#Product Trends
vhf Presents Innovative 5-axis Milling Machine E5
vhf camfacture AG has launched a groundbreaking innovation for digital dental technology at the AEEDC in Dubai.
The E5 is a dry milling machine for discs which masters even complex indications with the highest precision thanks to its five axes. Despite its versatility, the E5 can be operated with EASE: It does not require any compressed air and is therefore very cost-effective and particularly sustainable. Equally innovative is the low machine weight of the E5. Both aspects reduce the requirements for the installation site, which is particularly helpful in a practice environment. Also in terms of serviceability and handling, the E5 stands out with EASE.
Thanks to vhf’s patent-pending AIRTOOL, the E5 is the first completely compressed air-free 5-axis milling machine on the market. This special tool generates an air flow with its turbine blades, which keeps the workpiece free of chips during milling. This not only gives users maximum freedom in choosing the installation site, but also saves them the cost of running a compressor.
The low weight of the E5 of only 43 kg was achieved by applying the finite element method, which originated in the aerospace industry. The vhf development engineers successfully optimized, for example, the cast body of the E5 so that maximum rigidity and low weight were achieved. Nevertheless, the E5 is built without compromise from high-quality industrial components. This ensures reliable operation at all times and ensures that almost all materials milled dry can be processed – from plastics to composites, and zirconia to CoCr sintered metals.
The ease of this machine shows in several ways: easy transport thanks to its low weight, an absolutely service-friendly design in which central components can be replaced by the user if needed, and maximum convenience in operation. This convenience of the E5 is evident both in hardware and software: On the one hand, the generously dimensioned working space, despite the compact machine footprint, enables convenient clamping of the workpiece and loading of the tool changer. On the other hand, users can benefit from the DENTALCAM CAM software that comes with the machine. DENTALCAM’s open interface features intuitive operating logic, fast and sophisticated machining strategies, and an extensive material library.
Lucas Kehl, Head of Product at vhf camfacture AG, explains the central idea in the design of the new machine: “Dental prostheses made easy. With the new vhf E5, the previous requirement for compressed air is history. Thanks to innovative technology, we enable compressed air-free and location-independent production of high-quality dental restorations and thus offer maximum freedom in the choice of the installation site while keeping operating costs low. Since the E5 with its open system architecture simplifies the entry into the digital production of dental restorations, it is suitable not only for dental labs, but also for practice labs, and actively supporting digitization in the practice environment. Plug & Mill is our motto: unpack, connect, and start milling.”
The world premiere of the E5 took place on February 7, 2023 at 9 a.m. CET at the AEEDC trade show in Dubai. At the same time, a microsite with lots of additional information went online at ease.vhf.com.
vhf will showcase the E5 also at the CDS Midwinter Meeting and LMT Labday in Chicago starting February 23 and at IDS in Cologne starting March 14.