The Lab Drake Dental Laboratory, based in Charlotte, N.C. staffs 64 dental technicians and works with more than 600 dental practices nationwide. The Product
The Lab
Drake Dental Laboratory, based in Charlotte, N.C. staffs 64 dental technicians and works with more than 600 dental practices nationwide.
The Product
Primotec USA
866-643-3129
primogroup.net
Engineered to make dental welding easier, the phaser mx2 includes 10 open programmable spaces to save individual program settings and 10 pre-set programs for precious, semi-precious, palladium-silver, palladium-base, hybrid (such as precious to non-precious), cobalt-chrome, nickel-chrome, titanium, pin welding and contact-welding. With each program there are also 4 energy levels associated with each type of alloy (micro, fine, medium and strong). Additionally, it features 20 independently adjustable power and pulse settings which allow individual adjustment of penetration depth and welding spot diameter.
Improved micro-electronic pulse shapes individually defined for the specific alloys make sure that any welding spot cracking is a problem of the past. Special attention was also given to the palladium alloys that due to special pulse curves in combination with HF-overlapping now become very easy to weld.
The unit comes equipped with a 10x microscope and built in LCD shutter. The microscope is mounted on a swivel arm for easy adjusting to any user’s height and minimum bench space is needed. The hand piece can either be used in the new and improved holder with high power LED lighting or free hand.
The results
Mark Stueck, CDT, of Drake Dental Laboratory, discovered the product through an employee who was familiar with Primotec USA. Because of his relationship with the company, they were able to be a beta tester, and actually still use the original equipment they received in 2003.
“We had had a laser welder before, but this enhanced it,” Stueck said. “It could do more work and better work than the traditional laser welder. And, importantly for business, it could do more work in less time. Whatever we were working on-joint, clasp, whatever-it improved the quality.”
Even with all the additional features, the team of technicians at Drake found the mx2 simple to implement. “It was pretty easy to pick up,” Stueck remembers. “Of course, everything mutates over time and as the machine came onto the market, we found more applications and techniques through trial and error.”
Compact and small, Stueck maintains that this is a must-see for anyone looking for a welder. In addition to convenience, longevity and a competitive price, the customer service Primotec provides is a big plus. “We do a lot of work with Primotec and everyone I’ve talked to who owns this machine has also had a good working relationship with the company.”
What it comes down to, of course, is the ability to generate a return on investment. Stueck said they were able to see ROI very quickly, as the mx2 gave them the ability to open more doors to potential income. “We saw greater profitability inside and outside the lab. We were able to do more repairs internally and were able to offer those services to partners outside, which is extra income we didn’t have before."