re responsible through every part of the process. You have an actual partner in us when you purchase the scanner.”

	The advantages that come from this partnership are what Solomon believes set systems such as NobelProcera apart from open-architecture scanners. When showing a lab the scanner, Solomon touts the advantages of working in concert with Nobel Biocare.

	“We want you to see the value of purchasing this scanner from us, and how we help you grow your business,” he said.

	If business at labs using NobelProcera grows, it means Nobel Biocare’s business grows. Of course, that shared success hinges on the high quality of the final restorations being produced, and Nobel Biocare takes responsibility for making sure its industrial-scale production technology is as precise and efficient as possible. In turn, labs using the system know their software and scanners are precisely designed to work with those technologies. The partnership also provides assurances for the lab in terms of warranties on equipment and restorations. Solomon said having the system serviced by the company that created it rather than by a distributor is another big advantage.

	“I know we’re on a platform now that will allow us to expand our product portfolio and continue to move forward in this digital environment,” he said. “I think the biggest asset we bring to the table is our people. We understand the market. We understand the laboratory owner and what he goes through every day.”

	Purchasing a system that puts a lab into a partnership with the system’s manufacturer actually creates additional connections because companies the size of Nobel Biocare have partnerships and clients from throughout the dental industry, Solomon said. When a lab adds the NobelProcera scanner, it forms secondary partnerships with the materials manufacturers the company partners with-Vident, Ivoclar Vivadent and Noritake. The companies work together on R&D and product synergies, and thoroughly test new options before bringing them to the network, Solomon said.

	“We have certified and matched products,” Solomon said. “If you use our milled titanium coping with their titanium porcelain, we’ve already done the testing to assure the laboratory technician that they will work.”

	The partnerships also extend in the other direction. Dentists using Nobel Biocare’s clinical products also fall under the umbrella of the NobelProcera Network. The company’s NobelClinician software has been expanded with a NobelConnect portal capable of linking labs to clinicians for implant treatment planning, and eventually for planning other cases as well.

	By creating an inclusive network and carefully choosing partners, Nobel Biocare is looking to make the NobelProcera system adaptable to fit a variety of labs, CAD/CAM business models and experience levels.

	“We are moving toward an environment where we can assist our customers in realizing business growth,” Solomon said. “If the lab owner’s proficiency in a certain modality isn’t quite the level he’d like it to be, we offer multiple channels they can use to educate and market their new service. It’s still all within the network of Nobel Biocare.”

	Labs looking at adding a scanner need to be sure they have demand for restorations produced via CAD/CAM technology. Solomon said most labs currently outsourcing for the production of e.max, zirconia copings and frameworks are building up enough business to bring some of the digital workflow in-house.

	A Network system is a good fit for labs that are not technologically adept because the lab does not have to worry about managing file formats or milling vendors, Solomon said. Nobel Biocare is invested in the laboratory to get the system up and running efficiently and profitably.

	“We are 100% accountable,” he said. “We set a business plan in motion. We help the laboratory owner not only adapt to using this system but also empower him to see how it can help him run the lab more efficiently.”

	This starts with training-onsite, at Nobel Biocare facilities and online-to teach technicians how to use the scanner and design software. While Solomon said it is user-friendly, it requires the same technical knowledge previously employed in the physical production processes.

	“The digital technician has to have the skills to understand what he is designing,” he said.

	Applying existing skills to a digital design workflow is one part of adding a scanner, but growing digital business is just as important. Solomon said Nobel Biocare is set up to help with this. The term closed-architecture scanner may be used widely, but Solomon prefers to think of it as a network scanner that creates a partnership providing benefits to everyone involved.

	"We recognize it is a very crowded marketplace out there,” Solomon said. “Our focus is on our network of laboratories and how we can help them grow. Precision and profitability are the cornerstones to our approach. We’re not in it to just sell scanners, we’re really looking to partner with a laboratory and help them grow their business.”

Articles

 Adding a scanner creates a clear path for a dental lab to transfer existing work from a physical to a digital workflow. But the process doesn’t start by scanning the next impression to arrive. The real first step to this process is deciding what type of scanner to invest in.

A scanner with connections

	Talk with implant specialists, implant manufacturers and dental labs with a focus on implant restorations and one word seems to pop up in every conversation. Get them talking about developments and advancements in the world of implants and it won’t be long before they excitedly bring up the word “predictable.”

	That’s because a confluence of developments in implant technologies, techniques and materials is making every aspect of implant treatments more reliable, cost effective and efficient. This means the functional and esthetic outcomes implants make possible never have been more accessible to both clinicians and patients.

	“We want our implant and the crown it supports to look like the tooth was never lost. That’s an exciting area that we’re just getting better and better at,” said DPR Clinical 360º Implant Team Lead Dr. Brien Harvey, who practices in Tucson, Ariz., and has more than 20 years of experience placing dental implants.

	While he can recall times 15 years back when he’d send a patient out for a bridge rather than placing an anterior implant, today Dr. Harvey is confident in implants as the treatment of choice for missing single or multiple teeth in any area of the mouth.

	“I don’t think there’s any question that implants are predictably successful and give us the results we’re looking for,” he said.

	The days of implants being a surprising option to patients are long gone, said Dr. Robert Miller, who practices at The Center for Advanced Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry in Delray Beach, Fla., and has 25 years of implant experience. Now, patients expect implants as the solution to missing teeth and dentists need to be prepared to meet those expectations.

	“There’s no reason to have to prepare otherwise healthy teeth to simply replace a tooth,” he said. “Not everyone will have the confidence to do both the surgical and restorative aspects of implant dentistry. But if implant dentistry truly has become the standard of care, all dentists must be involved in some capacity.”

	That seems to be the direction the industry is headed, with 52% of our October Implant Survey respondents saying their practice does not place implants, but 73% saying they’ve attended an implant-related CE course in the last year. For the clinicians not yet involved in placing implants, restoring implants or both, Dr. Miller said now is a great time to add those services to a practice (see “

”) because the development of 3D imaging and treatment planning technologies, milled custom abutments, improved implant designs, and advanced knowledge of hard- and soft-tissue biology are making implant success something clinicians and patients can rely on.

	“There’s not one particular instrument or modality, it’s the confluence of all these technologies,” Dr. Miller said. “Each one of those is important, but together they are a game changer.”

