Analysis and Experimentation of the Robotic System for Archwire Bending

Abstract

Archwire bending is one of the key components in orthodontic treatment. However, it is a very difficult work due to the high stiffness and superelasticity of orthodontic wire. The traditional way of acquiring the formed archwire curve is based on manual operation, which will randomly bring numerous errors caused by human factors. This paper proposes a novel robotic system to bend archwire into desired configuration. Structure and elements of robotic system for archwire bending was studied. Coordinate systems of robotic system were built up. Control points of end effector and control angle of each control point were planned. Preliminary orthodontic wire bending experimentation has been done using the robotic system. The experimental results verified the feasibility of the manufacture strategy of formed orthodontic wire fulfilled by robotic system for orthodontic wire bending.