Rhondium Dental Matrix Band Applicator

Objective: As a Junior Mechanical Engineer in the Research and Development department, I was involved in a range of engineering projects. The most significant of these was the design and development of a replacement for the industry standard Tofflemeyer device, used in the crown restoration process. The replacement device works in conjunction with a “toggle” designed in parallel by other Rhondium engineers to apply a metal matrix band to the damaged tooth, as part of the crown restoration process.

Contribution: Working closely with an intern colleague, we were involved with this project from the very inception, working closely with company founder to develop a product for manufacture that suited all dentist’s requirements. We were allowed total creative freedom and encouraged to manage the project ourselves. We defined the scope of the project, and through a process of iterative prototyping, mainly with 3D printing technology, we developed two successful prototypes, ready for extensive testing and subsequent manufacture.

Skills:

• CAD (Solidworks)

• Conceptual design

• Engineering drawings

• Mechanism design and synthesis

• Additive manufacturing

• Injection molding

• Machining (lathe & mill)

• Hand tools

Takeaways: This work experience was immensely enjoyable, and incredibly valuable for me as a developing engineer. I was able to see and manage an industry project from inception; including defining requirements, conceptual design, manufacture, and testing and validation. Being exposed to the entire process in the context of a commercial environment – including management and business aspects – significantly broadened my skillset. I honed a great number of technical skills: extensive use of CAD (Solidworks), experience with high end 3-D printing and injection molding, and a range of machinery and hand tools. The experience gained with iterative design and manufacture has influenced my design philosophy to this day.