	In fact, Dr. Harvey said the development of implant technologies has changed the entire way implant cases are approached. Instead of focusing on the surgery first to successfully place the implant with planning for how to restore the site being left for later, the three-dimensional images from cone beam computer tomography (CBCT) systems and advanced treatment planning software allow clinicians to design the functional and esthetic outcomes and then plan a surgical procedure to place the implant where it will best support that restoration.

	Dr. Jay Reznick, who practices at the Southern California Center for Oral and Facial Surgery in Tarzana, Calif., said this development has led to a complete shift in the approach to implant cases. Before the availability of CBCT imaging, surgeons had few options but to flap open the gum and place the implant where the bone looked good. Now, with the guesswork eliminated, the final outcome can be visualized before surgery begins.

	“It’s a complete paradigm shift from a surgically directed implant placement to a prosthetically driven implant placement,” he said. “We’re starting with the final result and working backwards from there.”

	Starting with a focus on the finish line should be a confidence builder for both doctors and patients, said Dr. Kent Knoerschild, who currently serves as Co-Director of the Comprehensive Dental Implant Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is Director of its Advanced Prosthodontics specialty program. In his roles as clinician and educator, Dr. Knoerschild believes strongly in the benefits of designing the case virtually prior to beginning treatment.

	Working digitally makes the actual surgery and the final restoration’s functional and esthetic outcome far more predictable, he said, especially when software such as the Astra Tech’s Facilitate™ treatment planning software (

) is used to plan the complete implant case from surgery to final prosthetic result. He has used this planning software since its first-generation Simplant was released in the 1990s.

	“Quite often you hear people talk about this being surgical planning software, but this is really comprehensive patient treatment planning software,” he said. “We’re looking at it from a diagnostic perspective, and we’re looking at it from a provisional and definitive restoration treatment planning perspective as well. Implant position and angulation is an integral part of that final prosthetic design. For an implant team, it’s a robust and effective communication platform for restoring clinicians and surgeons to make the best treatment decisions for their patients. Because it’s useful with many implant systems, it can be helpful for every clinician.”

	Having the extra planning information prior to surgery not only leads to more predictable outcomes, but also helps clinicians streamline the inventory of materials needed for implant cases. Because clinicians can know exactly what to expect during surgery, Dr. Miller said it is now possible to order implant parts, bone graft materials and other supplies on an as-needed basis.

	“The instruments that we use give us more information than we’ve ever had before. The thoughtful clinician will use that information to more preplan the case than necessarily to execute it,” he said. “In the early years, we always kept an inventory of implants and parts because we were never really sure what the ridge and anatomy would look like. Today we are able to digitalize a ridge, digitalize the occlusion and then make the appropriate choices. There’s no question that having the presurgical information will reduce the amount of inventory you need, and also helps you select implant types.”

	Using CBCT scans prior to implant placement offers numerous advantages in terms of locating critical anatomical features and cutting down on surgical surprises, but both Dr. Miller and Dr. Harvey said they do not use the scans for every single implant they place. Dr. Miller said there are some straightforward cases where the scans are not necessary, and experience helps him spot those cases.

	The technological advantages offered by CBCT still can’t replace solid communication between a restoring dentist and the surgeon placing the implants as early as possible in a case. While Dr. Harvey said he uses CBCT scans quite often and having a 3D model of the ridge morphology in relationship to the emergence profile for the crown “can make all the difference in having a predictable esthetic result,” being involved in a case early is just as critical, especially when the case starts with a failing tooth that is still in place because that provides the best chance to achieve an outcome that replaces or improves upon what a patient had before.

	The true value of CBCT scans really comes into play during complex implant cases that involve placing multiple implants, working around existing implants or placing implants that must work together as the foundation for an overdenture bar. Dr. Harvey said in those cases, digital treatment planning can help create a plan that will require the least amount of tissue management, and this usually leads to better results.

	Dr. Knoerschild said digital treatment planning technologies have made a range of new implant treatments available to clinicians, and thus made predictable implant solutions available to a wider range of patients. By planning a case digitally, the design of milled bars and other needed components can be determined and started prior to surgery. With Facilitate digital plans and surgical guides, partial or complete arch provisional restorations can be fabricated prior to surgery using patient casts or stereolithic models. Milled abutments also can be fabricated. This is effective use of clinical time, and patients appreciate the treatment result.

	“We can predict how a specific design for a final full-arch, fixed complete denture restoration with a CAD/CAM substructure can be achieved, and we can predict the same patient’s outcome using titanium or zirconia abutments with full-coverage restoration materials,” he said. “The software is really restoration planning software. In fact, all the measurements that one can make within the software world directly translate into the actual work later on.”

	Keeping the digital workflow streamlined and efficient while producing precise and predictable real-world results is the concept behind Straumann USA’s new CARES (Computer Aided REstorative Solutions) digital solutions system (

). Straumann USA CEO Martin Dymek said the system, which includes a new CAD/CAM scanner for labs, guided surgery software and local template fabrication, updated CAD software, and a partnership with Cadent for incorporating digital impressions from that company’s iTero system (

), offers seamless digital connectivity throughout an implant case that can improve communication between everyone involved, leading to improved outcomes and additional implant case acceptance.

	The process can start with a CBCT scan, and that data is directly imported into the coDiagnostiX software, which is used to plan implant and abutment placement and create a virtual treatment plan. One distinguishing, time-saving factor with Straumann’s guided surgery platform is that the surgical stent is fabricated at a local dental lab rather than at a centralized location, helping to further enhance the relationship between the surgeon and the laboratory. The stent is used by the surgeon to precisely place the implants, and if the surgeon has access to an iTero, the lab can get right back to work on the case.

	“The surgeon can then scan that implant site and then send that digital information to the laboratory, where the laboratory can begin to develop and design the restorative components literally at the time of surgery,” Dymek said. “This creates a unique digital relationship between a surgeon and a laboratory, which is certainly not a relationship that exists with great frequency today.”

	By keeping everything as digital as possible throughout the case, Straumann’s CARES system aims to improve case planning and collaboration and increase efficiency and predictability. With the surgeon, restoring dentist and lab technician all able to work together based on the same digital information, Dymek said the system can lead to greater accuracy in design and production, especially for the complex, multi-implant cases where that level of precision is critical to a successful outcome. By offering a ‘root to tooth’ solution, from initial digital case planning through bone regeneration and implant placement, to CAD/CAM abutment and the final crown, CARES makes Straumann a one-stop shop for the treatment team.

