Basic study of fabricating dental prosthesis with laser engineered net shaping (LENS) method——The microstructure of LENS components made from Rene95 alloy / 实用口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

objective: To study the effects of laser engineered net shaping(LENS) in the manufacture of dental prosthesis. Methods: An experiment LENS system, including a 5 kW continuous wave CO 2 laser, a four-axes numerical control working table and powder feeding system, was built up, by which, a rectangular LENS component was made from Rene95 alloy powder. The microstructure of the component was observed with scanning electron microscope and ESA analysis. Results: The size of the component was 120 mm?15 mm?15 mm , and the wall of the component was perpendicular to the base. The microstructure of the component was made up of fine columnar dendrite with the length of 10～20 ?m, 10 times less than that of the cast made from the same material. The main elements of the powder distributed homogeneously,the negative effect of segregation could be limited and the properties of the component could be improved.Conclusion: The microstructure of components made by LENS is much better than that of those made by casting from the same material.