CoCr Dental Batch Printing
Removable Partial Denture Framework and Single Crowns
One workflow can cover both individual crown cases and framework-type restorations, helping labs improve production flexibility.
Dental Metal 3D Printing Case Study
CoCr Dental Crowns, Bridges, RPD Frameworks & Implant Prosthetics
How a dental laboratory in Uruguay used the Matrix SLM120D workflow to move from casting and milling bottlenecks to controlled digital batch production for CoCr dental restorations and prosthetic frameworks.
Project Overview
A Digital Production Workflow for Dental Metal Parts
The customer needed a compact, repeatable and lab-friendly workflow for crowns, bridges, RPD frameworks, palatal plates, implant bars, abutments, screw-retained superstructures and implant-supported frameworks.
Customer Type
Dental laboratory producing CoCr dental restorations and prosthetic frameworks.
Main Material
Dental CoCr alloy, with titanium alloy support for selected implant-related dental applications.
System Used
Matrix SLM120D Desktop Metal 3D Printer with dental-focused workflow support.
Application Scope
Crowns, bridges, RPD frameworks, palatal plates, implant bars, abutments and surgical guide templates.
Challenge / Background
Traditional casting and milling limited production speed and repeatability.
The customer’s original production relied on conventional dental casting and milling. These processes were familiar to the lab, but they created bottlenecks when case volume increased.
Casting required manual setup, spruing, investing, burnout, casting and finishing. For thin or complex dental structures such as RPD frameworks, clasps, palatal plates and bridge frameworks, the lab had to manage porosity, shrinkage, deformation, inconsistent fit and rework.
Milling helped digitalize part of the workflow, but CoCr blocks are hard to machine, tool wear is significant, and material waste is high. Complex undercuts, curved frameworks and patient-specific geometries are also difficult to machine efficiently.
Manual Setup
Traditional workflows depend heavily on technician experience and manual preparation before production can begin.
Spruing & Framework Preparation
Complex RPD frameworks require careful wax or resin preparation, increasing process time and variability.
Cast Metal Framework
Casting can produce usable frameworks, but the workflow still involves shrinkage control, finishing, polishing and rework.
Solution
Matrix SLM120D Turnkey Workflow for Dental Batch Production
Instead of producing each metal restoration through separate casting steps, the customer could import dental CAD files, nest multiple cases on one build plate, and print CoCr dental parts in batches.
More than a printer: a complete dental metal production setup.
The solution included the SLM120D printer, CoCr printing process, build plate setup, slicing and nesting workflow, powder handling guidance, annealing, support removal, sand-blasting, grinding, polishing and operator training.
CoCr Dental Alloy
Titanium Support
Batch Nesting
Annealing
Sand-Blasting
Polishing
CoCr powder quality supports stable dental SLM processing.
Dental metal printing is not only about machine hardware. Powder morphology, particle size distribution and flowability directly affect spreading stability, density and repeatability.
Related CoCrMoW SLM research reported fine spherical or near-spherical powder morphology with controlled particle distribution, supporting stable layer-by-layer forming for dental CoCr applications.
28.71 μm
D50 powder particle size
15.6%
Powder compressibility
4.82 g/cm³
Apparent density
Dental Applications
From Crowns to RPD Frameworks and Implant Structures
The same Matrix SLM workflow supports a wide range of dental metal structures, including high-volume crown batches and more complex prosthetic framework applications.
Key Benchmarks
Quantitative Context for Dental CoCr SLM Production
The following benchmarks combine customer production references and published CoCr / CoCrMoW SLM research data. They help decision-makers quickly understand production output, material performance and post-processing relevance.
80–100
Crowns per Build Plate
Customer production reference for CoCr crown and coping batch printing on the Matrix SLM120D, with a typical build time of about 3 hours.
7–10
RPD Frameworks per Plate
Customer production reference for removable partial denture framework printing, depending on framework size and support strategy.
98.7%
Relative Density
Optimized CoCrMoW SLM forming research reported high-density specimens with stable forming quality.