	“In many cases, we’re actually looking at a far more precise, more accurate restoration which certainly saves time for the patient,” he said.

	While Straumann’s system makes use of both CBCT scans and digital impressions, for now those two sets of data are used separately during different parts of the case. But Sirona (sirona.com) has taken a different approach by directly integrating the data from intraoral scans captured by the company’s CEREC CAD/CAM system and the 3D CBCT scans from its GALILEOS cone beam system.

	Dr. Reznick was among the beta testers working with this new combined system and to this point has handled more implant cases with the CEREC Meets GALILEOS system than any other clinician in the world, covering everything from single-tooth replacements to multi-tooth restorations and even solutions for fully edentulous patients.

	The all-digital workflow allows him to design the final CAD/CAM restoration prior to planning the implant surgery that will ideally support the desired functional and esthetic outcome. While the technology has made his treatments more predictable and provided impressive outcomes, Dr. Reznick said the system provides other benefits such as eliminating an entire case planning appointment because he usually has all of the scan data he needs up front.

	“At the very first consultation we are treatment planning the implant and scheduling the surgery,” he said. “It’s eliminated an entire visit for the patient, which from a chairtime standpoint, that’s another 30 minutes I can be doing something else that’s productive.”

	While adding new technology can increase the costs of procedures, Dr. Reznick said he finds this is offset by the fact that patients are impressed with the technology and his case acceptance rate is now close to 95%, whereas prior to using this combined system it was closer to 80%.

	“Patients really appreciate being able to see exactly what I’m thinking of when I’m planning. When you can actually show it to them, it makes a lot more sense,” he said. “Yes it does increase the cost slightly, but it’s actually had just the opposite effect. When patients see us using these techniques, they’re actually more likely to go ahead with treatment.”

	He’s also found the system to be a great way to improve his communication with doctors referring implant cases to him as a surgeon. If he only will be performing the implant placement and the restoring doctor has a CEREC unit, both clinicians are able to work off the same data with the restoring doctor designing the prosthesis and then sending Dr. Reznick the files so he can plan the optimal surgical placement for the implants.

	For cases planned with the CEREC Meets GALILEOS system or the Straumann coDiagnostiX software, the implant surgeries are guided procedures, with a patient-specific stent designed within the software to ensure the implants are precisely placed in the locations planned in the digital model. Dr. Reznick said he now uses a guided surgical procedure for almost every implant he places because the increased accuracy is the best way to deliver optimal results for his patients.

	“Pretty much the consensus is that 15-20% of the implants that are placed are aberrantly positioned in some way,” he said. “Once I started doing guided surgery, my implant placement was perfect every single time, but I also had the benefit of the 3D imaging for every case so I know if there will be anatomical issues.”

	Having the surgery planned out ahead of time makes the actual surgical procedures a smoother process, and this idea seems to be catching on with 68% of survey respondents saying surgical guides should be used when placing implants (see “Implants pop quiz” p. 42). Both Dr. Reznick and Dr. Harvey lauded the efficiency that can be achieved through guided implant placements because the guides ensure the implants are correctly angled and seated to the planned depth. For complex, multi-implant cases, the guides can cut surgical time in half, Dr. Reznick said, adding that guided single implant placements can be completed in as little as 5 minutes.

	“It’s literally boom, boom, boom, and you’re done,” he said. “With guided surgery, everything is very well planned out, everything is very well controlled. Your success rate is much higher. It’s easier for the restoring dentist to restore the case because everything is where it’s supposed to be. And for the surgeon, it allows you to be more productive during your day.”

	The improved accuracy provided by guided surgery is difficult for him to ignore, but Dr. Harvey said it is still important to double-check everything during surgery. Even when working with a custom guide, he still takes interoperative radiographs to make sure even the guided placements are going as planned in the digital model.

	“The surgical guides and the CBCTs are maximizing the predictability, but it doesn’t change the importance of precise surgical techniques and monitoring the process interoperatively,” he said.

	This is a point Dr. Knoerschild stresses to his advanced prosthodontics students when they are learning implant techniques. He encourages the use of guided surgical techniques, especially in more complex situations. Guided surgery will improve control in accurate placement and surgical efficiency, but he believes they also need a solid foundation in more traditional surgical and prosthetic techniques as well.

	Just like with CBCT scans, Dr. Knoerschild said the true value of guided surgery really comes into play during complex cases where multiple implants are being placed at the same time. In those cases achieving the planned angulations, depths and spacing of the implants is critical to achieving a successful outcome and the guides can make a huge difference.

	“I think if you’re looking for great predictability for a large number of patients this is a very effective way to go to make sure the implants are placed correctly,” he said. “The more complex the prosthesis design and the greater desire that one wants alignment of the implants a specific way, the stronger the indication for doing it guided. Digital planning guides implant placement and therefore guides restoration.”

	Enhanced imaging and case planning technologies are certainly making implant placement more accurate and reliable, but technological developments are also making it easier to achieve the desired functional and esthetic results when the healed implants are restored with an abutment and crown. When it comes to preserving attachment levels and tissue management, Dr. Harvey said it is helpful to begin treatment planning before a tooth is extracted.

	Dr. Ethan Pansick, who is in private practice in prosthodontics in Delray Beach, Fla., said developments in custom abutment fabrication can lead to improved esthetic outcomes, and more importantly, improved tissue management. Because implants are round but teeth are not, Dr. Pansick routinely uses custom Atlantis abutments from Astra Tech, which he said leads to better outcomes because, “you’re going to get a molar abutment that looks like a molar or a central incisor abutment that looks like a central incisor.”

	He prefers the Atlantis abutments because of the versatility available in material choices and the ease of taking the same fixture level impression, opposing impression and bite registration when prescribing them that he would take when planning to use a stock abutment. However, the biggest advantage in using the custom abutments is his ability to have input on critical design aspects such as setting the margins where they will provide optimal esthetics and optimal ability to clean up cement when crowns are attached.

	“In today’s implant arena, one of the biggest modes of failure that we have is that the soft tissue is getting inflamed due to cement left at the margin,” he said. “When the cement cleanup line is much closer to the gingival margin you can get all that cement out much more readily and much more easily than with a stock abutment situation.”

	Another advantage of working with custom abutments, Dr. Pansick pointed out, is the ability to reangulate with them so that new implants can work with previously placed implants, and patients with complex anatomical situations can now be good candidates for implant success.

