ST. PAUL, Minn. – (October 1, 2004) – Featuring three new system components, the 3M™ ESPE™ Pentamix™ Mixing Unit now offers users maximum reliability and even greater convenience for the automatic mixing and dispensing of impression materials for all indications. The new design features a red Penta™ mixing tip that reduces dispensing forces by up to 50 percent, reducing stress on the Pentamix unit, cartridges and caps of the foil bags. Additionally, new colored end caps on the foil bags with the tried and tested self-opening 3M™ ESPE™ PentaMatic™ Auto Open System have a more robust design; stability and fracture resistance is increased by the additional struts on the base paste foil bag cap. In addition, the opening channel of the catalyst foil bag end cap has been given a sturdier base with a thicker wall to help prevent it from snapping. Plus the new Penta cartridges now are reinforced with a steel cylinder, designed to help prevent the expansion or breakage of cartridges.
With these three new system components, superior handling is possible with heavy-bodied tray materials, such as the newly introduced polyether material, 3M™ ESPE™ Impregum™ Penta™ Soft Quick Step Heavy Body Material. Now both the dentist and laboratory technician can benefit from the high-quality, accurate impressions made possible through the use of the Pentamix mixing unit in an even greater range of material viscosities.
To simplify the entire system, all Penta products now are supplied with the new components. The new red Penta mixing tips will be included with every refill pack for a six-month introductory phase. Accidental usage of the former white Penta mixing tips will not be possible, as they do not fit on the colored end caps.
Lisa Hake, marketing manager, 3M ESPE adds, “To ensure a smooth changeover to the new components and accommodate the user’s needs, 3M ESPE will continue supplying white Penta™ mixing tips until the final use-by date for Penta materials in the old foil bag design.”