Zirkon Customs, a German dental lab led by master dental technician Christopher Jehle, was hitting a ceiling. The lab specializes in implant work, producing complex surgical guides, dental models, and soft-tissue gingival masks requiring accuracy, reliability, and close attention to detail.
The team was running seven desktop 3D printers daily but the setup demanded up to six hours of hands-on operator time each day, produced roughly 20% scrap, and still couldn't keep pace with growing demand.
Rather than trying to hire more technicians in a tight labor market, Jehle turned to multi-material dental 3D printing and digital dental lab automation, consolidating production onto a single Stratasys J5 DentaJet with automated GrabCAD Print workflows. Today, Zirkon Customs runs 50% more production capacity on one hour of daily labor, with near-zero scrap and a full year without a single failed print.
Before adopting the Stratasys J5 DentaJet, Zirkon Customs relied on several single-material DLP/SLA printers. This workflow required approximately six hours of labor per day for around 30 jobs and resulted in frequent misprints and roughly 20% scrap. Technicians spent significant time on cleaning, post-curing, and manual finishing tasks instead of focusing on higher-value work such as design and implant planning.
As Jehle explains, “we needed seven different desktop printers to manage production. Those systems required a lot of maintenance and were very labor-intensive.”
Zirkon Customs worked with CINTEG, its local Stratasys partner, to rebuild the workflow around three core components: the Stratasys J5 DentaJet, GrabCAD Print software, and the AM Solutions C1 automated post-processing system. The three systems now run as one production line, replacing the old fragmented setup with a cleaner, more predictable model for digital dental lab automation.
“We chose this system because it can print five different materials in one job, enabling us to produce different applications at the same time on the same tray: complex surgical guides, all kinds of dental models, and soft-tissue gingival masks,” says Jehle. “The parts come out ready to go every time, only the support material needs to be removed.”
Clinicians now see faster turnaround, and the lab's day is built around planning and design work rather than running printers.
Zirkon Customs now runs prints overnight, unattended. By the morning, builds are complete and ready for processing, allowing technicians to spend their time on design and planning rather than managing production.
“The workflow has been reduced to a simple, streamlined post-processing step. Now we basically only need to clean the parts. Before, we had to wash, dry, cure, hand-finish them, and clean the printers. That’s all gone.”
“The workflow has been reduced to a simple, streamlined post-processing step. Now we basically only need to clean the parts. Before, we had to wash, dry, cure, hand-finish them, and clean the printers. That’s all gone.”
The AM Solutions C1 system implemented by CINTEG removes support material from all parts in approximately one hour, without the need for manual finishing or secondary curing.
"With the J5 DentaJet I reduced the workload from 6 hours to 1 hour, and the models are more accurate than ever," explains Jehle.
The efficiency gains are substantial. The lab reduced manual production work from approximately six hours per day to about one hour, representing an 80% time saving.
“We save about three hours per person, every day.” This time gain translates directly into increased productivity and improved service levels. Faster turnaround times allow the lab to respond more quickly to clinicians while maintaining high standards of accuracy.
“In total, we increased our production capacity by around 50% without increasing effort.”
With multi-material dental 3D printing, the lab now produces approximately 20 gingival masks, 16 models, and 10 surgical guides in one print every night. As Jehle puts it, “It’s like we gained an additional employee.”
This level of accuracy is enabled by the PolyJet technology, where parts are supported by gel-like material during printing, ensuring dimensional stability and smooth surface quality once the support is removed. Better fit and repeatability translate directly into fewer chairside adjustments, more predictable clinical outcomes, and greater confidence for both clinicians and patients.
"After they received our new items for a while and then occasionally received something from the old printer, they were no longer satisfied with the old items. The difference with Stratasys and its accuracy is so significant that it is noticeable in all areas, in the lab and when used by the dentist," Jehle remarks.
“One of the best experiences for me was running for a full year without a single failed print, and no remakes,” exclaims Jehle.
Scrap dropped from roughly 20% to effectively zero, giving the lab a level of production consistency it couldn't achieve with its previous setup. For a lab handling around 30 jobs a day, near-zero remakes means predictable delivery timelines, no lost material cost, and no last-minute reprints disrupting the schedule.
The new workflow has also improved the daily experience for Zirkon Customs’ team. “I have never had such satisfied and relaxed employees. My technicians can now focus on their high-quality work instead of dealing with the problems of traditional DLP and SLA printers.”
By reducing manual effort and simplifying processes, the lab can dedicate more time to complex cases, maintain consistent turnaround times, and provide a higher level of service to clinicians.
For Zirkon Customs, multi-material dental 3D printing has become a strategic advantage as much as an efficiency gain. Consolidating multiple applications into a single automated workflow gave the lab meaningful improvements in accuracy, reliability, and throughput at the same time, and built the kind of scalable operation that a growing digital dental market rewards.
Consistent, high-quality output with faster turnaround has strengthened the lab's position with existing clinicians and opened new commercial opportunities. Zirkon Customs is now exploring expansion into training and educational models for universities and clinical programs, applications the previous single-material setup couldn't have supported. For an implant-focused business operating at this level of digital dental lab automation and accuracy, the workflow is what makes the next stage of growth possible.