	Custom abutments also are great tools for providing outstanding esthetic results, and Dr. Miller said abutment design becomes critical when implants are being placed in the esthetic zone.

	Those cases are the ideal situation for using 3M ESPE’s (

) custom abutments made with individually colored Lava™ Zirconia, said Roger Dawson, CDT, 3M ESPE Senior Technical Services Specialist. This allows the abutment and Lava coping to be shaded to match each other. Because the lab uses one scan to create and design the abutment and coping, both zirconia pieces can be designed and finished together.

	The porcelain work also can be digitally designed using the same scan with the Lava™ Digital Veneering System. The dentist simply provides an implant level impression to the lab, with the lab providing the implant level abutment link for scanning purposes. Because the Lava™ Scan ST Design System is able to scan the abutment link directly, without a scan locator, a wide variety of implants can be restored using abutments made from Lava zirconia.

	“The abutment is cemented to a titanium abutment interface,” Dawson said. “This provides a strong metal-to-metal connection between the screw and abutment. Because the screw does not torque directly into the zirconia material, dentists can follow the standard recommendations for torque pressures on the screw and abutment.”

	With all the attention that is often focused on the computer-driven technologies helping to improve implant placement and restoration design, it can be easy to overlook the numerous advancements to the design of the implants themselves. However, Dr. Harvey said increased implant success and predictability is directly related to the ways implant manufacturers have improved their designs and fabrication processes.

	“In my opinion, some of the greatest advances have come from development of the conical interface internal attachments to minimize microleakage,” he said. “It’s amazing to me how the advances in the implant designs over the last 15-20 years have resulted in predictable, maintained tissue health. That’s been huge for me as a periodontist. Now the expectation is that patients will come back with maintained tissue health.”

	While stressing that implant choice is especially critical to successful outcomes in the esthetic zone, Dr. Harvey said state-of-the art implant designs are making implants suitable for a greater number of patients, and many of the micro-textured implant surfaces work extremely well. Still, clinicians need to pay attention to the ongoing research into the ways new implant designs can optimize bone healing.

	Straumann was looking to expand the cases where implants could be used with the design of the proprietary alloy used in its narrow-diameter Roxolid implants, Dymek said. Those implants were an important advancement for the company because they allow implants to be used in situations where less bone is available for the implant placement. Coupled with the coDiagnostiX planning software, treatment teams working with Straumann can tell right away the amount and quality of bone they have to work with and make the right implant platform selection for a patient’s clinical situation.

	“These developments in technology, which Straumann is very committed to, are helping to deliver more predictable implant care to a wider range of patients,” Dymek said.

	Dr. Miller said smaller-diameter implants definitely have their place in the modern implant practice, and they are a tool that can expand implant treatment to new patient groups. But while there is a very wide range of implants available for a wide range of patients, it is important for clinicians to understand the advantages of one type of implant over another so they can make the correct choice about what type of implants they will use.

	At his practice, Dr. Miller performs a larger number of cases where tooth extraction is followed by an immediate implant placement. For those cases, he prefers to use implants from Intra-Lock International (

) that feature the Ossean® surface treatment that promotes a compressed healing time. Developments such as this are greatly reducing the timeline that patients receiving implants face.

	“I can place and restore an implant in two months,” he said. “We no longer have to wait four to six months or longer for a case to be loaded.”

	Today’s cutting-edge implant technologies allow clinicians to provide patients with amazing results in a greater number of clinical situations, but even more amazing advancements are seen on the horizon. With 3D imaging, computer design and CAD/CAM technology continuing to be developed for more implant uses, a greater number of steps in this process could be handled in office.

	Dr. Reznick said he looks forward to being able to fabricate his own surgical guides and abutments, along with full-contour milled restorations on his chairside CEREC system, which would allow for same- or next-day implant treatments.

	“I think once you start using this technology and appreciating it, it’s really hard to go back to doing it the old-fashioned way. The technology is readily available, and it’s very reliable. I don’t see a reason why doctors would hesitate to get into this technology for their patients,” he said.

	Drs. Harvey and Knoerschild expressed similar thoughts on how advanced implant technologies are making successful outcomes more predictable now and will lead to even more reliable and rapid results for patients. However, just as Dr. Knoerschild wants to make sure his residents learn the fundamentals of implant techniques along with the ins and outs of technological developments, Drs. Harvey and Miller both stressed that clinical skills and knowledge will always be the most important factors in achieving implant excellence.

	“The clinicians will always be the most important in this discipline, no matter how many layers of technology you wrap around them,” Dr. Miller said. 
	
	

	The October 2010 Implants Survey was sent via e-mail to general practitioners in the United States. The link was promoted on the DPR Facebook page, where we currently have 5,794 fans. The survey was completed by 307 people.

 Talk with implant specialists, implant manufacturers and dental labs with a focus on implant restorations and one word seems to pop up in every conversation. Get them talking about developments and advancements in the world of implants and it won’t be long before they excitedly bring up the word “predictable.”

Exclusive Survey: Expected outcomes

	The need to keep all our tools and machines powered up is among the downsides to this extremely connected high-tech age in which we live.

	Sure, the fight for power outlet access is somewhat mitigated by the ever growing number of cordless, battery-powered devices, but all of them must eventually come in for a charge. To make matters worse, they all seem to have different charging cords with proprietary connectors. So while we are free to work and play unconnected and away from the wall, when it’s time to refuel, quite often a tangle of cords awaits us at the outlet.

	But now this problem of inconvenience can be overcome with a wonderfully simple solution by the name of Powermat. With the ability to wirelessly charge a range of electronic devices including smartphones, MP3 players, cameras, and more, this slim mat is an excellent way to put an end to charging-related clutter and confusion.

	Getting started with a Powermat is a relatively simple operation. The mat itself plugs into the wall and is then ready to charge any device equipped with a Powermat receiver. The receivers are slim and simply replace the stock battery cover on the back of most smartphones. For iPhone users such as myself who have a device that does not have an accessible battery, the receiver is built into a protective case.

	Devices with a receiver are charged any time they are placed on the mat in about the same amount of time as it takes to charge them with their native cord. Magnetic attraction makes sure they stay correctly positioned for optimal power transfer, and the mat itself provides both a light and jaunty audio notification of the start and stop of charging action.

	As a solution for devices that can not be equipped with a receiver, Powermat comes with a Powercube that draws power from the mat and connects to almost any device via a short cord and interchangeable connection tips that are stored right in the cube.

