Search

Aim Materials and Methods Results Conclusion A new, non‐invasive approach suggests using single intraoral optical scanning to analyze the ridge profile of single‐tooth gaps following alveolar ridge preservation in the absence of a baseline scan. This method involves creating a three‐dimensional (3D) surface map to identify and assess contour changes and ridge profiles based on the adjacent teeth.The present study was designed as a cross‐sectional pilot analysis on a convenience sample of patients undergoing alveolar ridge preservation. Intraoral optical scans were taken on 23 patients, capturing data from 30 edentulous sites. The digital models were then imported into an image analysis software for a 3D surface defect map analysis performed by one examiner. This analysis characterized the buccolingual profile of the single tooth gap relative to the adjacent teeth. 10 linear divergence points, spaced 0.5 mm apart in a corona‐apical direction, were identified at the midfacial aspect of the sites. Based on these points the sites were plotted and grouped in three different buccolingual profiles (linear, concave, and convex). Clinical parameters including Keratinized mucosa Width (KMW), and soft tissue phenotype with Colorvue biotype probes were also recorded.Three different buccolingual patterns (linear, convex, and concave) were identified. Seven sites exhibited a linear profile, 10 sites displayed a concave shape, and 13 showed a convex profile. The linear profile had surface discrepancies similar to the neighboring teeth. In contrast, the convex profile revealed mid‐buccal discrepancy localized only at the crestal aspect, while the concave had an extended divergence ranging from 1 to 5 mm below the soft tissue margin. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses did not reveal any statistically significant variables influencing profilometric analysis; however, when combining phenotype and KMW, thick phenotypes demonstrated a higher proportion of concavity (OR = 4.83) compared to thin ones, suggesting a significant trend. With every 1 mm of increase in KMW, the probability of showing a concavity decreased (p = 0.057).A 3D surface defect map represents a useful tool for objectively quantifying ridge defects and profiles by assessing profilometric and surface differences compared to adjacent dentition using a single intraoral scan. This method also indicates that KMW may play a critical role in preventing concavity defects. The 3D defect map can guide decision‐making during soft tissue augmentation procedures by emphasizing the specific location of the defect and providing more detailed insights into its localization. These parameters can enable the tailoring of flap management and soft tissue grafting strategies to address the patient's individual needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of augmenting the peri-implant soft- and hard-tissue architecture is now widely accepted. However, while most contemporary research supports this premise, clinicians are encountering peri-implant soft tissue defects with increasing frequency, which they are therefore required to reconstruct. These complications can result from the difficulty of establishing an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan or from suboptimal clinical situations (implant malposition, insufficient vestibular alveolar bone thickness or inadequate mucosal thickness). In this context, it is the peri-implant soft-tissue phenotype that most influences esthetic and health-related results in the short and long term. This article describes two clinical cases in which a modification of the apical access technique is presented that may be useful in clinical scenarios requiring large gains in mucosal thickness. Use of the modified bilaminar apical access with de-epithelialized free gingival graft technique showed promising results, with a significant increase in mucosal thickness and satisfactory outcomes in esthetics and peri-implant health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as an innovative technology that gives designers several advantages, such as geometric freedom of design and less waste. However, the quality of the parts produced is affected by different design and manufacturing parameters, such as the part orientation, the nozzle temperature and speed, the support material, and the layer thickness. In this context, the layer thickness is considered an important AM parameter affecting the part quality and accuracy. Thus, in this paper, a new adaptative slicing method based on the cusp vector and the surface deviation is proposed with the aim of minimizing the dimensional defects of FFF printed parts and investigate the impact on the dimensional part tolerancing. An algorithm is developed to automatically extract data from the STL file, select the build orientation, and detect intersection points between the initial slicing and the STL mesh. The innovation of this algorithm is exhibited via adapting the slicing according to the surface curvature based on two factors: the cusp vector and the surface deviation. The suggested slicing technique guarantees dimensional accuracy, especially for complex feature shapes that are challenging to achieve using a uniform slicing approach. Finally, a preview of the slicing is displayed, and the G-code is generated to be used by the FFF machine. The case study consists of the dimensional tolerance inspection of prototypes manufactured using the conventional and adaptive slicing processes. The proposed method's effectiveness is investigated using RE and CMM processes. The method demonstrates its reliability through the observed potential for accuracy improvements exceeding 0.6% and cost savings of up to 4.3% in specific scenarios. This reliability is substantiated by comparing the resulting dimensional tolerances and manufacturing costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of augmenting the peri-implant soft- and hard-tissue architecture is now widely accepted. However, while most contemporary research supports this premise, clinicians are encountering peri-implant soft tissue defects with increasing frequency, which they are therefore required to reconstruct. These complications can result from the difficulty of establishing an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan or from suboptimal clinical situations (implant malposition, insufficient vestibular alveolar bone thickness or inadequate mucosal thickness). In this context, it is the peri-implant soft-tissue phenotype that most influences esthetic and health-related results in the short and long term. This article describes two clinical cases in which a modification of the apical access technique is presented that may be useful in clinical scenarios requiring large gains in mucosal thickness. Use of the modified bilaminar apical access with de-epithelialized free gingival graft technique showed promising results, with a significant increase in mucosal thickness and satisfactory outcomes in esthetics and peri-implant health.

