A method for producing a ceramic honeycomb structure, the honeycomb structure includes: an outer peripheral wall; and partition walls disposed on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition walls defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells extending from one end face to the other end face to form a flow path, wherein the honeycomb structure includes at least one slit provided on a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the honeycomb structure, wherein the method includes the steps of: preparing a honeycomb structure element before forming the slit; and forming the slit by arranging a wire so as to pass from one end face to the other end face in the cell and then cutting the partition walls while moving the honeycomb structure element and/or the wire.

A method for producing a honeycomb structure 1 having a slit 12 includes: a first step of preparing a honeycomb structure 1 being free from slit, and forming the slit 12 leaving at least a part of the outer peripheral wall 10 or the partition wall 11; after the first step, a second step of filling the slit 12 with a joining material 13; and after the second step, a third step of removing at least a part of the outer peripheral wall 10 or the partition wall 11 left in the first step to obtain the honeycomb structure 1 having the slit 12 that divides the honeycomb structure 1.

A cutting device of cutting a soft honeycomb mold body in a cutting direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the honeycomb mold body. A cutting device has a wire, a tension supply part and a pair of ultrasonic generators. The wire has a contact part which is stretched and in contact with the honeycomb mold body when the honeycomb mold body is cut. The tension supply part supplies tensile to the contact part when the honeycomb mold body is cut. The pair of ultrasonic generators have respective vibrator terminals arranged in contact with the contact part of the wire. The ultrasonic generators generate ultrasonic vibration in the cutting direction and supply the generated ultrasonic vibration directly to the wire.

A cutting device of cutting a soft honeycomb mold body in a cutting direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the honeycomb mold body. A cutting device has a wire, a tension supply part and a pair of ultrasonic generators. The wire has a contact part which is stretched and in contact with the honeycomb mold body when the honeycomb mold body is cut. The tension supply part supplies tensile to the contact part when the honeycomb mold body is cut. The pair of ultrasonic generators have respective vibrator terminals arranged in contact with the contact part of the wire. The ultrasonic generators generate ultrasonic vibration in the cutting direction and supply the generated ultrasonic vibration directly to the wire.

A method for producing a ceramic molded body, the method including: a molding step of subjecting a ceramic molding material to extrusion molding using an extrusion molding machine equipped with a temperature control portion to provide a ceramic molded body; a cutting step of cutting the ceramic molded body to have a predetermined length; and a dimension measuring step of measure a dimension of the cut ceramic molded body. A relationship between a temperature of the temperature control portion and the dimension of the cut ceramic molded body is previously obtained, and based on the relationship, an appropriate temperature of the temperature control portion is calculated from the dimension of the ceramic molded body measured in the dimension measuring step, and the temperature control portion is controlled to the appropriate temperature in the molding step.

A method for producing a ceramic molded body, the method including: a molding step of subjecting a ceramic molding material to extrusion molding using an extrusion molding machine equipped with a temperature control portion to provide a ceramic molded body; a cutting step of cutting the ceramic molded body to have a predetermined length; and a dimension measuring step of measure a dimension of the cut ceramic molded body. A relationship between a temperature of the temperature control portion and the dimension of the cut ceramic molded body is previously obtained, and based on the relationship, an appropriate temperature of the temperature control portion is calculated from the dimension of the ceramic molded body measured in the dimension measuring step, and the temperature control portion is controlled to the appropriate temperature in the molding step.

The invention relates to a method (100) and to a corresponding system (1) for providing a dental prosthesis (10) made from ceramic material (2) having a colour matched to the patient comprising the following steps:—receiving (110) a desired nominal colour for the dental prosthesis (10), determining (120) a deviation between the nominal colour and actual colour of the sintered ceramic material (2) by the control unit (4) and defining (130) a temperature time cycle havoing a cycle time (TH), suitable for compensation of the deviation, for sintering at a defined sintering temperature (TS) and creating a corresponding sintering program (5) by the control unit (4); and—adjusting (140) the actual colour of the selected ceramic material (2) to the nominal colour (4) in the sintering furnace (3) by the sintering program (5) executed by the sintering furnace (3).

The invention relates to a method (100) and to a corresponding system (1) for providing a dental prosthesis (10) made from ceramic material (2) having a colour matched to the patient comprising the following steps:—receiving (110) a desired nominal colour for the dental prosthesis (10), determining (120) a deviation between the nominal colour and actual colour of the sintered ceramic material (2) by the control unit (4) and defining (130) a temperature time cycle havoing a cycle time (TH), suitable for compensation of the deviation, for sintering at a defined sintering temperature (TS) and creating a corresponding sintering program (5) by the control unit (4); and—adjusting (140) the actual colour of the selected ceramic material (2) to the nominal colour (4) in the sintering furnace (3) by the sintering program (5) executed by the sintering furnace (3).

Disclosed is a machinable dental bulk block that is a glass ceramic block including an amorphous glass matrix and crystalline phases introduced into the matrix. A major crystalline phase is lithium disilicate and minor crystalline phases are lithium phosphate and at least one of spodumene and virgilite. The dental block is made of a functionally gradient material in which the major crystalline phase exhibits a gradient of particle sizes in a depth direction of the dental block and which has no interface at a point where the gradient of particle sizes of the major crystalline phase changes. The dental bulk block is useful for production of a dental prosthesis (artificial tooth) similar to a natural tooth. The dental bulk block can reduce time and the number of processing steps to manufacture a dental prosthesis and provides improved structural stability through good force distribution obtained by functionally graded mechanical properties.

Disclosed is a machinable dental bulk block that is a glass ceramic block including an amorphous glass matrix and crystalline phases introduced into the matrix. A major crystalline phase is lithium disilicate and minor crystalline phases are lithium phosphate and at least one of spodumene and virgilite. The dental block is made of a functionally gradient material in which the major crystalline phase exhibits a gradient of particle sizes in a depth direction of the dental block and which has no interface at a point where the gradient of particle sizes of the major crystalline phase changes. The dental bulk block is useful for production of a dental prosthesis (artificial tooth) similar to a natural tooth. The dental bulk block can reduce time and the number of processing steps to manufacture a dental prosthesis and provides improved structural stability through good force distribution obtained by functionally graded mechanical properties.