Clickalign’s Automated Production---Guarantee of Quality and Efficiency

AlphaAutomate————A highly advanced automated production line developed by Clickalign

In order to maximize the efficiency of aligner fabrication, Clickalign started the R&D of automated production lines in 2017, which now have been upgraded to Version 2 - AlphaAutomate. By the end of 2021, four fully automated production lines had been built and operated. Throughout the automated production process, each aligner goes through the following steps before being delivered to customers.

• 3D Printing

To manufacture the ideal aligners, the first step is to adopt 3D printing technology to create teeth molds based on the automatic nesting to make the full use of the 3D printing material.

• Thermoforming

After preparation of the orthodontic molds,, the second step is to apply pressure to thermoform Clickalign’s self-developed biomaterial, IPN film, onto the molds.

• Automated Recognition&Laser Marking

Recognize the gingival lines based on our database of various types of gums to make aligners look, feel, and fit better for patients, and laser-mark each aligner with essential information including patient’s name, ID, and aligner number.

• Automated Cutting

The fourth step is to use our robotic arms to cut out and trim aligners along the gingival line to make them fit the patients’ tooth shapes better, thus ensuring our patients with a more comfortable wearing experience.

• Sorting&Packaging

The last step is to sort aligners in an organized manner and package them into separate pouches.

Advantages

• Cutting-edge Technologies&Accuracy

AlphaAutomate, our latest version of automated production lines, integrates a number of world-class cutting-edge equipment including Swiss Staubli robot arms, Japanese Yaskawa robots, etc. Thus, the cutting accuracy can be controlled within 0.035mm.

• Improved Productivity

Based on big data analysis and directional development of the tooth characteristics of 100,000+ cases, which have been iterated several times, the automated productivity of AlphaAutomate can reach more than 98%. Furthermore, AlphaAutomate can provide automated production solutions for 50+ types of gums.

• Exclusive Customization

After the automatic thermoforming, robotic arms will assist in trimming the aligners on the basis of each patient’s unique tooth shapes so that each patient will receive their precisely customized aligners.

• Guaranteed Security

Each aligner goes through a strict disinfection process before leaving the factory and has its own traceable source code to ensure the traceability of quality and safety.

In conclusion, AlphaAutomate enables us to achieve the standardization and automation of the whole production process with the support of a number of state-of-the-art equipment and technologies. While the stability and quality of aligner fabrication is guaranteed, the production efficiency has also been increased by three times compared to manual mode - the manufacturing lead-time can be reduced to as short as 3 working days. A “dark factory” built by the self-developed full-process automatic processing system guarantees the production of 3,000,000+ aligners per year!In addition, it also realizes a significant reduction in costs.