Lab Grows with State-of-the-Art Dental Milling In House

Shane Williams became a dental technician by accident.  He went to his wife’s (then fiancée’s) holiday party and met Studio 32 Dental Laboratory owner, Mike Giesseman.   “I needed work and he needed a hand,” said Williams.  “I’ve been here ever since.”

 

A full service lab based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Studio 32 mills its restorations with the help of four Roland DG DWX-50 5-axis dental milling machines.  “We had been outsourcing our zirconia work, and when I ran the numbers, the cost-effectiveness of owning our own equipment was clear,” said Williams.  

 

“Growing our milling capability has grown our whole business”

Studio 32 bought its first Roland DG in December, 2011. “The accuracy is spot on, and I can use the milling tools and materials I want, which is really important to me,” said Williams.  “After we got our first DWX, our workload went up from 20 units a month to 300-400 a month, and then up to 750 units a month – and that’s just the zirconia work.” 

 

Each time their production needs increased, Willams would run ROI calculations.  “We usually found we were already past the point of needing another mill,” he said. 

 

In addition to its zirconia work, Studio 32 mills all of its wax for golds, EMAX and porcelain fused to metal, or PFM, as well as for castings and pressings.  “Our milled production gives us more control, and we get better fit.  Our clients are very happy,” said Williams. 

 

Williams appreciates the DWX’s ease of use. “I learned how to run the software and the mill in three weeks.  It’s really user friendly,” said Williams.

 

The DWX-50s are controlled by a single computer.  All four DWX mills are kept busy from 8:30 in the morning until whenever the last job goes in, and usually run overnight as well. 

 

“Growing our milling capability has grown our whole business,” said Williams.