This paper presents how to import STL models, simulate the models before they are printed and print them. Depending on the choice of printing parameters, the quality of the parts surfaces is obtained. The material used to print the models is PLA, and they were printed on an Anycubic i3 Mega printer. The printed models have only a didactic and theoretical role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe a novel, noninvasive, intraoral optical scanning--based approach for characterising the buccolingual profile of peri-implant tissues using a 3D surface defect map. Materials and methods: Intraoral optical scans of 20 isolated dental implants with peri-implant soft tissue dehiscence in 20 subjects were captured. The digital models were then imported into image analysis software, where an examiner (LM) performed a 3D surface defect map analysis characterising the buccolingual profile of the peri-implant tissues in respect to the adjacent teeth. Ten linear divergence points that were 0.5 mm apart in a corono-apical direction were identified at the mid facial aspect of the implants. Based on these points, the implants were grouped into three different buccolingual profiles. Results: The method for creating the 3D surface defect map of isolated implant sites was outlined. Eight implants displayed pattern 1 (coronal profile of peri-implant tissues more lingual/palatal than their apical portion), six implants exhibited pattern 2 (opposite of pattern 1) and six sites showed pattern 3 (relatively uniform and "flat"). Conclusions: A novel method for assessing the buccolingual profile/position of peri-implant tissues using a single intraoral digital impression was proposed. The 3D surface defect map visualises the volumetric differences in the region of interest compared to the adjacent sites, allowing for objective quantification and reporting of profile/ridge deficiencies of isolated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as an innovative technology that gives designers several advantages, such as geometric freedom of design and less waste. However, the quality of the parts produced is affected by different design and manufacturing parameters, such as the part orientation, the nozzle temperature and speed, the support material, and the layer thickness. In this context, the layer thickness is considered an important AM parameter affecting the part quality and accuracy. Thus, in this paper, a new adaptative slicing method based on the cusp vector and the surface deviation is proposed with the aim of minimizing the dimensional defects of FFF printed parts and investigate the impact on the dimensional part tolerancing. An algorithm is developed to automatically extract data from the STL file, select the build orientation, and detect intersection points between the initial slicing and the STL mesh. The innovation of this algorithm is exhibited via adapting the slicing according to the surface curvature based on two factors: the cusp vector and the surface deviation. The suggested slicing technique guarantees dimensional accuracy, especially for complex feature shapes that are challenging to achieve using a uniform slicing approach. Finally, a preview of the slicing is displayed, and the G-code is generated to be used by the FFF machine. The case study consists of the dimensional tolerance inspection of prototypes manufactured using the conventional and adaptive slicing processes. The proposed method’s effectiveness is investigated using RE and CMM processes. The method demonstrates its reliability through the observed potential for accuracy improvements exceeding 0.6% and cost savings of up to 4.3% in specific scenarios. This reliability is substantiated by comparing the resulting dimensional tolerances and manufacturing costs.