1154 MPa
Tensile Strength
Optimized CoCrMoW SLM samples reached 1154 MPa tensile strength, 852 MPa yield strength and 396 HV microhardness.
36.79 MPa
Metal-Porcelain Bonding
Grinding plus sand-blasting pretreatment achieved bonding strength above the ISO 9693:1999 minimum requirement.
14.1 × 10⁻⁶
Thermal Expansion Match
SLM-formed CoCrMoW alloy showed CTE matching with VITA VMK 95 porcelain powder from 25°C to 500°C.
Result
From Case-by-Case Manual Work to Digital Batch Production
After adopting the Matrix SLM workflow, the customer could prepare multiple dental CAD files, arrange them on one build plate, print them together and complete standardized post-processing.
Higher Batch Output
For crown and coping production, the customer could print approximately 80–100 crowns per build plate in about 3 hours.
RPD Framework Production
For removable partial denture frameworks, the customer could print approximately 7–10 frameworks per build plate in about 3 hours.
Broader Application Coverage
The workflow supported crowns, bridges, RPD frameworks, palatal plates, implant bars, abutments, screw-retained structures and implant-supported frameworks.
Controlled Post-Processing
Annealing, support removal, sand-blasting, grinding and polishing were included as part of the workflow, rather than treating printing as the final step.
Better Fit for Complex Geometry
Thin walls, curved connectors, hollow areas, clasps and patient-specific frameworks are better suited to layer-by-layer SLM than subtractive machining from CoCr blocks.
| Workflow | Advantages | Limitations | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casting | Familiar process with low equipment barrier for many dental labs. | Labor-intensive, operator-dependent, with risks of porosity, shrinkage, deformation and rework. | Low-volume or traditional workflows where manual expertise is already established. |
| Milling | Digital workflow and stable results for simpler geometries. | High CoCr material waste, tool wear and limited access to undercuts or thin complex frameworks. | Simple geometries and workflows where subtractive machining is already optimized. |
| Matrix SLM | Batch production, complex geometry freedom, lower material waste and digital repeatability. | Requires powder handling, heat treatment, support removal and controlled finishing. | Crowns, bridges, RPD frameworks, palatal plates and implant-supported metal structures. |
Research Basis & University Collaboration
Application content supported by dental SLM research and Matrix engineering experience.
This case content is supported by Matrix dental application experience, Matrix’s cooperation with South China University of Technology in metal additive manufacturing research and application validation, and published studies on CoCr / CoCrMoW selective laser melting for dental applications.
Specific numerical data are based mainly on South China University of Technology research related to CoCrMoW powder characteristics, SLM process optimization, mechanical performance, porcelain compatibility and corrosion behavior.
Yu Weiyong, Research on the Powder Characteristics and Forming Properties in Selective Laser Melting of CoCrMoW Alloy, South China University of Technology.
Yu Weiyong et al., Fabrication of Fine Spherical CoCrMoW Alloy Powder by Gas Atomization and Its SLM Forming Property, Materials Science and Engineering of Powder Metallurgy, 2017, 22(1): 56–61.
Wang Di et al., Effect of Pretreatment Process on the Metal-Porcelain Bonding Mechanism and Properties of CoCr Alloy Dental Crown and Bridge Manufactured by SLM, Rare Metal Materials and Engineering, 2018, 47(8): 2328–2334.
Koutsoukis et al., Selective Laser Melting Technique of Co-Cr Dental Alloys: A Review of Structure and Properties and Comparative Analysis with Other Available Techniques. DOI: 10.1111/jopr.12268
Alqutaibi et al., Clinical Performance, Accuracy, and Physical-Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Removable Partial Denture Metal Frameworks Compared with Conventionally and Partially Digitally Produced Frameworks. DOI: 10.2186/jpr.JPR_D_25_00028
Need to Evaluate Your Dental Metal 3D Printing Workflow?
Send us your dental CAD files, target material, part type and expected daily output. Matrix engineers can help evaluate the suitable SLM120D configuration, build plate nesting strategy, powder workflow and post-processing setup for your dental production.
