Bending and torquing accuracy of the bending art system (BAS)

With the bending art system (BAS) the computerized production of individual arch wires has become possible. The BAS consists of an intraoral camera, a computer program and a bending machine producing the archwire by consecutive bending and twisting procedures. This study examines the accuracy of the bending machine when using 0.016" x 0.016" and 0.016" x 0.022" steel wire of rectangular cross-section. Bending angles ranging from 6 degrees to 54 degrees, and torsion angles ranging from 2 degrees to 35 degrees were tested; also the minimum distance between these individual operations was determined. The bent pieces of wire were analysed in a 3D-coordinate gauging system. The 0.016" x 0.016" steel wire showed a mean measuring error of 0.62 degree in bending procedures and of 0.72 degree in torsion procedures, whereas the 0.016" x 0.022" steel wire showed an error of 0.87 degree with edgewise bendings and of 0.86 degree with torsions. To ensure this accuracy a minimum distance of 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm, depending on which kind of bending combination is used, between bending and torsion is required. The error could be reduced even further if a more constant wire material and a more accurate calibration of the bending machine were used. All in all the precision of the bending machine meets the clinical requirements.