We implement the Direction-Splitting solver originally proposed by Keating and Minev in 2013 and allow complex geometries to be described by a triangulation defined in STL files. We develop an algorithm that computes intersections and distances between the regular Cartesian grid and the surface triangulation using a ray-tracing method. We thoroughly validate the implementation on assorted flow configurations. Finally, we illustrate the scalability of our implementation on a test case of a steady flow through 144,327 spherical obstacles randomly distributed in a tri-periodic box at R e = 19.2 . The grid comprises 6.8 billion cells and the computation runs on 6800 cores of a supercomputer in less than 48 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cost-effective stereolithography for medium-scale components is developed to fabricate 3D components with high build speed and resolution from photo-curable resin. The developed SLA utilizes a focused light beam of wavelength range (300 nm – 700 nm) coming from the DLP projector, passes through the objective lens, and finally is imposed on the platform containing a photo-curable resin layer. After focusing the light beam on the liquid resin layer, the photo-polymerization reaction occurs, and the liquid resin becomes solid. Thus, the 3D object is fabricated layer by layer, curing of liquid resin. The photopolymer used in this experiment is polyethylene glycol di-acrylate, and Irgacure 784 as photo-initiator. The Creo 3.0 software is used for the modeling of 3D objects. A special MATLAB code is developed for slicing of the 3D model and displaying the sliced image one by one through the DLP projector. The Arduino microcontroller with a stepper motor and ball screw is used to control the motion of the Z-stage platform. The Creation workshop software is also used to control the motion of the Z-stage and period to display the sliced images through the DLP projector. The medium-scale 3D objects with rectangular, square, and circular cross-sections are obtained by curing the aforementioned photo-curable resin. It is observed that the 3D objects are best cured for two seconds curing time with 0.1 mm curing depth along Z-axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper are presented the work parameters necessary to configure the categories regarding the 3D printing of some complex parts, dental prostheses, categories regarding the use of an Anycubic i3 Mega printer. The parameters must be chosen with responsibility because depending on them, a quality of the finished products is obtained in a short period of time. The chosen model is in an STL file and will be processed in the CAD and CAM programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is widely used, security issues have arisen, especially in the terminal parts of automobiles, aircraft, and 3D-printed military equipment. If the original design models or the STL (stereolithography) files are hacked or tampered, severe consequences can be anticipated. In this paper, we propose a demonstration to use a high-throughput blockchain to store the "fingerprints" of the 3D model and verify the "fingerprints" before printing to prevent illegal tampering. Relying on the tamper-resistant features of blockchain, the security of the model and the credibility of the terminal components can be ensured. The combination of blockchain and 3D printing will help people to build a trusted manufacturing environment and realize a more flexible manufacturing for future industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional bone shape reconstruction is a fundamental step for any subject-specific musculo-skeletal model. Typically, medical images are processed to reconstruct bone surfaces via slice-by-slice contour identification. Freeware software packages are available, but commercial ones must be used for the necessary certification in clinics. The commercial software packages also imply expensive hardware and demanding training, but offer valuable tools. The aim of the present work is to report the performance of five commercial software packages (Mimics®, AmiraTM, D2PTM, SimplewareTM, and Segment 3D PrintTM), particularly the time to import and to create the model, the number of triangles of the mesh, and the STL file size. DICOM files of three different computed tomography scans from five different human anatomical areas were utilized for bone shape reconstruction by using each of these packages. The same operator and the same hosting hardware were used for these analyses. The computational time was found to be different between the packages analyzed, probably because of the pre-processing implied in this operation. The longer "time-to-import" observed in one software is likely due to the volume rendering during uploading. A similar number of triangles per megabyte (approximately 20 thousand) was observed for the five commercial packages. The present work showed the good performance of these software packages, with the main features being better than those analyzed previously in freeware packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that the topological relationship between the triangular facets is lost when the 3D model is converted to STL files，in the process of reading and analyzing STL files, a fast topology reconstruction algorithm based on half-edges structure and hash table is proposed. In the process of reading data, a point table without repeat position information is established through a hash table, and a collection containing half-edges in which no adjacency facets are added is maintained therein. According to the set and topology algorithm, the topological relationship of the facets is improved, and the topological relationship of the facets is quickly established in the process of reading data.

