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What is “Tool Profile”? Tool profile is the shape of the tool’s cutting edge as seen from the side. As a milling tool shapes your part, it leaves a path that is the negative of its profile shape. The selection of tool profile is dependent…

[kal-uh-brey-shuhn] What is “Calibration”? Calibration is the comparison of values produced by a machine to a known standard of accuracy. Like any sensitive piece of equipment, modern dental CNC machines need to be calibrated in order to produce good milling results. All machines in our…

[wurk-hohl-ding] What is “Workholding”? Workholding is a term used in industrial machining to refer to an apparatus or device that holds the workpiece during machining. Its job is to securely and rigidly hold the material in place. We have workholding in dental, but most of…

[shangk] What’s a “Shank”? The shank is the part of a milling tool that is held in the machine’s collet – opposite of the cutting end. The importance of the shank is often overlooked. It’s responsible for centering the tool in your machine’s spindle. A…

  [lim-it-swich] What’s a “Limit Switch”? A limit switch is a device used to control the movement of mechanical parts. Dental CNC machines use several of these switches to operate various sub-assemblies. They are found in each machine axis, tool measurement probe, and safety interlocks.…

[gee-kohd]   What’s “g-code”?   G-code is a text-based language that’s used to control all types of CNC machines. When your milling machine is running a program, it’s reading a g-code file with instructions that tell it where to move, how fast to do it,…

[ er blast ]   What’s “Air Blast”? An air blast is a device that delivers a stream of high-pressure air to the tip of the milling tool while it is cutting. They are widely employed in both industrial and dental grade CNC machines. The…

What is a “Stepper Motor”? [ˈstepər] [ˈmōdər] A stepper motor is a special type of electric motor that is used in our dental CNC machines. These motors control the position of each of the machine’s axes. Stepper motors are different from regular electric motors because…

  What is “Yttria”? [ih-tree-uh] Yttria, otherwise known as Yttrium Oxide (Y2O3) is an additive used in all dental grade zirconia material. It is used to stabilize the zirconia during sintering.  As your zirconia restoration is sintered, it experiences a crystalline phase change. As the zirconia undergoes…

What is “ATC”?   “ATC” stands for “Automatic Tool Changer”. This one might seem a bit self-explanatory, but it shouldn’t go unappreciated.  An ATC is vital to the modern dental milling workflow. An ATC is responsible for picking up and measuring the correct tool for…

  What’s “Chip Load”? [Chip load] Milling is a very dynamic process. As a milling tool advances through material, its cutting edges remove small chips of material every time it rotates. Chip load is the term used to quantify this action. It is the length…

[ˈaksəs] -Noun What’s an “Axis”? An “Axis” is an imaginary line around which a dental milling machine moves. The purpose of an axis is to provide a reference point for precise controlled motion of the milling machine. All CNC (computer numerical control) machines convert numeric…