10 Questions: Ivoclar Vivadent's Whitney Falkowski on furnaces, digital workflows and more

01. You’ve recently updated your line of Programat furnaces. What drove that decision? 

We truly pride ourselves on being an innovative company. We strive to move the dental industry forward with cutting-edge technology that creates efficiencies for dental laboratories. We saw an opportunity to bring infrared technology, a never-before-seen improvement, to the dental market.

02. So how did infrared capability impact the Programat line? 

We were able to bring the infrared system and all of its advantages to the Programat line, at a minimal cost to our customers. Firing ceramic has never been easier or more precise prior to this breakthrough innovation.

03. How has the furnace market changed since Ivoclar Vivadent initially released the first products in the Programat line? 

Overall, the industry has looked for ways of making things more efficient for the dental laboratory. Today’s furnaces are more power conservative, smaller and work better than their previous iterations all while bringing a higher level of production capabilities.

04. What qualities of the Programat P310 and the P510 are you most proud of? 

We are most proud of not only the innovative technology that has been brought to the Programat furnace line, but the quality and longevity of our furnaces. We have furnaces that are 15+ years old still operating in the marketplace, which is a true testament of the quality of Ivoclar Vivadent products.

05. What are the biggest differences between the P310 and the P510? 

The biggest difference between the P310 and P510 furnace models are the calibration technique and the infrared technology. The P310 is the most economical unit in the portfolio and has many of the same features of the P510, but a more simplistic version. The P510 offers a new, state-of-the-art Automatic Infrared Monitoring (AIM™) system that measures the temperature at the surface of the restoration and adjusts the pre-drying and closing time accordingly. This technology ensures process reliability and firing quality, thus eliminating cracks in the ceramic.

06. Why might a lab choose one furnace over the other? 

A lab looking for a furnace at a lower price point would be very satisfied with the P310 model. It has the same great quality and performance without some of the more advanced technologies.

07. How does the Programat line fit into a workflow of a large lab? Small lab?  

The Programat line of furnaces was designed for every type of laboratory. Whether you are a one-person operation or a large production laboratory, there is a furnace that will suit your needs. The new P510 furnace, for example, has different operating modes that allow users to adjust the furnace according to their needs. In standard mode, all functionality is available. In protected mode, all programs can be selected and started, but not changed. In production mode, only one program can be accessed, and  open/close and start/stop are the only options that can be selected. These features allow for a quick and easy operation, minimizing the risk for error.

08. How can labs who have made the leap into digital incorporate a Programat furnace into their digital mindset? 

Labs who are investing in digital still need a reliable furnace for staining and glazing. With the enhanced process reliability and firing quality, Programat is the right choice for labs looking to deliver a quality restoration with confidence.

09. How do you expect furnaces to advance in the next decade? 

Over the next 10 years, I would expect a furnace that can do it all-fire, press and sinter. With the all-ceramic market growing at such a rapid pace, from an efficiency standpoint, having one furnace that could do it all would truly revolutionize the industry.

10. What can you tell us about Ivoclar Vivadent’s furnace plans heading into 2014? 

Ivoclar Vivadent will continue furnace innovations in 2014 and beyond. Our goal is to advance dental technology to make laboratories more efficient and productive. Part of how we do this is by offering free software updates to keep existing furnaces current to today’s materials and techniques. A new software update will be coming in April for the P300 and P500 models, adding a speed crystallization program for IPS e.max CAD.

This article originally appeared in the January 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, click here to subscribe to DLP's newsletter: http://bit.ly/18S8j4i