Waterjet station

An Objet30 Prime (Stratasys, Ltd., Eden Prairie, MN, USA) 3D printer was used to produce the 10 mandibular models with MJ technology. The chosen materials were a white photopolymer resin VeroWhite (Stratasys, Ltd., Eden Prairie, MN, USA) and a water-soluble support material SUP706 (Stratasys, Ltd., Eden Prairie, MN, USA). The software Objet Studio Software v. 9.2.11.6825 (Stratasys, Ltd., Eden Prairie, MN, USA) was adjusted to the following printing settings with a tray material high-speed (HS), glossy surface option and a layer thickness of 28 microns. The model was positioned in the upper left corner of the built platform. The printing time was 12 h and 14 min. Subsequently, post-processing was required to remove the water-soluble supporting structures with a WaterJet Station (Stratasys, Ltd., Eden Prairie, MN, USA).

In MJ 3D printer (Objet30Prime, Stratasys Ltd., Minneapolis, MN, USA, the drill guides were fabricated with two proprietary photopolymer resins, one as a core biocompatible material (MED610, Stratasys Ltd., Minneapolis, MN, USA), and the other as a water-soluble support material (SUP705, Stratasys Ltd., Minneapolis, MN, USA). The STL files of the drill guides were imported into the 3D printer’s slicing software (Objet Studio Software, v. 9.2.11.6825, Stratasys Ltd., Minneapolis, MN, USA). The drill guides were printed using the automatic placement functionality integrated into the software considering minimal printing time and material consumption. As this technology utilizes water-soluble support structures, the software automatically configures the drill guides angulation for optimal printing results. The drill guides were printed at a layer thickness of 28 microns with a “glossy” surface finish and in a high-speed mode. Post-processing steps were required to remove the water-soluble support structures and were performed in a WaterJet Station (Stratasys Ltd., Minneapolis, MN, USA).

In FFF 3D printer (Ultimaker 3 Extended, Ultimaker B.V., Utrecht, Netherlands), the drill guides were fabricated with two materials, one as a core biocompatible material (Nylon 680, Taulman 680 FDA, Taulman3D LLC, Linton, IN, USA), and the other as a water-soluble support material (ProFill™ PVA, 3D-Printerstore.ch, Weinfelden, Switzerland). The presence of two printheads in this printer enabled the simultaneous usage of these two materials. The STL files of the drill guides were imported into the 3D printer’s compatible slicing software (Cura v.3.6.0 Ultimaker B.V., Utrecht, The Netherlands). The recommended settings for extruder 1 print core AA 0.4 mm nozzle were Generic Nylon, layer thickness 100 microns, and 50% infill. Due to the hygroscopic characteristics of the nylon filament and its accompanying tendency to absorb humidity, the material was dried in a filament dryer (Apium Filament Dryer, Apium Additive Technologies GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany) before printing and stored in a freezer bag containing silica gel pads. During the printing process, the core material and the water-soluble material were enclosed in a hygroscopic box. Post-processing steps were required to remove the water-soluble support structures and were performed in a WaterJet Station (Stratasys Ltd., Minneapolis, MN, USA).