Formlabs announces new Castable Wax Resin for dental indications

Formlabs announced that Castable Wax Resin is now available for dental indications. The highly accurate material is designed for casting and pressing crowns, bridges and removable partial dentures using patterns 3D printed on the Form 2.

Tested at length with dental technicians, Castable Wax Resin provides accurate, sealed margins and contains 20% wax for reliable casting with clean burnout. Printed patterns are strong enough to handle with no post-cure required, allowing for a faster, simpler workflow.

The digital advantage, made accessible

Digital fabrication companies frequently promote a “digital revolution”-a sea change in how things are made, where digital technology replaces analog workflows entirely. Digital vs. analog is framed as a rivalry between  separate paradigms, but in the dental industry, the reality is that digital and analog are not enemies. Most dental workflows today are a hybrid of both.

A removable partial denture pattern 3D printed in Castable Wax Resin (left) and the final cast cobalt-chromium frame (right).

Fully digital 3D printed prosthetics such as digital dentures are beginning to emerge. However, dental labs still make many esthetic, biocompatible dental restorations from metals and pressed ceramics. The dental industry has refined these analog workflows over hundreds of years. This is not merely a technical process: it is a craft.

The most efficient, consistent workflows result from a hybrid of the digital and traditional worlds. The most advanced dental labs are asking how digital technology can supplement these long-perfected analog workflows to add the labor efficiencies they need to stay competitive under today’s heavy demands. 

Formlabs has already simplified the digital workflow for a number of key dental indications (surgical guides, clear aligners, crown and bridge models, and splints and occlusal guards), with thousands of successful prints in the field. With the latest addition to our library of Dental Resins, Formlabs has set out to make castable and pressable patterns from dental CAD software as easy and cost-effective as possible.

With Castable Wax Resin, tested and developed by dental technicians to meet strict requirements for marginal fit and clean burnout, dental labs can make substantial efficiency gains while continuing to produce high quality traditional restorations in-house.

Crown and bridge patterns printed in Formlabs Castable Wax Resin, alongside finished parts: a full metal crown and a pressed lithium disilicate bridge

Get started with precise, consistent patterns

Castable Wax Resin is 20 percent wax-filled for clean, easy casting and pressing. This material offers the flexibility dental technicians expect, including fast, reliable 1-hour burnout. This resin does not require post-curing. After a quick wash in isopropyl alcohol, parts are clean and ready to invest, with no residual tackiness.

The Formlabs workflow is the most intuitive solution for incorporating 3D printed patterns into your existing casting and pressing processes. Nest your digitally designed restorations for printing in our easy-to-use PreForm software, send the prepared job to the Form 2, and print. Then, set up your investment and cast or press the part as usual.

Download our Application Guide (PDF) for design guidelines, burnout schedules, and a step-by-step look at how to work with Castable Wax Resin.

Get started with castable wax resin

There are more than 50 million crowns, bridges, and removable partial dentures prescribed in America every year. As this number increases, the number of dental labs and technicians continues to decrease, so efficiency is key. Formlabs is excited to introduce a more efficient, scalable workflow and more accessible price point for casting and pressing patterns.