	So to say Powermat eliminates all the cords associated with charging wireless devices might be overstating things just a bit, but it does cut down on the number required to charge multiple devices.

	The basic setup has room to charge three items simultaneously, and with a range of receivers and extra Powercubes available, just about any combination of gadgets can be charged. An almost unintentional bonus of the system is the way Powermat becomes device central. Small electronics are much more difficult to lose when they are always placed on or near the mat.

	With the Powercube in the mix, it’s easy to make sure everything stays charged. Just one cord is needed, and with a quick tip change the device being charged can be swapped out for another.

	Currently Powermat offers a regular and a travel version of its system, but a range of new wireless charging options will be hitting store shelves throughout the year.

	The range of available battery and battery cover options will expand the number of Powermat-compatible phones throughout the year. Additionally, updated mats will be available this spring including smaller, lower-priced mats for use with just one or two devices and prepacked bundles that pair a mat with the receiver for a specific phone.

	Before the end of the year, the travel mats will feature built-in batteries making wireless charging possible even when a power outlet is nowhere to be found, and a new Netbook Powercube will feature tips needed to charge the batteries of those mini-computers.

	Powermat’s wireless charging systems make keeping devices properly juiced as simple as setting them in the right place.

 The need to keep all our tools and machines powered up is among the downsides to this extremely connected high-tech age in which we live.  Sure, the fight for power outlet access is somewhat mitigated by the ever growing number of cordless, battery-powered devices, but all of them must eventually come in for a charge. To make matters worse, they all seem to have different charging cords with proprietary connectors. So while we are free to work and play unconnected and away from the wall, when it’s time to refuel, quite often a tangle of cords awaits us at the outlet.

Tech Smart: Revolutionary charge

Square footage and a sensible arrangement of the equipment and workstations is important to creating a new dental laboratory or expanding an existing operation. However, if the space the lab wants to use doesn’t have the right infrastructure to support the lab’s expected uses, there better be a plan to install the pipes, conduits and connections, or the business will have no chance for success.

Everything from water, to gas, to air, to exhaust and electrical must be carefully considered and planned right from the start, said William N. Bernstein, LEED®AP, AIA, Principal with Bernstein & Assoc., Architects (bernarch.com) whose firm has designed dental labs, hospitals, medical device manufacturers, government buildings and more. Bernstein recently spoke with DLP about when a new or growing lab needs to start thinking about infrastructure issues and just how encompassing those considerations should be.

What are the key infrastructure considerations when a dental lab is planning out a new space?

 Key infrastructure considerations for a dental lab in planning out a new space start with an analysis of the lab requirements, followed by a comparison between the project requirements and the existing building conditions, and concluding with a detailed architectural/engineering plan to upgrade the building infrastructure to meet the project’s needs.

How early in the process of planning a new or expanded facility should a lab begin assessing the infrastructure needs?

 A lab should begin an infrastructure analysis as part of an overall feasibility study as to whether a proposed space or building is appropriate in all physical/spatial aspects-including infrastructure-for the proposed facility.

Are there infrastructure needs that labs tend to overlook?

Many dental lab companies underplay the importance of the feasibility, planning and design phases of a dental lab project. Infrastructure requirements for current and future needs are a key component of the initial feasibility and planning stages.

How should a lab approach “future-proofing” infrastructure for a new facility?

A: A key consideration in the feasibility/planning stage of any project should be future needs including allowance for growth and change. The client must make an effort to predict why, how and where the dental lab will grow and change in the future. Armed with this key data, the architectural firm can plan for the future with flexibility and capacity for future infrastructure needs built into the design.

What are the possible consequences when a lab does not sufficiently plan for infrastructure needs?

 Failure to undertake comprehensive due diligence during the feasibility/design phase can result in some cases in signing a lease or purchasing an unsuitable space or building. This can possibly lock the dental lab into a static mode, unable to grow or change because the facility cannot support any meaningful expansion.

The Build-Up: It’s not quite plug-and-play

	After apprenticing with Olivier Tric, Joshua Polansky spent time in Europe studying under master technicians including Klaus Mutertheis. He then earned his Masters degree in dental ceramics at the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry under Dr. Edward McLaren, and continued his training under Jungo Endo and Hiroaki Okabe at UCLA’s advanced prosthodontics and maxillofacial program. Polansky then moved back to Cherry Hill, N.J. and founded Niche Dental Studio, a specialized lab serving local, national and international clients with a dedication to improved dentist-technician communication and creating dental restorations that mimic nature in every way.

	Designed to provide labs with an effortless casting process that requires no special training, the Neo Super Cascom  automatic countertop vacuum and pressure casting machine features computer controlled timing and temperatures for   consistent casting results.

	A compact, air-cooled machine that requires no specialized electrical connection, the Neo Super Cascom features a specialized ceramic resistance heater that does not overheat and maintains a consistent temperature with a maximum fluctuation of 1-2 degrees C.

	This allows casting to be done at the lowest possible temperature, which translates to porosity-free dense castings with ideal alloy characteristics. Under a microscope it is easy to see the smooth surfaces and sharp margins that can contribute to longer life for the completed restorations.

	With a large capacity of 150 grams, it can work with larger amounts of alloy and is suitable for casting gold, silver, precious, semi-precious, nickel-chrome and chrome cobalt materials. It features programmable casting cycles for the different materials and is capable of melting in an air or argon gas atmosphere as well as capable of casting with pressurized air or pressurized argon gas, which works to prevent oxidization of the alloy and results in cleaner castings. Additionally, a pocket beeper can be removed from the machine so a technician can set the alloy to melt while working away from the machine, and will then be alerted when the alloy is ready to cast.

	After being introduced to the Neo Super Cascom while in school at UCLA, Polansky decided it would be a good investment for his lab because of the system’s simplicity, ease of use, and most importantly, the accuracy of its castings.

	“When you work under a microscope you can see just how much more dense it is with this thing. There’s less porosity,” he said. “Also there’s way fewer miscasts.”

	In the three years he’s had the Neo Super Cascom, Polansky said he can recall maybe just one miscast. He believes his investment in casting machine has saved him on time, materials and the frustration of dealing with unexpected setbacks.

	“I’ve definitely made my money back in time, in no miscasts and also in saving alloy,” he said. “Nothing is worse than miscasting and doing things over.”

