FOLLOW-ME! and Zfx: A ten-year success story
More than a decade ago, the managers of the development stage enterprise Zfx (Oliver Hill and Andreas Geier) had an idea: Based on an existing software solution, the highly motivated team wanted to develop a high-end digital workflow solution with open interface architecture for the production of dental restorations. Their search for competent industry partners ended in a collaboration with industrial companies including SAUER (a company of DMG MORI), developer and producer of high-performance CNC machines, and CAM software specialist OPEN MIND. The development project was initiated in 2007 and in the same year, OPEN MIND formed a spin-off company, FOLLOW - ME! Technology, with Dr. Ferdinand Schwenkert as the CEO to focus on the development of a purely dental CAM software.The collaboration came to fruition in 2009 when the complete production solution was presented for the first time. The precisely adjusted components – from a desktop scanner to a sintering furnace – were successfully put into operation in the first two Zfx™ Milling Centres opened in autumn 2009 in Altomünster near Munich, Germany and Ourense in north-western Spain.
In subsequent years, the companies Zfx and FOLLOW - ME! continued working together to optimize the software features and integrate new functionalities. Tasks were clearly assigned: FOLLOW - ME! brought in the team’s profound knowledge around simultaneous five-axis milling strategies, while the Zfx team members contributed their dental know-how. This expertise was necessary for different purposes: It was leveraged to ensure an intuitive use of the software to be operated by dental technicians – their specific work techniques and preferences had to be taken into account. In addition, the know-how was needed to ensure the expected high-quality outcomes (Zfx was able to assess the level of surface quality or precision
needed when producing specific parts like screw channels and implant connections). In this way, the companies succeeded in developing high-end applications for the processing of individual abutments, screw-retained implant-based bridge frameworks and more made of diverse dental materials. This focus on implant prosthetics aroused the interest of Zimmer Biomet in 2011, which – after the merger with Zfx – also became a driver of continued innovation.
Finally, what was first developed for large machining centres e.g. provided by SAUER was modified to work in smaller production units like the desktop mill Zfx™ Inhouse5x launched in 2013. Its users also benefit from regular optimizations – made available in no small part due to the fruitful and durable partnership with CEO FOLLOW - ME!.