3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D has partnered with dental product manufacturer Keystone Industries to make all of its KeyPrint dental resins available on Nexa3D’s ultrafast NXE 400 3D printer.
As part of the collaboration, all of Keystone’s precision dental resins are available immediately through Nexa3D’s global channels, and the companies will combine their capabilities in dental, photopolymers, and 3D printing to expand the range of functional and affordable dental offerings to the market.
“We are thrilled to tailor our entire portfolio of KeyPrint resins for Nexa3D, a company that is fast emerging as an additive polymer market leader,” said Ira Rosenau, Keystone Dental President. “During our extensive internal optimization and validation testing, we confirmed that the NXE 400 produces outstanding quality prints at high volumes, making it an ideal additive manufacturing partner for the dental industry.”
KeyPrint dental resins
Keystone holds more than a century of experience in the dental industry, offering a line of customized resins for 3D printing under its KeyPrint brand. The company has previously partnered with the likes of Henkel, a global provider of advanced materials and additive manufacturing services, to scale up 3D printing solutions for the dental sector. Keystone’s biocompatible resins have also been validated for use with German 3D printer manufacturer Rapid Shape’s machines.
In 2019, Keystone obtained 510K clearance from the FDA for its KeySplint Soft resin designed for 3D printing night guards and splints. KeySplint Soft is one of multiple materials made available on Nexa3D’s NXE 400 3D printer as part of the pair’s current collaboration. Keystone’s KeyModel Ultra resin for next-generation dental and orthodontic models will also be made available on the NXE 400, along with the rest of the company’s laboratory and medical device 3D printing materials, including its biocompatible resins KeyTray and KeyGuide.
Nexa3D’s NXE 400 3D printer
Nexa3D manufactures ultrafast industrial grade polymer 3D printers. Its photoplastic printers are powered by its proprietary Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) technology while its thermoplastic printers are powered by Quantum Laser Sintering (QLS). In the past, Nexa3D has partnered with the likes of Royal DSM to fast track the availability of its QLS 350 systems with DSM’s sustainable laser sintering powders, and worked with Henkel to launch its new general purpose xPRO410 photopolymer resin and xCast resin, both of which are optimized for the NXE 400.
Nexa3D recently launched a new post-processing system, the xCure, which is capable of post-processing photoplastic-based parts on a production scale and is custom-designed for use with the NXE 400.
The NXE 400 deploys Nexa3D’s LSPc technology to deliver extreme print uniformity, advanced process algorithms, and intelligent optimization, and features a modular design for onsite automation. The printer has a 16-liter build volume and according to Nexa3D provides productivity gains of up to 20 times that of other systems.
Expanding dental capabilities
Through the collaboration, Nexa3D will enter the dental market with the NXE 400 armed with Keystone’s KeyPrint resin range. Every NXE 400 will come equipped with accelerated part-to-print capabilities, including fully integrated build set up and print management software. The printer can be integrated into all leading digital dental workflows and providers. Both the NXE 400 3D printer and KeyPrint resins are available for purchase now.
Within each phase of the material formulation and printing processes, the two partners are working to apply circular economy principles such as end-to-end workflows, minimizing process waste, reducing per part energy consumption, and working with partners around the world to reduce their carbon footprint.
“We are excited to partner with a company of the caliber and reputation of Keystone to jointly advance the range of available functional and affordable dental solutions for labs and practitioners,” said Avi Reichental, co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Nexa3D. “At Nexa3D, we are committed to advancing 3D printing performance and productivity through internal innovations and external collaborations.
“We are particularly pleased to partner with Keystone to bring our combined portfolio of 3D printing dental solutions to market, delivering new levels of speed, productivity, and efficiency to the dental industry.”
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Featured image shows Keystone Industries’ KeySplint Soft resin. Image via Keystone Industries.
