Roland Introduces New Advanced Wet Mill to its DWX Lineup

Roland DGA Corporation has always prided itself on listening and responding to customers. So when it came time to expand on its popular line of milling machines, the company thoroughly researched the needs of its dental laboratory customers.

The result was the new Roland DWX-4W wet mill, which is being promoted as part of a multiple-device solution along with its DWX dry mills.

A recent trend has been the proliferation of mills with both wet and dry capabilities. However, Roland discovered through surveys, interviews, and laboratory visits that oftentimes laboratories were not getting the desired results from the new wet/dry mills.

“We have found that people buy the combination wet/dry machines but end up utilizing the dual functions only once,” says Brian Brooks, Product Manager for Roland. “They realize it is a hassle and that there is a risk of damaging the machine or its parts if the switch is not performed properly. So they end up using the wet/dry machine as wet-only or dry-only, and they buy a second machine.”

Since Roland already offers the DWX-4 and DWX-50 dry mills in its current product line, the company decided to develop a wet mill that would be the perfect complement.

The DWX-4W has been more than two years in the making. Brooks says the interface looks exactly like that of the DWX-4 and DWX-50, and the CAM software will also look familiar to Roland customers.

“We consider this an add-on to our dry machines. We really make everything user-friendly,” Brooks says, adding that it actually should be even easier to use than Roland’s dry mills because there is no vacuum system required. “I pulled the DWX-4W out of the box the first time I received it from our factory, with no instructions, and I had it set up and running within approximately 45 minutes.

In the event that a laboratory needs help, however, customer support is one of Roland’s points of emphasis.

“There isn’t a lot of maintenance required with our products, and we document everything extremely well to make things as easy as possible for our users,” Brooks says. “When you buy a Roland mill, not only do you get a high-quality, reliable product, you also get unparalleled customer service and support, including continuous user education and training.”

The DWX-4W is expected to hit the market later this year, and Brooks says he is excited to start getting feedback from laboratories that use it.

“It’s like skipping Christmas for a couple years and now we’re waiting for Christmas Day,” he says. “This is what I live for as a product manager. Introducing new and exciting products is really the main part of your job. As a company releasing our first wet machine, it really strengthens our position as a key player in the market. Hopefully it enhances our reputation as a company that acts based on what customers need, rather than a company trying to drive the market itself.”