	The simplicity of the system is another advantage that helps Polansky and Niche work efficiently.  While traditional casting techniques require a lot of attention both before, during and after the process, the Neo Super Cascom can be operated by just pushing a few buttons. Polansky said the system is incredibly easy to explain and he’d be confident in quickly teaching someone off the streets to cast for him.

	“I don’t have to worry about them overheating it, I don’t have to worry about it burning down my building, it’s basically like pressing a button,” he said. “I can kind of just throw the stuff in there and hit a button and everything comes out really super clean.”

	While he appreciates the ease of use and the savings in time and materials, Polansky is most impressed by the high quality castings he is able to produce with his Neo Super Cascom. He does much of his work under a microscope, so the quality of the copings, frameworks and bars he casts are easy for him to see. The density of the casts and the sharp margins stand out, and this gives him confidence that he won’t be using excess alloy or spending too much time finishing parts that have been cast.

	And for a lab like his, casting and working with metals is an everyday thing. While he does some all-ceramic cases, porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations make up more than two thirds of the work done at Niche. This means he has the system casting something at least once or twice a day. Knowing the parts he casts will be accurate helps him deliver PFM restorations on a timetable that works well for his clients, and his trust in the machine helps him maximize his time. If he sets something to cast at the end of the day on a Friday, Polansky said he returns to Niche on Monday with the confidence that it will be ready for him to build up and finish first thing.

	The remote beeper system is another feature he enjoys because he can set up his alloy to melt and then move on to another task, knowing he can jump back to the Neo Super Cascom to start the casting once it beeps to alert him to the end of the melt cycle.

	This is especially handy at Niche because the lab is connected to a dental office, and Polansky said he often is called next door to answer a question or consult on a shade. The size of the system is another advantage for a smaller lab like Niche, Polansky said, while adding that the ease of use, simple training process and dense, accurate casts make the Neo Super Cascom just as good a fit for a larger, production-focused lab.

	“If you’re in my setting it’s amazing. It’s quiet, there’s no torch, there’s no fumes. It’s just very simple and it’s pretty compact,” he said. “I think it can go in any lab. To be honest, I think it will be better in a production lab.”

	Polansky admits the system wasn’t the most economical casting option for his lab, but the investment has paid off for Niche. The time savings from ease of use and especially the rarity of miscasts have allowed him and his lab to be more productive, while the accuracy and quality of the cast parts he produces means a higher quality end result. Polansky said the ease of use and quality give him confidence when approaching complex metal-based restorations and he can begin every case knowing the quality of his cast parts will match the quality he demands from himself when layering ceramics atop the cast frameworks.

	“When you talk about metal work this is definitely the cream of the crop,” he said. “I can tell you for sure, that I have confidence when I cast it. Now I don’t think twice.”

Real Time ROI: KDF’s Neo Super Cascom

	Electronic gadgets and all manner of cutting edge technologies are embraced in Japan in a way not really equaled anywhere else around the planet. The country is known for being a few years (or sometimes decades) ahead of the planet in how they’re using their electronics, and many of the world’s leading manufacturers are Japanese companies with at least some production based in their home country.

	The loss of lives and the toll the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the country in March took on the country’s people and infrastructure were certainly the primary concerns of a shocked world. Rescue and recovery efforts were quickly in place and the world spent a week or so watching in amazement at both the amount of devastation and the way the technologically equipped Japanese people were able to document and broadcast it. Of course the nuclear disaster at the quake-sticken Fukushima Daiichi also kept the world focused on Japan with the tension of a possible meltdown grabbing headlines and becoming a regular presence in cable news scrolls.

	Now Japan is quickly moving from rescue and recovery mode toward rebuilding and an eventual return to normal. However, the impact of a natural disaster this size will be felt for some time and in numerous ways. One of those ways will be how the interruptions at Japanese technology manufacturing facilities will impact supplies, shipments and possibly even the development of consumer technologies including computers, digital cameras, cell phones and of course the smartphones that are really all three of those in one.

	Just days after the disaster, the electronics supply analysts at 

 began issuing reports on the status of manufacturing facilities in Japan. The reports look beyond the finished products to their components and even raw materials used in those components. While iSuppli reported on a range of manufacturing disruptions, the firm predicted few imminent shortages due to large stockpiles of some materials and alternative production sites for many components.

	Still, the impact won’t be a small one. Probably the largest effect comes in the area of semiconductors and the silicon wafers used to produce them. Immediately after the quake the plants that produce 25% of the world’s silicon wafers were offline. With semicondutors being a foundation of just about every technology, and the factories that shut down specifically fabricating wafers for use in flash memory chips, iSuppli said flash memory shortages were possible and a spike in orders followed. However, the companies hardest hit by the quake were able to shift some production elsewhere and production of flash memory is expected to meet demand this year, even as that demand and production capacity continue to grow.

	Other shortages caused by the quake include the manufacture of CMOS and CCD imaging sensors for cell phones as well as the sensors for higher end DSLR cameras which are reportedly in short supply for the time being. Additionally large LCD screens for televisions as well as digital compasses used in Apple’s iPad 2 have also faced production difficulties and shortages. In fact Apple seems to be one of the company’s most deeply affected, as the popular iPads make use of numerous components produced in Japan.

	Supply of the company’s second generation tablet aren’t keeping up with demand and iSuppli recently downgraded their prediction for how many units the company would ship this year by 9%. Of course that still has the company moving almost 40 million tablets, an 163% increase over the 15 million they shipped in 2010. According to iSuppli, Apple avoided a far more severe supply impact by quickly securing alternate sources for impacted components in the quake’s aftermath, even if that meant paying higher prices and upsetting competitors.

	“Apple’s fast action to lock up much of the available capacity of the leading component suppliers has left many competitors scrambling for needed components, particularly touch screens,” reported iSuppli.

	But just as Apple was able to scramble to secure supply lines for the parts it needs to meet the continuously growing demand for its gadgets, other companies will surely find ways to get what they need to build their latest attempts to create and sell millions of whatever the next must have device happens to be.

	Sure they may run up against some constraints, whether quake-related or due to some other factor. But when the parts are being put together to form a gadget of the moment, supply never quite keeps up with demand, and that’s probably by design as a way to continue stoking that demand.

	Apple’s quick action was about saving some of an already healthy profit margin, and the fact the company was ready to make such moves so quickly shows just how fluid and truly global the electronics industry is today. There are certainly going to be some items in shorter supply than planned, but the high tech world moves quickly and in most cases alternatives can be procured when they are needed.

