This guide sets out what is typically outsourced, how to evaluate a specialist partner and how to start the relationship.

Key Points

• Dental laboratory outsourcing means sending specialist work to an external laboratory for production.
• Chrome cobalt framework production and SLM metal printing are the most commonly outsourced services.
• When evaluating a partner, focus on material quality, fit guarantee and turnaround rather than price alone.
• A trial case is the most effective way to assess a new outsourcing partner.
• Simcast offers the first chrome cobalt framework case at half price for new laboratory clients.

What Is Dental Laboratory Outsourcing?

Outsourcing in a dental laboratory context means sending specific types of work to an external specialist for production rather than completing it in-house.

This is used by dental practices with in-house laboratory facilities and by independent dental laboratories that need access to specialist capability or additional capacity.

What Is Typically Outsourced?

The most commonly outsourced work falls into two categories: technically demanding work requiring specialist equipment or skills, and volume work where the cost from a specialist producer is lower than the equivalent in-house cost.

Chrome cobalt framework production

Cobalt chrome partial frameworks are among the most commonly outsourced dental products. Framework production requires investment in materials, equipment and technician training.

For laboratories producing a relatively low volume of framework cases, maintaining all of this in-house is difficult to justify. Outsourcing to a specialist laboratory allows a smaller practice or laboratory to offer high-quality cobalt chrome frameworks without the overhead.

SLM metal printing

SLM printing requires capital investment in printing equipment and powder handling infrastructure. Few independent dental laboratories have this in-house.

Outsourcing SLM work to a specialist laboratory allows practices and laboratories to offer digitally produced frameworks to their clients without the capital expenditure.

How to Evaluate a Partner

Choosing an outsourcing partner should be based on demonstrated quality, clear processes and reliable communication. Price is relevant but should not be the primary consideration.

Questions to ask

• What materials do you use? Request specification sheets for alloys and investments used in framework production.
• What is your fit guarantee? A credible framework laboratory should guarantee fit on your model.
• What is your turnaround time? The answer should be specific.
• What is your case submission process? It should be clear and straightforward.
• Can I submit a trial case? A laboratory confident in its work will welcome one.

Getting started

Start with a single trial case. Assess the result against your expectations for fit, finish and turnaround. If satisfactory, establish a regular submission process.

Understand the submission requirements of your chosen laboratory before sending the first case to avoid avoidable delays.

Common Concerns

Quality consistency

A specialist framework laboratory that produces a high volume of one type of work develops consistent processes that are difficult to replicate in a general laboratory at low volumes. Look for a long trading history, a clear quality guarantee and willingness to provide a trial case.

Communication

Clear communication between the practice or laboratory and the outsourcing partner reduces the risk of errors. A clear prescription format, a reliable confirmation process and a straightforward query process are all markers of a well-run outsourcing relationship.

Working With Simcast

Simcast has been operating as a specialist outsourcing partner for dental laboratories and practices for over 50 years. We offer chrome cobalt framework production, SLM metal printing and digital dental manufacturing.

First chrome framework cases are offered at half price. A freepost label and downloadable lab sheet are available from the website to simplify submission.

Discuss a laboratory partnership with Simcast

The post A Guide to Dental Laboratory Outsourcing first appeared on Simcast Dental Laboratories.

In dentistry, it is used to produce cobalt chrome partial denture frameworks, crown and bridge substructures and implant components with accurate fit that is difficult to achieve reliably through conventional casting.

Key Points

• SLM metal printing is a manufacturing process that builds metal frameworks layer by layer using a laser.
• The process eliminates wax pattern production and casting, reducing dimensional variables.
• SLM-printed cobalt chrome frameworks are fully dense with no porosity and consistent accuracy.
• Digital files are retained so any framework can be reprinted without a new impression.
• Simcast offers SLM metal printing as a standard service for laboratories and practices submitting digital cases.

How the Process Works

A digital design file is sliced into thin cross-sectional layers. A fine layer of cobalt chrome powder is spread across the build platform and a laser fuses the powder in the pattern of the first layer.

The platform lowers by one layer thickness, new powder is spread and the process repeats until the full component is built. The part is then removed, support structures are taken off and the component is finished by hand.

SLM vs casting

Traditional casting requires a physical wax pattern, investment material, a burnout cycle and molten metal injection. Each stage introduces potential dimensional error: investment shrinkage, gas entrapment porosity and alloy shrinkage during solidification.

SLM bypasses all of these stages. The digital file defines the geometry and the laser builds it precisely, producing a fully dense part with no porosity.

SLM vs polymer 3D printing

SLM is distinguished from polymer printing processes such as FDM by the use of metal powder and a high-power laser. Unlike selective laser sintering (SLS), SLM fully melts the powder rather than fusing it at particle boundaries, producing a denser, stronger component.

Applications in Dentistry

SLM is used principally in dental manufacturing to produce cobalt chrome removable partial denture frameworks. It is also used for crown and bridge metal substructures, implant bars and bars for overdentures, orthodontic appliances and custom implant abutments when titanium SLM powder is used.

Cobalt chrome framework production

SLM-printed cobalt chrome frameworks offer several practical advantages over cast equivalents. Complex designs with thin connectors, multiple rests and precision attachments are produced with the same accuracy as simpler cases.

The same framework can be reprinted from the original digital file if a replacement is needed, without a new impression. Learn more about our chrome cobalt frameworks.