We implement the Direction-Splitting solver originally proposed by Keating and Minev in 2013 and allow complex geometries to be described by a triangulation defined in STL files. We develop an algorithm that computes intersections and distances between the regular Cartesian grid and the surface triangulation using a ray-tracing method. We thoroughly validate the implementation on assorted flow configurations. Finally, we illustrate the scalability of our implementation on a test case of a steady flow through 144,327 spherical obstacles randomly distributed in a tri-periodic box at Re=19.2. The grid comprises 6.8 billion cells and the computation runs on 6800 cores of a supercomputer in less than 48 h.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical one-dimensional changes such as root surface coverage, decrease seen in the amount of gingival recession and keratinised gingival width (KGW) obtained throughout a 6-month follow-up period following the treatment of Cairo class II gingival recession with free gingival graft (FGG) and gingival unit graft (GUG). Three-dimensional changes in gingival volume and thickness were also compared digitally using an indirect method., Methods: A total of 20 patients with localised Cairo class II gingival recession were randomly separated into two groups; 10 patients were treated with FGG and 10 patients treated with GUG. Preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively, the initial position of the gingiva and KGW were recorded for all the patients and plaster models were formed from the obtained impressions with the traditional method. The plaster models were transferred to a digital environment by scanning with a model scanner. Using a software program, changes in gingival papillary height and gingival volume and thickness were compared between the groups and according to the baseline values from The Standard Tessellation Language (STL) files obtained., Results: Compared to the baseline values, a significant increase was determined in the KGW, and a significant decrease in pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and gingiva recession depth in all the groups (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was determined between the groups in respect of the changes in mean gingiva thickness, gingiva volume, and mean vertical papillary height (p>0.05)., Conclusion: The study results showed that GUG treatment for Cairo class II localised gingival recession is an effective method in respect of increasing gingiva volume and thickness, increasing KGW, coverage of the root surface, and forming tissue contours that allow the patient to easily maintain oral hygiene. However, there was not seen to be any adventage of GUG and FGG over each other., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

As three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is widely used, security issues have arisen, especially in the terminal parts of automobiles, aircraft, and 3D-printed military equipment. If the original design models or the STL (stereolithography) files are hacked or tampered, severe consequences can be anticipated. In this paper, we propose a demonstration to use a high-throughput blockchain to store the “fingerprints” of the 3D model and verify the “fingerprints” before printing to prevent illegal tampering. Relying on the tamper-resistant features of blockchain, the security of the model and the credibility of the terminal components can be ensured. The combination of blockchain and 3D printing will help people to build a trusted manufacturing environment and realize a more flexible manufacturing for future industry.

Copyright of Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies is the property of PC TECHNOLOGY CENTER and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Three-dimensional bone shape reconstruction is a fundamental step for any subject-specific musculo-skeletal model. Typically, medical images are processed to reconstruct bone surfaces via slice-by-slice contour identification. Freeware software packages are available, but commercial ones must be used for the necessary certification in clinics. The commercial software packages also imply expensive hardware and demanding training, but offer valuable tools. The aim of the present work is to report the performance of five commercial software packages (Mimics®, AmiraTM, D2PTM, SimplewareTM, and Segment 3D PrintTM), particularly the time to import and to create the model, the number of triangles of the mesh, and the STL file size. DICOM files of three different computed tomography scans from five different human anatomical areas were utilized for bone shape reconstruction by using each of these packages. The same operator and the same hosting hardware were used for these analyses. The computational time was found to be different between the packages analyzed, probably because of the pre-processing implied in this operation. The longer “time-to-import” observed in one software is likely due to the volume rendering during uploading. A similar number of triangles per megabyte (approximately 20 thousand) was observed for the five commercial packages. The present work showed the good performance of these software packages, with the main features being better than those analyzed previously in freeware packages.

