Hexagon WorkNC Dental 2024

Hexagon WorkNC Dental 2024

Hexagon WorkNC Dental is a specialized, automated CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software solution tailored for the dental industry. It seamlessly bridges the gap between dental CAD design software and production machinery. The software automatically generates efficient, safe, and high-precision toolpaths to mill or print a wide variety of dental prosthetics from blocks of materials like zirconia, PMMA, wax, cobalt-chrome, and resin, ensuring optimal surface finish and minimal production time.

🦷 Primary Users

WorkNC Dentalis developed for dental lab technicians, CAD/CAM specialists, milling machine operators, and dental prosthetic manufacturers. It is specifically designed for professionals who transform digital dental models (from intraoral scanners) into precise physical restorations (crowns, bridges, implants, veneers) using CNC milling machines or 3D printers.

✨ Key Features & Capabilities

• Fully Automated Toolpath Generation: “One-click” automation for calculating roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing toolpaths for dental geometries, dramatically reducing programming time.

• Dental-Specific Material Libraries: Pre-configured cutting parameters and strategies for a vast array of dental-specific materials (pre-sintered zirconia, glass ceramics, composites, metals).

• Advanced Rest Support & Handling: Intelligent algorithms for automatically generating secure yet easily removable support structures for milling or building strategies for 3D printing.

• Multi-Tasking & Machine Simulation: Supports 3-axis, 3+2 axis, and full 5-axis simultaneous milling strategies. Includes built-in machine simulation to prevent collisions and optimize machine motion.

• Seamless CAD Integration: Direct import of standard dental file formats (STL, PLY, DCM) from all major dental CAD systems (3Shape, exocad, DentalCAD).

• Nesting & Batch Processing: Efficiently nests multiple restoration jobs on a single material block to maximize material yield and machine productivity.

• High-Quality Surface Finishing: Specialized finishing strategies designed to achieve the exceptional surface quality and marginal accuracy required for dental prosthetics.

🆕 What’s New in WorkNC Dental 2024

This maintenance release (build 2445) focuses on refined automation, expanded machine support, and workflow enhancements:

1. Enhanced Automation for Implant Bridges: Improved algorithms for automatically generating toolpaths for complex multi-unit implant-supported bridges, including optimal abutment machining strategies.

2. Expanded Machine Post-Processor Library: Added new post-processors for the latest dental milling machines and 3D printers from leading manufacturers (e.g., Roland, imes-icore, VHF, Straumann).

3. Optimized Toolpath Efficiency: Refinements to the toolpath engine for smoother motion and reduced air-cutting time, leading to shorter milling cycles and extended tool life.

4. Improved User Interface for Lab Management: Tweaks to the job management and nesting interface for easier handling of large, multi-order production queues.

5. Bug Fixes & Stability: Resolution of specific issues related to material database management, STL file import, and simulation of certain 5-axis movements.

🖥️ System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise (64-bit), version 21H2 or later

• CPU: Multi-core Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9 processor, 3.0+ GHz (High single-thread performance is key)

• RAM: 16 GB minimum (32 GB or more recommended for complex nesting and large batches)

• GPU: Dedicated professional graphics card with 4 GB+ VRAM (NVIDIA Quadro or AMD Radeon Pro recommended for reliable OpenGL performance)

• Disk Space: 10 GB free space for installation (SSD highly recommended for fast file access)

• Other: A 3-button mouse is required. A stable internet connection for license validation.