Automatic Dental Bur Loader

1. NCDA Dental Products Development Group Automatic Dental Bur Loader Progress Review Team 99.06: Jason Dickey, Greg Frantz, Allison Martin, Nancy Meyer Sponsor: Bill Lydick, Dentsply/Caulk Advisor: Dr. Jim Glancey 27 October 1998

2. Mission & Approach Mission: To develop a cost effective dental bur automatic loading and unloading device, while fulfilling as many of the customer and team wants as possible, within the specified time and budget constraints. Approach: Using the SSD process, we will determine our customers, their wants and constraints, associated metrics, and benchmarks, which will lead into the conceptual design and prototyping of the automatic dental bur loader.

3. Project Description & Background • Automate Unload / Load Cycle of Bur Grinder • Currently 3 Operators Per Shift to Manually Unload / Load 27 Grinders • Looking to Reduce Labor Costs Through Complete Automation of Grinders • Estimate Only One Operator Per Shift Will be Required for Automated Process • Economical if Firm Budget is Maintained

4. Bur Magazine Next Bur Finished Bur Basket New Bur Release Actuator Angular Positioning Actuator Positioning Arm Linear Positioning Actuator Current Grinder Arm Ground Bur Bur Release Actuator Steady Rest Actuator Concept #1 - Front Loading

5. “Pinch Point” New Head Unit Feed Tube Chain Drive Concept #2 - Rear Loading

6. Customers

7. Top Ten Customer Wants, 1-5 • Minimize Final Per Unit Cost of Upgrading to Automatic Loaders • Consistency of Automated Bur Unloading / Loading Operation • Decrease Bur Unloading / Loading Cycle Time • Minimize Unscheduled Down Time • Easy to Diagnose and Repair Problems

8. Top Ten Customer Wants, 6-10 • Simplicity of Automated Grinder Operation for Operator • Complete Required Documentation • Comply with Regulations • Reduce Bur Production Cost • Match Dentsply / Caulk Engineering Philosophy

9. Project Constraints • Must Be Under Budget • Remain Within Footprint of Machine • Quality of Burs Produced Must Not Decrease • Cycle Time Must Not Increase • Must Have Safety Interlock • Must Perform Design & Equipment Validation • Voltage and Air Pressure Requirements

10. Metrics & Target Values

11. System Benchmarks • Current Manual Loading Process • Yamaha Automatic Loader • Machine Centers

12. Initial Bur Sorting Vibratory Sorters Gun Magazines Tube Loading x-y Indexed Tray Controls PLCs LabVIEW Cams Unloading / Loading Robotic Arms Pneumatic Grippers & Actuators Magnetic “Grips” Vacuum “Grips” Mechanical Pencils Final Bur Storage Baskets x-y Indexed Tray Functional Benchmarks

13. Front Loading Adapts more readily to off the shelf components Easier to diagnose problems No redesign of head unit Rear Loading Simpler design Inherent alignment with 2 of the 3 degrees of freedom More likely to load consistently Concept Comparison

14. Division of Labor • Schedule (MS Project) - Jason • Liaison, Presentation Slides - Greg • Benchmarking - Nancy • Spread Sheet Design - Allison • All other aspects such as customer, want, constraint, and metric determination was completed equally as a group.

15. Schedule to Date

16. Detailed November Schedule

17. Schedule of Future Events • Submit prototype to Caulk for review in mid December • Begin ordering and making parts in early January • Begin building prototype early in February • Continue testing and improving prototype through March • Work on finalizing documentation in April

18. Preliminary Prototype Budget