Artimax Articulators

We have been using the Artimax clear wall less quadrant articulators for over 3+ years. I can personally say as a model and die technician these things are amazing! They are fast, easy, and less messy than the pin and base method. From the standpoint of a lab owner looking to reduce waste, remakes, and increase labor efficiency these are an amazing tool.

We have not adopted the full arch version of the Artimax articulators. Our lab still uses the traditional pin and base method for our full arch cases… please note our experience is limited only to the quadrant version.

Quadrant Efficiency -

According to the March Dental Lab Products Magazine’s “Competative Edge” article by Chuck Yenkner labor costs account for 45-60% of Laboratory revenues. By utilizing the Artimax articulators on our quadrant impression cases we have greatly reduced the amount of labor expended in this department. The initial pouring of the quadrant impression becomes a critical time saver. Regardless of whether you are using the traditional pin and base approach or the Artimax articulators, pouring the model is required. By using Artimax our model and die technician can easily process a batch of 5 quadrant impressions in roughly the same amount as the traditional approach.

We found that working with batches of 5 quadrants at a time is the most efficient and practical. Pouring 5 impressions allows plenty of working time with our die stone. Further, time is saved by eliminating model grinding, pin and basing, and hand articulating models.

8/10 times the the bites are accurate and require no adjustments. The remaining 2/10 cases can easily be adjusted  using a heat gun and manually setting the bites. I would consider this the only and main disadvantage of using Artimax. Another money saver achieved with Artimax is material and waste reduction. We have drastically reduced the amount of “base stone” we use by eliminating the need to base quadrant models. Our lab is located in Alaska, where shipping costs can be a killer. Smaller stone orders have translated into reduced shipping costs and more working capital.

Nothing is more irritating on a busy day in the model and die department than a rush case! However, this is no longer a major concern for our technicians working with a quadrant rush case. We can knock out a single rush case and get it through the “system” in a matter of minutes.

Overall, the Artimax quadrant articulators are a wonderful additon to our model and die department and I truly believe they have saved us money. We initially had to overcome a small learning curve, but once all the kinks were worked out, they proved to work… hands down.

For more information please visit the Artimax Website or contact Chris with B&D Dental:

Chris @ B&D Dental – 1-800-255-2839
Artimax USA