Maxillofacial Prosthetics is the dental field responsible for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of all sorts of defects located at the head region of the human body. The advent of technology has turned Dental Science’s interest towards Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing-CAD/CAM technologies for the design and manufacture of maxillofacial prostheses with computers’ assistance. The conventional manufacturing techniques of such prostheses are widespread and deliver clinically acceptable prostheses. Contemporary impression, design, and manufacturing techniques can be combined with conventional ones or used independently. The aim of this review article is to present modern techniques applied in the fabrication of definitive maxillary obturators with CAD/CAM and Rapid Prototyping-RP technologies, emphasizing on contemporary anatomical data collection methods and different CAM devices. Data collection is based on last decade’s published scientific papers, using PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases. In conclusion, dental CAD/CAM systems contribute to decreasing prostheses’ production time and number of clinical appointments and consequently lead to the facilitation of intraoral defects’ reconstruction, benefiting both the rehabilitation team and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare soft tissue dimensional changes and relative differences in soft and hard tissue volumes 4 months after single‐tooth extraction and three different treatment modalities: spontaneous healing (SH) and alveolar ridge preservation by means of a deproteinized bovine bone mineral and a collagen matrix, with (IMPL/DBBM/CM) or without (DBBM/CM) immediate implant placement. Materials and Methods: STL files from study casts obtained at baseline and after 4 months were matched to calculate buccal soft tissue linear and volumetric changes. DICOM files from CBCTs were superimposed to STL files allowing the evaluation of soft tissue thickness at baseline and 4 months. Results: Mean horizontal reduction accounted for 1.46 ± 0.20 (SH), 0.85 ± 0.38 (DBBM‐CM) and 0.84 ± 0.30 IMPL/DBBM‐CM, with no statistical differences. Soft tissue thickness had a significant mean increase of 0.95 for SH group, compared to a non‐significant mean decrease for DBBM‐CM (0.20) and IMPL/DBBM‐CM groups (0.07). Conclusion: A preservation technique with DBBM‐CM, with or without immediate implant placement, did not reduce the horizontal linear and volumetric changes at the buccal soft tissue profile significantly at 4 months after tooth extraction when compared to spontaneous healing. This is due to a significant increase in soft tissue thickness in spontaneously healing sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of an orthodontic appliance requires great accuracy and precision, which is very time consuming. The critical moments in this process are: accuracy of the alginate impression, the time to make plaster models, lack of defects in the plaster model, dental technician expertise and skills. The purpose of our analysis is to bring out the advantages in clinical orthodontic work using metal-printed expanders. Material and methods. Comparison of clinical and preclinical parameters when working with a printed expander and a conventionally made expander (with soldered wire construction or plastic tooth caps McNamara modification). Our analysis is based on a survey of orthodontists in our practice and patients. Each patient had to write positives and negatives about the appliance applied to him. The orthodontist had to write positives and negatives about working with different types of expanders. Results. Taking impressions from the patient's mouth by the classical method leads to a series of deviations (shrinkage of impression material, transport to the laboratory and defects in the plaster model) and takes human labor. The procedure often causes patients to feel nauseous and vomit. Soldering the wire structure often changes the elasticity and size of the molar and premolar bands used. Sometimes the metal grill was twisted during soldering, if the molar bands were not well adjusted to the model. When modifying the device with plastic toothed caps, the negative is the positioning of glass-ionomer cement in contact with the gingiva. At first, it is difficult for patients to get used to eating on plastic surfaces. The digitally planned and printed expander minimizes human fingerprint error. In this case, the mouth is scanned with an intraoral scanner, which immediately generates a 3-dimensional image, such as an STL file, which can electronically reach the laboratory instantly. Patients accept the scan well and even participate with interest. Programming the position of the screw itself is done virtually, which allows you to choose the place closest to the center of resistance of the displaced tooth segment. The design of the metal grill makes it possible to cover all the teeth of the segment and distribute the expansion force on them. The process from scanning to placing the expander in the patient's mouth is only two visits. The device is light and comfortable and does not require ring adjustment. Conclusion. 3D images and printed devices are accepted by patients more easily and pleasantly, free up clinical time in the practice and the dental laboratory and save the physical space for the orthodontic archive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extracting and three-dimensional (3D) printing an organ in a region of interest in DICOM images typically calls for segmentation as a first step in support of 3D printing. The DICOM images are not exported to STL data immediately, but segmentation masks are exported to STL models. After primary and secondary processing, including noise removal and hole correction, the STL data can be 3D printed. The quality of the 3D model is directly related to the quality of the STL data. This study focuses and reports on the DICOM to STL segmentation performance for nine software packages. Methods: Multidetector row CT scanning was performed on a dry human mandible with two 10-mm-diameter bearing balls as a phantom. The DICOM image file was then segmented and exported to an STL file using