IMAGO
Practical – Consistent - Precise
Zirconia - Machining without Compromise.

IMAGO is a system of tools for machining of zirconia and all-ceramic dentures in the dental laboratory.

IMAGO tools originally were developed for wet grinding of zirconia especially for all-ceramic primary crowns.

The protection of materials structure while grinding is the background of the technology. IMAGO is independent of the CAD/CAM system and the material used to manufacture the zirconia framework.
Modern dental materials like zirconia seem to be nearly indestructible but are very ambitious and damageable in treatment. The main problem is the heat which is brought in the material while grinding. This may lead to cracks or damages of the materials structure in general.

Modern CAD/CAM Systems use integrated cooling to protect material and tools. Nowadays dentures are made of a pre-sintered material which is first cut to the shape of the framework and then sintered under shrinkage of 20-25% of volume. The surface roughness of this shrinked crown or bridge frameworks is not smooth enough to be used as primary crowns or all-ceramic bars. For a long term function of such ceramical primary attachments the surface has to be perfect. No compromise should be made. Therefore the surface has to be smoothened by wet grinding with special diamond dental drills.

IMAGO bases on ideas of Christian Moss (MDT) who took over a concept from Dr. P. Weigl (University Frankfurt) to use primary cones made of ceramics connected with galvanic copings to achieve a passive fit of dentures on implants or natural teeth attached by adhesion.