Assessment of the Ultrasonic Machine for Surface Finishing of 3D-Printed Cobalt-Chromium Alloy by Selective Laser Melting Technology

Abstract

The selective laser melting (SLM) system reaches the status of a contender with the traditional casting of dental alloys, with the essential drawback that it is conducive to roughness, making surfaces difficult to finish by the conventional method. Ultrasonic machines (USM) are instrumentally sensible for processes involving metal surface adjustments. This study aims to assess the surface roughness for SLM by using USM instead of conventional finishing. The discs of cobalt chromium alloy were printed by SLM (n = 20) and evenly divided into two groups: one for finishing in compliance with the manufacturer's standard procedure, and the other for employing USM. The specimens were evaluated using the Surface Roughness Test, and the data was analyzed using the t-test. Highly significant differences were found at P < 0.01. Furthermore, the mean value accounted for a low level of readings (Ra) in the USM group, which amounted to 1.707, and with regard to the control group, it was 4.539. Ultrasonic finishing processes promote the competence of the finishing procedure and improve the surface quality for dental cobalt chromium alloys that are printed by SLM technology.

Keywords

• Cobalt-chromium alloys
• Ultrasonic vibration
• Surface roughness
• Finishing