There are two kinds of companies that make dental equipment: those who get standardized parts from suppliers and assemble them into products according to a specific design or blueprint, and those who design and manufacture their own parts from raw materials and assemble them in-house. But does all of that casting, molding, painting, cutting and coating actually matter? At A-dec, we think the fact that we aren’t just an assembler makes all the difference in the world. Here’s why it matters to you.
A-dec can ensure lasting quality and reliable performance.
Many dental companies simply assemble their products from ready-made parts. One of the things that sets A-dec apart is that we’re an equipment manufacturer—not just an assembler. We manufacture the majority of the parts and components that go into our dental solutions. This includes everything from tubing to dental chair cylinders. As a vertically integrated manufacturer, we control the manufacturing process for parts we produce. This starts with sourcing the raw materials, all the way through completing the finished product. This allows us to do three things:
- Maintain consistent quality.
- Produce reliable products you can count on.
- Offer an unprecedented customer support for decades after purchase.
Unlike assemblers, this also gives A-dec more control over materials and helps maintain stability in times of changing external factors, which can lead to price instability in the market.
A-dec has designed, engineered, built, and tested our products on our own Oregon-based campus since 1964. Through these years we’ve built a rock-solid reputation for reliability. Our focus is on quality at every step and adhering to the adage that no detail is ever too small.
Every part – made for dental.
A-dec designs expressly for dental. That means we’re efficiently creating the equipment for the comfort, predictability, intuitiveness and flow of the dental team. They’re made from durable, sustainable materials that can endure the harsh operatory environment.
It all starts with our in-house product development team.
A-dec designers and engineers are tasked with identifying the needs of every member of the dental team and creating innovative solutions to meet the challenges of the clinical environment. We design everything from 150-pound baseplates down to the tiniest check valve stems, leveraging our own machine shops to ensure they are manufactured to plan.
If a part isn’t up to our standards, we make a better part.
A-dec founders Ken and Joan Austin believed that the consistent pursuit of making the best better inevitably leads to innovation. Take our chair cylinders for example. Initially, we purchased them from a supplier; until we learned they sometimes leaked fluid on the piston rod and then onto the doctors’ floors. Clearly unacceptable, we began making our own cylinders when we were unable to find a supplier to meet our specifications. We went back to every chair in the field and replaced the old cylinder with our updated design.
Another example is A-dec’s delivery system control block. Now at the heart of every A-dec delivery system, this precisely machined one-piece block configuration reduced the number of parts and added a channel system that flushes the entire block whenever water is used, preventing stagnant water from residing in the block. Even when using the syringe, the block is flushed.
No part is too small to consider.
Even essential elements as mundane as tubing are top of mind at A-dec. Initially purchased from an outside source, we brought the process in-house after discovering that the quality wasn’t consistent. Now, we produce all our own tubing—five plus million feet per year—using only the best materials. By making it ourselves, we can prevent weak spots and be sure that it won’t burst under pressure. We also add antimicrobial agents that help prevent biofilm buildup and pioneered the idea of giving each tubing a specific color and marking, making it easier for technicians and customer service to diagnose and troubleshoot issues.
Every A-dec part we make starts out as raw material or a raw casting before being turned, drilled, or milled by our own machinists. Once the machining process is complete, we send the parts to our in-house powder coat team to add the finishing touches. Powder coating on even those parts you don’t see, is one more way we ensure the durability and longevity of A-dec products.
A-dec uses the highest-grade materials and components.
In a dental environment with humidity, cleaning solutions, chemicals, and repeated open and closing, materials and structural stability matter. You probably haven’t thought about placing your kitchen cabinets in the operatory, and for good reason. Ordinary cabinets can’t take the abuse. A-dec dental furniture is ruthlessly tested for strength and durability, to ensure that it stands up to the operatory environment.
We also treat each piece of board, precisely cut it, and add a barcode label that’s unique to that order. This barcode allows us to easily remake any individual part of the cabinetry if a fix is ever needed. As always, when we can do something in-house to control the quality, we do it. This includes cutting and finishing our own quartz countertops on site. Furniture assembly then brings all the components together: cabinet panels, countertops, metal parts, electrical and plumbing.
No matter which line you choose, A-dec dental furniture is modularly designed. This gives dental teams more freedom in planning space now, with the ability to easily make updates down the road.
Our testing pushes A-dec products to the limit.
A-dec products are put to test in multiple labs across the company for everything from materials, electrical, clinical, and software to mechanical and fluids. Our rigorous testing methods attempt to bring on the point of failure—which isn’t easy. The outcome of this intense scientific testing is reliable products designed and redesigned for a minimum 20-year lifespan. While some of A-dec’s testing methods are a bit unconventional, they provide insight on potential vulnerabilities, so we can keep innovating solutions that make A-dec products better. This kind of quality assurance doesn’t just live in the lab: it’s standard in every assembly area, and on all 471,440 square feet of manufacturing space across A-dec’s entire campus.
A-dec’s deep expertise in dental empowers us to design, engineer, manufacture, and assemble products with purpose, right down to attaching every last screw, hinge and bolt. By controlling the entire process from tip to tail, we can ensure that A-dec equipment runs like clockwork when it matters most—in your practice.
Contact your Patterson representative or visit pattersondental.com to browse A-dec products.