	Japan is still just beginning the process of recovering from one of the biggest natural disasters to hit a first world nation in quite some time. The full impact of the quake and tsunami will continue to be felt and realized for many years, but Japan is far better off than many less affluent and developed countries that have suffered through disasters of a similar scale.

	The event did show that while a massive natural disaster can have a great impact on first world industries such as electronics, the industry is mobile and global enough to withstand such an impact with consumers possibly not noticing or feeling the effects in any real way.

 Electronic gadgets and all manner of cutting edge technologies are embraced in Japan in a way not really equaled anywhere else around the planet. The country is known for being a few years (or sometimes decades) ahead of the planet in how they’re using their electronics, and many of the world’s leading manufacturers are Japanese companies with at least some production based in their home country.

Tech Smart: In short supply

Some years see groundbreaking technologies sweep into the market and change everything, but 2011 was not one of those years.

That’s not to say there weren’t significant new gadgets and features hitting the (now mostly digital) shelves this year. However, the last 12 months have been more about shifting trends and technology platform transitions that are setting the stage for what a few years from now is likely to be a vastly different looking technological landscape.

Here we take a look back at the devices and trends launched in 2011, as well as a moment to take note of the devices, platforms and even companies that left the playing field this year. It was a year where smartphone capabilities continued to expand, tablets took a firm hold on the market place and larger computers began to shift in design to accommodate the coming reality of being interconnected and in some cases dependent on their mobile relatives.

Smartphones continue to be the go to gadgets and throughout 2011 the category continued to advance in terms of processor speeds, screen technologies and software capabilities. But while the trend in computers has long been more powerful machines in smaller packages, 2011 saw the release of ever more massive handsets with screens closing on 5 inches measured diagonally.

As 2011 comes to a close, the state of the art in smartphone technology is killing off a large number of other device categories. The cameras are getting good enough to make stand-alone point-and-shoots as well as camcorders such as the once popular but now discontinued Flip models unnecessary. The ubiquitous GPS functionality of these devices is also making having a separate gadget for turn-by-turn directions redundant.

Most of these plus-sized phones run Google’s Android operating system that has thoroughly cemented its place as the most popular mobile operating system. A few run Microsoft’s Windows Phone7 OS, but despite the massive company behind that platform and the partnership it forged with leading phone-maker Nokia, the Windows Phone OS has failed to catch on with the public and more importantly it’s failed to drive a great deal of interest from application developers.

It’s this lack of developer support that led Nokia to abandon its homegrown MeeGo OS earlier in the year despite positive reviews from critics. The fact of the tech world is that if software is not being written for a platform, it will not survive, and with so many platforms on the market it’s difficult for popular app titles to be made available for all of them. This same factor was key in HP’s decision to abandon the WebOS platform it had purchased from Palm.

Developers are also largely abandoning the once-dominant BlackBerry devices, but the story of this brand’s fall in 2011 is more about the company behind the phones, Research in Motion, falling woefully behind the times in terms of device capabilities, screen size and other key functions. RIM has fallen so far, so fast many do not believe the BlackBerry brand will be around much longer.

Developer mindshare is a key to the success Apple has experienced with its iOS that powers the still popular iPhone. While many were disappointed with the small upgrades found in the iPhone 4S, Apple launched its newest phone with a major improvement to that OS, a powerful point-and-shoot camera and Siri, a digital personal assistant that understands conversational commands and interacts with a range of phone and online functions more effectively than previously launched voice controls for smartphones.

Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S, but for the most part Apple has made a point to keep most of its mobile devices running on the same OS platform. That gives developers one target for their software and thus an easier time getting their latest killer app onto the large number of devices. It also means iPhone users can skip a hardware upgrade or two while still seeing the capabilities of their smartphones expand due to software improvements.

It’s here where Android can be found lacking. Google is constantly upgrading the capabilities with new dessert-named iterations of its software. Since December 2010 there have been three major Android releases, Gingerbread, Honeycomb (a tablet-only version of the OS) and Ice Cream Sandwich, but while each has added new efficiencies and capabilities, it’s been up to individual smartphone makers and cellular carriers to decide which, when and if they will allow users to upgrade.

I currently use an iPhone 4 and have experienced several software upgrades in the 18 months I’ve had the device, while my wife’s Android phone (a Samsung Galaxy S model) of around the same age has seen just one upgrade from Android Éclair to Froyo, which was launched in May 2010. It’s not clear if she’ll ever be able to update the device just to Gingerbread which is already a full year old, and will likely need to purchase a new handset if she wants access to the latest features Android can offer.

But while that might be frustrating for the lifespan of a phone, Android does offer a range of devices on the extremely fast 4G LTE cell networks available through Verizon and AT&T. The speeds of this mobile network allow for truly useful mobile computing at speeds rivaling some home Internet connections.

Another benefit of the Android platform is the fact that multiple device makers are building smartphones on it, which means new form factors and concepts are right at home. Motorola is one device maker playing with this by making smartphones such as the Atrix, which can become the computer behind a laptop-like dock. The device might be a bit ahead of its time, but the concept is certainly one likely to become the norm a few years down the road when smartphones are truly ready to be the main computer in most people’s lives.

Last year Apple and the iPad had the tablet landscape pretty much to themselves. The device was an instant hit after its January 2010 launch and basically made tablet computers viable consumer products. It took the industry an entire year to catch up with Android tablets finally making their way to consumers in sizable quantities earlier this year.

But at least for now, Apple’s lead remains insurmountable. Even as Android tablets-as well as an effort from RIM that gained little marketplace traction and HP’s soon abandoned but fairly well liked offering-were being launched, Apple upped the ante with the iPad 2, a lighter, thinner, more powerful slate with front and back cameras. It was again an instant hit, outselling the original and setting standards in every metric, including price.

A big problem for the early Android tablets was the operating system which was set up for devices with phone-sized screens. Apple kept the basic software the same, but helped developers revise their programs for the extra tablet real estate, something Android did not immediately do. However, in the spring Google launched the Honeycomb Android update for tablets and this helped level the playing field somewhat.

Computer makers and smartphone makers met in the middle with Android slates in a range of shapes and screen sizes launching in 2011 from the likes of Acer, Asus, Archos, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and others. Much like in the smartphone realm, Apple offers one size for a unified tablet marketplace while Google and its device partners offer an array of options.

