title: The effect of the angle of acuteness of additive manufactured models and the direction of printing on the dimensional fidelity: clinical implications.
abstract: The influence of the acuteness of the model angle and the direction of printing was investigated on different three-dimensional (3D) printers to understand the fidelity of 3D printing. A Polyjet printer and two fused deposition modeling printers were used in the present study. Computer-aided design (CAD) models were designed in the form of a triangular prism with a height of 15 mm and with varying angles of 60°, 45°, 30°, 20°, 10°, and 5°. From the CAD designs, additive manufacturing (AM) models were printed in three different directions by each of the three printers. To investigate the global fidelity of the 3D printers, the height and surface outlines of the AM model cross sections were measured. The fidelity of the AM models with increasingly acute angles was not accurately reproduced when 3D printed, and the surface outlines of the AM model cross sections were different in each direction of printing for each device. Printing technology and printing direction need to be considered if accurate reproduction of acute angles in fine AM structures in medical models is a necessity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Regenerative Dentistry, The Nippon Dental University School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, 1-9-20 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8159, Japan. ideaki@tky.ndu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM), Alberta Health Services/Covenant Health/University of Alberta, 1W-02, 16940-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5R 4H5, Canada.|Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1E4 WMC, 8440-112 Street, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nayar
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM), Alberta Health Services/Covenant Health/University of Alberta, 1W-02, 16940-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5R 4H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM), Alberta Health Services/Covenant Health/University of Alberta, 1W-02, 16940-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5R 4H5, Canada.
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM), Alberta Health Services/Covenant Health/University of Alberta, 1W-02, 16940-87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5R 4H5, Canada.|Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1E4 WMC, 8440-112 Street, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfaardt
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
keywords: 3D printer; 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Fidelity; Rapid prototyping