Innovator Profile Roland DGA's new wet mill

Unpacking the tech and innovation behind the DWX-4W.

This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about what's happening in the dental lab world, click the issue below:

Roland DGA has been a leading factor in dental CAD/CAM for years, with solutions like the DWX-50 and the DWX-4 busily milling in labs all over the world.

As they prepare to launch their newest option, the DWX-4W wet mill, we talked with Brian Brooks, senior product manager-Dental Solutions, Roland DGA, about the new mill, how Roland continually pursues inovation and how the new mill fits into existing workflows.

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Q: Roland DGA has long been a leader in dental mills. What were you hearing from the industry that led you to develop the new Roland DWX-4W? 

A: Laboratories have traditionally looked for multifunctional machines, both wet and dry, that allow for the milling of a wide variety of materials. When developing the DWX-4W, we looked at how these machines were actually being used in most labs. What we found surprised us at first. We noticed machines with combined wet/dry capabilities were only being used for one of these environments most of the time. Although labs purchased these machines initially with the intention of switching back and forth from wet to dry, they discovered this was not as easy as advertised and doing so often involved long periods of downtime and, ultimately, a significant reduction in productivity. Most of these labs ended up buying a second mill to handle the milling environment the original machine was not being used for. With the popularity of Roland’s DWX-50 mill as an excellent dry-only milling option, we developed the DWX-4W as a complementary, wet-only device.

Q: What are some of the unique features of this mill that set it apart from competitors?  

A: By bundling Roland’s very affordable DWX-50 and DWX-4W mills together, laboratories are able to provide a larger offering of material restorations without breaking the bank. Machines can run 100 percent of the time without costly downtime for cleaning and milling environment changeovers. With Roland’s multicast capabilities, up to four of each machine can be added to a single computer workstation without purchasing any extra user licenses, installing more software or buying additional computer hardware. This allows Roland’s milling solution to grow with a laboratory’s business needs based on that operation’s specific requirements.

New tools for the DWX-4 that provide new material options

Q: How are labs incorporating this into their existing CAD/CAM workflow? 

A: Since the operating systems of Roland’s mills are not overly complicated and each system can be set up within a short amount of time, there’s minimal disruption in a lab’s existing workflow. The overall operation of both machines is so similar; the only real addition to the CAD/CAM workflow involves increasing the choices of materials that can be used. And, with this increase in material choices, labs are able to offer a larger variety of specialized restorations to their clinical partners.

Q: What kind of support and education does Roland DGA offer for this new mill?

A: Education is conducted by our well-trained and well-vetted dealers/solutions providers. Because they are the experts in fulfilling the entire CAD/CAM solution to labs, Roland works directly with all dealer trainers, supporting their education programs to the fullest extent possible. Additionally, we offer webinars, white papers and continuous product updates to every registered owner of a Roland mill. We have complete confidence in the knowledge, experience and capabilities of solution providers that represent us in the marketplace. These certified dealers regularly attend Roland Academy workshops at our Irvine, Calif., headquarters-comprehensive classroom and hands-on sessions that enable them to effectively train and support their end-user clients. Roland ensures information regarding every aspect of our products is shared with our dealer channel. So, by the time one of our partners works with a lab, the Roland portion of the workflow is typically one of the best supported and trained areas of a laboratory solution. Roland doesn’t just sell products; it becomes a long-term partner with every lab that purchases one of its machines. Along with making sure our customers are thoroughly satisfied with the performance of their mills, we continuously educate Roland owners on any new materials and innovative workflow solutions.

Q: What indications are possible? 

A: Up to this point, Roland has focused on providing dry milling solutions. Now, with the introduction of the DWX-4W, we are moving into the production of advanced devices for creating crowns, small bridges, inlays, onlays and veneers with wet millable materials, such as glass ceramics and composite resins.  

Q: What has been the response from dentists and patients who have received restorations created with the DWX-4W? 

A: Although the DWX-4W has not been officially released (this will occur in late 2015), field test labs, material partners and CAD/CAM software companies have all experienced excellent field-testing results. This state-of-the-art mill has generated quite a bit of excitement ahead of its official introduction based upon its impressive prelaunch results and the outstanding performance users have come to expect from their existing DWX-50 milling machines.

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Product in focus: The DWX-4W wet milling machine

Roland DGA Corporation has a new wet milling dental machine, the DWX-4W, set to release in late 2015. The machine’s wet milling capability allows labs to process different materials, simultaneously and without a changeover, saving time, effort and money. The DWX-4W cuts precision crowns, bridges, inlays and onlays and veneers. Simultaneous four-axis milling and other special features provide unattended milling, and up to three standard pin-type blocks can be loaded for increased efficiency.

For more information, visit rolanddga.com or call 800-542-2307.

Editor's note: Innovator Profiles are part of a special advertising section in the pages of Dental Lab Products and are paid for by advertising partners. The opinions in these profiles are not necessarily reflected by Dental Lab Products, its editorial team or UBM Medica.