There are good devices to be found among the Android tablets, but again the platform lags behind in applications designed specifically for these slates, and with the launch of the next gen Android OS Ice Cream Sandwich the Android tablet OS space is fragmenting in a similar vein to the smartphone arena. It seems likely that Android tablets will eventually gain traction much like Android phones did, but 2011 was not the year in which this happened.

Of course it was the year tablets solidified their space in the computing universe and knocked a few other devices off the table. Ultra-portable netbooks had a short run there, but that form factor seems to be phasing out now. Ultra-light laptops are taking out the marketshare from people looking for more portable computing options and tablets are taking out the marketshare of users looking for a media consumption device rather than a full-scale computer.

Another victim of the tablet wave seems to be dedicated e-readers. While there is no shortage of digital book surrogates, tablets offer similar form factors with far more capabilities in one device. In fact two of the biggest e-reader players, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both dove headfirst into the tablet market this holiday season as Amazon launched the Kindle Fire and B & N the nook Tablet. Both of those devices are being positioned as lower-priced tablet options that sacrifice some computing power to shave down the dollar signs.

2011 was certainly the year tablets cemented their place as go to gadgets for a variety of users with businesses embracing them for travelling employees and presentations, media companies launching publications targeted at handheld screens and plenty of software developers finding new ways for people to do work, play games and consume content on the devices.

With the competition nipping at Apple in terms of price and capabilities, it seems likely that 2012 will be the year of real competition for the iPad, but if developers don’t get on board with programming for Android and other tablets the challenges will be hard to sustain.

The year in more traditional computer formats was a lot less exciting. Sure desktop computers come in ever more powerful varieties with larger screens (some even with 3D capabilities) and laptops continue to become the only computers some people use. However, all of these trends have been in motion for several years if not decades.

With laptops the biggest trend again seems to be other companies chasing something Apple accomplished a few years ago. The first MacBook Air was a revelation in 2D, a laptop so thin it could easily slide in and out of an envelope. Sure it was underpowered and lacked enough memory for most computer users, but man was that thing thin.

Well those computers have come a long way since then as solid state hard drives and other technologies have advanced. Now these thin machines are ready to truly be the only computer many people need. The processors might not be ready to crunch through major 3D video applications, but they can certainly handle everyday tasks and a range of PC makers now offer ultrathin laptops running Windows.

The biggest desktop change of the year was Apple’s latest OS version, OS X Lion, which took some of what the company did for its phones and tablets and brought the concepts to larger screens. A similar move is on the way from Microsoft with Windows 8 overhauling the company’s desktop OS sometime next year.

2011 was certainly the year The Cloud came into its own. Online data storage and mobile access from anywhere and any device is now somewhat common, easily put to use and available from Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and smaller players such as Dropbox.

Saving a file one place and making it accessible from everywhere is the goal of cloud computing and it fits with the model of devices growing more mobile with less on board memory. The key to this model being a success remains reliable mobile Internet access at speeds that make interacting with online files worthwhile.

The technology for this exists now and with the right accessories and solid network connections someone could make a high end smartphone their only computer. 4G LTE networks are certainly up to the task in terms of speed, but whether or not this becomes the norm in computing depends on the people who control those networks.

If data is priced in a way that users can continue to expand the amount of it they send and receive the cloud <The Cloud ? >could become the way people keep files. However if the networks restrict access to certain types of data, price access to steeply or otherwise slow things down, the pace of integration of this new approach to computing will decrease and a conflict will arise between the companies designing new technologies and the networks these technologies are designed to work on.

When looked back on as a whole, 2011 is likely to be seen as more of a transitional year than a breakthrough. Noticeable advances in technologies showed up leading to incremental changes in the way people and their devices interact, but there was no major breakthrough or singular device to hit the scene.

The iPad 2 was a big launch last January and it was followed by a parade of competing tablets from every other device maker. When it comes to smartphones, a myriad are now available with specs that leave many devices just 18 months old in the dust. Someday soon computers may largely come in one of those two varieties.

Yet those tablets might not be a fit for everyone’s computing needs just yet and many 18-month-old smartphones are plenty capable of handling the tasks of most users. The industry wants to push for an endless upgrade cycle but if what you have works; stick with it until there’s something else you need. By the time you need more capabilities, the device you’re looking it will be far better than the one you want, but don’t need today.

Some years see groundbreaking technologies sweep into the market and change everything, but 2011 was not one of those years. That’s not to say there weren’t significant new gadgets and features hitting the (now mostly digital) shelves this year. However, the last 12 months have been more about shifting trends and technology platform transitions that are setting the stage for what a few years from now is likely to be a vastly different looking technological landscape.

Tech Smart: Best of 2011

	The new Vario Press 300.e was designed for optimal efficacy when working with lithium disilicate as well as other pressable ceramics. It addresses the thermal mass variances of different investments and ceramics on the market today by maintaining proper heat distribution and controlling the uniform transfer of heat from the outside of the investment material to the inside with the aid of press, temperature and virtual sensors. It features patented technology that minimizes reaction layer formation on lithium disilicate restorations, significantly decreasing the press time and eliminating the need for a chemical bath. The large chamber with more heater coils ensures even distribution of heat to more evenly heat the investment and the Z-Dry feature automatically adjusts the lift to save time between cycles.

 The new Vario Press 300.e was designed for optimal efficacy when working with lithium disilicate as well as other pressable ceramics. It addresses the thermal mass variances of different investments and ceramics on the market today by maintaining proper heat distribution and controlling the uniform transfer of heat from the outside of the investment material to the inside with the aid of press, temperature and virtual sensors.

Proper press, faster

	Over the past few years, using computers seems to have become a much more hands-on experience. From desktops to laptops to tablets and smartphones, touchscreen interfaces are popping up everywhere and offering us innovative and intuitive new ways to control our machines.

	With tapping, dragging, swiping, pinching and typing on virtual keyboards all quickly becoming familiar, the door is now open for novel approaches to computer design such as Toshiba’s laptop like no other, the libretto W100.

 Over the past few years, using computers seems to have become a much more hands-on experience. From desktops to laptops to tablets and smartphones, touchscreen interfaces are popping up everywhere and offering us innovative and intuitive new ways to control our machines.  With tapping, dragging, swiping, pinching and typing on virtual keyboards all quickly becoming familiar, the door is now open for novel approaches to computer design such as Toshiba’s laptop like no other, the libretto W100.  Concept in action