nine different commercial/open-source software packages. Once the STL models were created, the data (file) properties and the size and volume of each file were measured, and differences across the software packages were noted. Additionally, to evaluate differences between the shapes of the STL models by software package, each pair of STL models was superimposed, with the observed differences between their shapes characterized as the shape error. Results: The data (file) size of the STL file and the number of triangles that constitute each STL model were different across all software packages, but no statistically significant differences were found across software packages. The created ball STL model expanded in the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions, with the length in the Z-axis direction (body axis direction) being slightly longer than that in the other directions. The mean shape error between software packages of the mandibular STL model was 0.11 mm, but there was no statistically significant difference between them. Conclusions: Our results revealed that there are some differences between the software packages that perform the segmentation and STL creation of the DICOM image data. In particular, the features of each software package appeared in the fine and thin areas of the osseous structures. When using these software packages, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of each. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Measuring soft tissue thickness after mucogingival surgery has traditionally been performed by means of a calibrated transgingival probe. The main aim of this study was to apply a non‐invasive technique based on digital images formatted as Standard Tessellation Language (STL) files to quantify soft tissue volume after connective tissue grafting. Clinical Innovation Report: Ten patients who presented Cairo Class I gingival recession were selected for connective tissue grafting using the tunnel technique. In all patients, the initial position of the gingiva and quantity of keratinized tissue were recorded, and gingival recession was scanned with an intra‐oral scanner. Six months after surgery, the same intra‐oral parameters were recorded and compared with the initial registers using digital volumetric analysis software. Results: Complete root coverage was obtained in most patients (90%), mean coverage being of 2.70 mm with a mean increase in volume of 115.49 mm3 in the treated areas. No pattern was identified that indicated a statistically significant relation between gingival recession and coverage volume in mm3. Conclusions: Digital processing of pre‐ and post‐treatment images makes it possible to measure the volume of tissue gained after tissue graft surgery simply and non‐invasively. The technique is an objective and reproducible method for measuring soft tissue thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and manufacturing strategies for custom orthotic insole shoes for patients with diabetes are presented in this paper. The computer-aided reverse engineering system (CARESystem) was applied for minimizing file errors generated by scanning a patient’s foot. The digital data imaging and communication of medicine (DICOM) images were used for designing complex insole orthotics. The DICOM images obtained by HandySCANN 700TM were then converted into a stereo lithography (STL) file (triangle-based data) format. The color map generated by VX Element and Geomagic software yielded an accurate and smooth STL data file of the patient’s foot. A solid 3D model of orthotic shoe s (insole and outsole) was prepared using the curve-based surface modeling method (CBS model). The error of an image found in the 3D mesh STL file was then edited and smoothed, prior to the 3D prototype products being processed by 3D printers. The prototype of an orthotic shoe insole was fabricated by an adaptive manufacturing machine, the 3D printer EDEN350. Comparative analysis of dimensional data for the insole and outsole revealed that the average size of deviation was less than 1 mm (0.0135–0.0209 mm). Therefore, this method is highly promising to deliver custom orthotics with improved size, dimensional accuracy, and comfort.

In this paper, viewer and converter softwares are presented for smart machining process using an industrial robot. The viewers for NC, CLS, DXF and STL files illustrate their surface representation with normal direction vectors. For example, the DXF is a data format developed by Autodesk to realize data interoperability among different makers' CAD systems. The STL means Stereolithography which is a file format proposed by 3D Systems and recently is supported by many design tools and CAD/CAM softwares. In addition, the converters for DXF and STL files generate the corresponding CLS files with normal direction vectors for machining. Further, the proposed preprocessor allows the developed machining robot to work based on information included in STL files. The convenience and user-friendliness of the proposed integrated system are confirmed through experiments of viewing, converting and machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tessellated computer aided design (CAD) models are extensively used in CAD/computer aided manufacturing applications. One challenge in manipulating tessellated CAD models is to segment the facets of a tessellated model into different groups that carry distinct geometrical properties. In this article a method is proposed that can automatically detect convex and concave regions on a tessellated CAD model and further to characterise their shapes. The method starts at clustering triangular facets based on local convexity of each facet with its neighbourhood. It classifies triangular facets on an STL file into local convex group, local concave group and mixed group, based on the relation of each facet normal with its neighbouring facets. Subsequently, shape recognition on the detected regions is conducted using Gaussian Image formation and Point Distribution distance algorithm. Examples are shown to demonstrate the capability of the algorithm in characterising basic shapes out of those segmented facet clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]