Andreas Frank
Master Dental Technician
Germany
I thought there was no second chance for the first impression and I was proven otherwise. This was because my first skeptical impression was concerned with the compactness of the unit: such a small unit is intended to be adequate for a medium-sized CAM unit? My second impression was concerned with the operating noise, which is hardly perceptible; the extraction is remarkably quiet. The new SILENT compactCAM system, which our dental laboratory received from Renfert for testing even before the market launch, was tested thoroughly by us and with all five senses. One thing should be made clear at the outset: The extractor has passed the “senses test” and it meets all three name components: silent, compact and CAM suitable.
Laboratory of Andreas Frank
What does a dental laboratory require of its units for them to be successful in the daily routine? In the first instance, they must function, be maintenance-free, not be noticeably big and make the working processes easier. This also applies of course for an extraction system. With the SILENT compactCAM Renfert has extended its successful range of SILENT extractors by a new unit directly for CAM systems – with the aim of providing small and medium-sized laboratories and dentists, who operate a CAM benchtop system that dry mills relatively soft materials such as porous pre-sintered ceramics and resins, with a compact, high-performance unit for extracting the fine dust that arises. First, a few words about the SILENT suction turbine and the newly developed SPS interface.
Motor technology: durable and process reliable
The unit is equipped with an easily exchangeable collector motor, which in comparison with competitors’ models that have collector motors has a considerably higher service life (>800 operating
hours). The transformer control, which was specially developed by Renfert, is responsible for the resulting higher processing reliability.
SPS interface: automatic extraction control
The SILENT compactCAM has a special SPS interface, which enables bidirectional communication with a CAM unit. Up to now the extraction could only be switched on an off by the CAM system (24 V command signal). For the first time the new unit can also process messages and initiate appropriate measures – for example switching on and off, activation of the self-cleaning of the ultra-fine filter, query the functional status of the extractor, etc. We have had the SILENT compactCAM extractor in our laboratory since the middle of September 2014. It has been used daily and tested by myself and my partner, Master Dental Technician Bodo Bittner. The impressions of our fives senses about the new unit are the following.
SILENT compactCAM - modern and high-quality design
Visual appearance: modern and high-quality design
The eye is the most important sense organ of humans. It is always said: A feast for the eyes! It is beneficial if a dish of food not only tastes good but also looks good. This also naturally applies for the working material in a laboratory. Thus a good extraction system should not only leave a dust-free workplace but also a good visual impression – this is the case with the SILENT compactCAM unit. It has an attractively packaged housing made from a special plastic, which lends the extractor a high-quality and modern appearance. In our laboratory we positioned the compact unit in a cupboard directly under the CAM unit, where it made a good visual impression.
Worth listening to: a genuinely quiet machine for the ears
Renfert SILENT extractors really do operate extremely quietly – this is also the case for the new unit. Despite the use of plastic as the housing material the company has successfully kept the noise emission to a very low level. Unpleasant frequencies for the ear have been very successfully reduced by sound insulation and damping measures with the help of pyschoacousticians, who deal scientifically with auditory perception.
A good nose: reliably free of dust, optimally protected
Powerful, reliable extraction of all the fine dust in a laboratory means reliable health protection for dental technicians and consequently also a dust-free nose. With a filtration efficiency of 99.9% the SILENT compactCAM provides optimum protection against hazardous dusts. For the conceived CAM application – we processed materials such as zirconium dioxide, PEEK, PMMA and wax – it had an optimum suction efficiency comparable to that of much bigger extractors. It is therefore completely adequate for all applications that arise in our laboratory.
Hard to believe: easy and uncomplicated
Dental technology still remains a handicraft. We trim, drill and base, build-up porcelain, apply die spacer and prepare every day. And we are pleased if our hands do not have to be involved in maintenance of the units or we don’t lose any valuable time on a complicated case. Absolutely no tactile sensation impressions can really be used to describe the SILENT compactCAM because the unit neither requires attention nor a great deal of servicing. The system runs unnoticed in the background and untouched by us in the cupboard. The suction also operates without a bag; this means we don’t have to change any dust bags anymore. We only have to empty the dust container occasionally, which is done easily and quickly. The automatic cleaning of the fine filter as required is also an advantage both from an economic and handling point of view. In brief: The suction system is so independent and uncomplicated to use that we hardly have to touch it.
Good taste: a treat for the laboratory
The new extraction system cannot be tasted but it was completely to our taste. It enables extraction of the CAM unit in line with the SILENT concept “stronger, cleaner, quieter”. The fact that it functions automatically and we no longer have to operate it at all makes our daily routine in the laboratory easier and saves us time. It operates simply reliably, silently and with powerful suction – in brief: a real pleasure for all the senses!
Something that was also to our taste from a dental technology point of view: In addition to the SILENT compactCAM, there is also another new small unit for connecting to a single dental laboratory workstation. The model is called SILENTcompact and it has an intelligent automatic switch-on, for handpieces for example. While the unit we tested has a fixed, defined suction power level the other unit has the choice of two suction levels. This new process-optimized workstation extraction also makes complete sense (in order to be included in this test report)!”