Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dental or medical tool the method comprising the steps of positioning a pre-fluted blank 14 including a stem 24 and a shank 22 within a machine 30, using a probe to identify a position and/or an orientation of at least one flute 26 of the pre-fluted blank 14 and/or the position and/or orientation of an orientation indicator 28 of the pre-fluted blank 14, and using the machine 30 to form a cutting end region 36 at the end of the stem 24 of the pre-fluted blank 14 remote from the shank 22, the flute 26 extending into the cutting end region 36, the machine 30 being controlled to ensure that the cutting end region 36 is correctly orientated relative to the flutes 26 of the pre-fluted blank 14.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dental or medical tool the method comprising the steps of positioning a pre-fluted blank 14 including a stem 24 and a shank 22 within a machine 30, using a probe to identify a position and/or an orientation of at least one flute 26 of the pre-fluted blank 14 and/or the position and/or orientation of an orientation indicator 28 of the pre-fluted blank 14, and using the machine 30 to form a cutting end region 36 at the end of the stem 24 of the pre-fluted blank 14 remote from the shank 22, the flute 26 extending into the cutting end region 36, the machine 30 being controlled to ensure that the cutting end region 36 is correctly orientated relative to the flutes 26 of the pre-fluted blank 14.

Abstract: The invention provides a dental milling tool for milling dental materials in the making of dental prostheses. The dental milling tool is a ball-nose end mill having three helical flutes, each flute being associated with a cutting edge, each cutting edge having chip breakers along the curved edges of the ball. The dental milling tool may be formed from a hard material such as carbide based material, ceramic, cermet, superhard materials including polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN), and diamond composite. Alternatively, the dental milling tool may be coated with a hard coating such as diamond coating, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), nitride based coating such as titanium aluminium nitride (TiAIN), aluminium titanium nitride, (AITiN), and titanium nitride (TiN), and ceramic coating.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dental or medical tool the method comprising the steps of positioning a pre-fluted blank 14 including a stem 24 and a shank 22 within a machine 30, using a probe to identify a position and/or an orientation of at least one flute 26 of the pre-fluted blank 14 and/or the position and/or orientation of an orientation indicator 28 of the pre-fluted blank 14, and using the machine 30 to form a cutting end region 36 at the end of the stem 24 of the pre-fluted blank 14 remote from the shank 22, the flute 26 extending into the cutting end region 36, the machine 30 being controlled to ensure that the cutting end region 36 is correctly orientated relative to the flutes 26 of the pre-fluted blank 14.

Abstract: The invention provides a dental milling tool for milling dental materials in the making of dental prostheses. The dental milling tool is a ball-nose end mill having three helical flutes, each flute being associated with a cutting edge, each cutting edge having chip breakers along the curved edges of the ball. The dental milling tool may be formed from a hard material such as carbide based material, ceramic, cermet, superhard materials including polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN), and diamond composite. Alternatively, the dental milling tool may be coated with a hard coating such as diamond coating, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), nitride based coating such as titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN), aluminium titanium nitride, (AlTiN), and titanium nitride (TiN), and ceramic coating.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a dental prosthesis is described, comprising using a rotary milling or drilling tool (16) to mill or drill a block (12) of a sintered ceramic material. The use of a tool (16) to mill or drill material from a block (12) of a sintered ceramic material such as lithium silicate or lithium disilicate allows manufacture of a glass ceramic dental prosthesis in a relatively efficient manner.

Abstract: The invention provides a dental milling tool for milling dental materials in the making of dental prostheses. The dental milling tool is a ball-nose end mill having three helical flutes, each flute being associated with a cutting edge, each cutting edge having chip breakers along the curved edges of the ball. The dental milling tool may be formed from a hard material such as carbide based material, ceramic, cermet, superhard materials including polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN), and diamond composite. Alternatively, the dental milling tool may be coated with a hard coating such as diamond coating, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), nitride based coating such as titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN), aluminium titanium nitride, (AlTiN), and titanium nitride (TiN), and ceramic coating.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with twist drills for drilling of composite materials such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP). The present invention proposes that a twist drill (2) is provided with a variable helix having a defined start and finish helix angle, in combination with primary and secondary relief angles such that the drill (2) is adapted to minimise thrust force, particularly when used for drilling fibre-containing composite materials and especially for hand drilling. Start and finish helix angles of 50° and 10°; 50° and 30°; and 30° and 10° have been shown to provide excellent cutting performance and exit hole quality. A large secondary chisel edge angle (24) has also been found to contribute to excellent performance with composite materials, including stack machining.

Abstract: A twist drill for drilling composite materials includes a shank; a drill body; a drill tip having a cutting edge, a chisel edge, and a secondary chisel edge, wherein the secondary chisel angle of the drill tip is 145° to 165 and the point angle is 70° to 100°; and a flute extending from the drill tip to the drill body. The flute has a constant helix, and the helix angle of the flute being selected from the range 45° to 55°. A method of drilling a composite material comprising fibers uses the twist drill of the present embodiment. Suitably, the composite material is carbon fiber reinforced plastic or glass fiber reinforced plastic, and optionally being a laminate material such that the method comprises stack drilling. Embodiments achieve a combination of good hole quality, good tool life and good hole size spread.

Abstract: A twist drill for drilling composite materials includes a shank; a drill body; a drill tip having a cutting edge, a chisel edge, and a secondary chisel edge, wherein the secondary chisel angle of the drill tip is 145° to 165 and the point angle is 70° to 100°; and a flute extending from the drill tip to the drill body. The flute has a constant helix, and the helix angle of the flute being selected from the range 45° to 55°. A method of drilling a composite material comprising fibres uses the twist drill of the present embodiment. Suitably, the composite material is carbon fibre reinforced plastic or glass fibre reinforced plastic, and optionally being a laminate material such that the method comprises stack drilling. Embodiments achieve a combination of good hole quality, good tool life and good hole size spread.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with twist drills for drilling of composite materials such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP). The present invention proposes that a twist drill (2) is provided with a variable helix having a defined start and finish helix angle, in combination with primary and secondary relief angles such that the drill (2) is adapted to minimise thrust force, particularly when used for drilling fibre—containing composite materials and especially for hand drilling. Start and finish helix angles of 50° and 10°; 50° and 30°; and 30° and 10° have been shown to provide excellent cutting performance and exit hole quality. A large secondary chisel edge angle (24) has also been found to contribute to excellent performance with composite materials, including stack machining.