Clinical Advantages

For the prescribing dentist, SLM-printed frameworks arrive ready to fit with consistent accuracy across cases. A framework that seats correctly first time, with clasps that engage the survey line without adjustment, saves chair time and simplifies the fitting appointment.

SLM Metal Printing at Simcast

Simcast produces SLM-printed cobalt chrome RPD frameworks, crown and bridge substructures and orthodontic metal work from digital files as a standard service. Submit a case via the Send Files page. See our SLM direct metal printing service page for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is SLM printing more expensive than casting? No, in many cases SLM can present better value. Contact us for a quote.
• How accurate is SLM printing? SLM holds tolerances that are at least equivalent to, and in many cases superior to, precision casting.
• What metals can be printed? Cobalt chrome is the primary dental SLM material. Titanium is used for implant applications.
• Can SLM frameworks be adjusted chairside? Minor clasp adjustments can be made in the same way as for cast frameworks.

Find out about SLM printing at Simcast

The post What Is SLM Metal Printing in Dentistry? first appeared on Simcast Dental Laboratories.

Key Points

• A cobalt chrome framework is the metal structure used to support replacement teeth in many removable partial dentures.
• The alloy combines high strength with low mass, allowing thin, rigid connectors not practical in acrylic.
• Frameworks are produced by lost-wax casting or by SLM direct metal printing from a digital file.
• Chrome cobalt is biocompatible, corrosion-resistant and dimensionally stable over long-term intraoral use.
• Simcast has produced cobalt chrome frameworks for over 50 years using fully compliant dental alloy.

What Is a Cobalt Chrome Dental Framework?

Chrome cobalt, also called cobalt chromium or CoCr, is a dental alloy made mainly from cobalt, chromium and molybdenum.

It is widely used to produce removable partial denture frameworks because it combines high strength with low weight and excellent corrosion resistance in the oral environment.

The alloy is widely used in dentistry because it combines strength, low weight and corrosion resistance in the oral environment.

Chromium forms a protective oxide layer that prevents corrosion, while molybdenum contributes to the alloy’s strength and durability. Together these properties allow cobalt chrome frameworks to be thin, rigid and comfortable for patients while remaining stable under functional load.

Alloy composition

Dental cobalt chrome alloys used in removable partial denture frameworks are typically composed of approximately 60% to 65% cobalt, 25% to 30% chromium and 4% to 6% molybdenum. Small quantities of elements such as silicon and carbon are also present to support casting behaviour and mechanical performance.

This alloy combination produces a material that is strong, rigid and highly resistant to corrosion in the oral environment. These properties allow dental frameworks to be manufactured with thin sections while maintaining stability during normal function.

Mechanical properties

Cobalt chrome has a high modulus of elasticity, making it very stiff compared to gold alloys and considerably stiffer than acrylic. This stiffness allows framework connectors to be thin without flexing under load.

Cobalt chrome clasps, when correctly designed and processed, deflect elastically as they pass over the survey line and return to their original position without permanent deformation.

How Chrome Cobalt Frameworks Are Made

Cobalt chrome frameworks for removable partial dentures are produced by one of two methods: lost-wax casting or SLM direct metal printing from a digital file.

Lost-wax casting

A wax pattern of the framework is built on a refractory model by duplicating the master model in refractory investment material. The pattern is invested, wax is burned out and cobalt chrome is cast into the space.

The accurate fit of the finished framework depends on controlled investment expansion to compensate for metal shrinkage during solidification.

SLM-printed frameworks

SLM printing produces the framework directly from a CAD design file without a wax pattern or casting stage. The digital impression is used to design the framework in CAD software. The design is built layer by layer in the SLM printer from cobalt chrome powder, then post-processed and finished.

SLM eliminates the dimensional variables of casting and produces consistently accurate frameworks across cases. Learn more on our SLM metal printing page.

Clinical Applications

Cobalt chrome is used principally in removable partial denture construction, where rigidity, low mass and biocompatibility make it the material of choice for most partial denture prescriptions.

Advantages for partial dentures

A chrome framework can be designed with thinner major connectors than an acrylic design, reducing palatal coverage and improving comfort. Clasps are more precisely positioned, improving retention without obstructing adjacent teeth.

The framework is rigid, distributing occlusal load across the support teeth without flexing during function as a full acrylic denture can.

When cobalt chrome is the right choice

Chrome cobalt is appropriate when the prescription requires rigid connectors across a wide span, precision rests or attachments, minimal soft tissue coverage, or when the patient has experienced repeated fracture of acrylic dentures.

Acrylic remains appropriate for temporary dentures, immediate dentures and cases where the prosthetic will need frequent modification during a healing phase.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long does a cobalt chrome framework last? A well-fitting chrome framework can last many years. The metalwork itself does not wear, though the acrylic and teeth will require maintenance over time.
• Can a cobalt chrome dental framework be repaired? The metalwork cannot be repaired in the same way as acrylic, but additions to saddles and tooth replacements can be carried out at the laboratory.
• Is cobalt chrome safe? Yes. Cobalt chrome alloys used in dentistry are biocompatible and have been used safely in dental and orthopaedic applications for decades.
• What is the difference between cobalt chrome and stainless steel? Cobalt chrome has superior corrosion resistance and strength, and is lighter, making it preferable for dental framework applications.

Order chrome cobalt frameworks from Simcast

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