Planmeca Onyx™ intraoral scanners are made in Finland
Planmeca Onyx™ intraoral scanners are manufactured at Planmeca headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. Built to meet the highest standards of precision, each scanner is assembled in state-of-the-art facilities using cutting-edge technology. Every device undergoes meticulous calibration and rigorous testing before leaving the factory, guaranteeing exceptional scanning quality for dental professionals worldwide.
Planmeca campus in Helsinki now features a quiet, glass‑walled workspace, which is accessible only to a selected few – and only with appropriate protective equipment. This is a new clean workspace where the Planmeca Onyx™ intraoral scanners are assembled from start to finish.
In addition to intraoral scanners, all other chairside products in Planmeca’s CAD/CAM portfolio are also manufactured at Planmeca headquarters. In practice, this includes the production of Planmeca PlanMill® 35 milling units, Planmeca Creo® X 3D printers, Planmeca Imprex™ scanning stations as well as scanning tips for Planmeca intraoral scanners.
A clean workspace ensures the accuracy of digital impressions
Planmeca Onyx uses projected triangulation technology to capture highly accurate digital impressions. At the heart of this system is a light source composed of red, green, and blue LEDs. During scanning, the device projects this light onto the teeth and gums, and the reflected light is captured by the scanner’s camera sensor. The scanning software then processes the reflected data and reconstructs it into a precise 3D model.
To ensure consistently high scanning accuracy, the optical components of an intraoral scanner must remain exceptionally clean. Even small particles can influence how optical data is captured, which is why Planmeca Onyx scanners are assembled in a dedicated clean workspace designed to minimise dust and airborne contaminants. This controlled environment helps maintain the precision and reliability of every scanner produced.
The scanner production workspace is isolated from other manufacturing areas, and all incoming air is carefully filtered. These filters remove up to 99.995% of particles larger than 0.3 micrometres. To put this into perspective, a human hair is typically around 50 micrometres thick – roughly 166 times thicker than the particles being filtered out at Planmeca’s clean space.
The space is also equipped with a cleanroom-compliant vacuum system featuring HEPA filters for both incoming and outgoing air. A continuous positive pressure is maintained so that air flows outward whenever the door is opened, helping to keep the environment clean. Access to the clean area is always through a separate room where components are cleaned, and workers put on customised protective clothing, head coverings, gloves, and appropriate footwear.
To maintain the highest level of cleanliness, only specially trained staff are allowed to enter the clean workspace. All equipment in the area is selected for cleanroom‑compatible use and thoroughly cleaned to ensure that particle release during operation is kept to an absolute minimum.
Continuous stability in micro‑level manufacturing
The first Planmeca Onyx scanners have been assembled entirely by hand. To the untrained eye, assembling the optical structure – especially aligning the lenses – resembles the meticulous work of watchmaking. All components must fit inside a compact shell only 39 mm in diameter and 180 mm in length, with the optical assembly even smaller. The camera lenses themselves measure just 5.5 to 13 mm in diameter.
In fact, a few staff members are trained watchmakers, a background that is exceptionally well suited for intraoral scanner production, where a steady hand, precise movements, and a calm working technique are essential. At the same time, the scanner has been designed so that many tasks involving small components and requiring extreme precision and cleanliness can be automated in the future. Even as automation expands, final assembly, calibration, and packaging will continue to be carried out by skilled specialists.
Like all Planmeca dental equipment, Planmeca Onyx scanners and other CAD/CAM products are developed under the strictest quality control standards and thoroughly tested before leaving the factory. This ensures Planmeca customers only receive products of the highest quality. Planmeca’s operations comply with international standards as well as all mandatory requirements of applicable Finnish legislation, which has one of the highest regulatory standards in the world.
Planmeca Onyx intraoral scanner production can usually only be admired from behind glass – watch the video to see how a scanner is built up close!
Copy: Mari Suominen
Images: Dino Azinur
Video: Ossi Jalkanen
Planmeca Oy and Planmeca Group
Planmeca Oy is one of the world's leading dental equipment manufacturers, with a product range covering digital dental units, CAD/CAM solutions, world-class 2D and 3D imaging devices and comprehensive software solutions. Privately owned and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the company offers a portfolio of products distributed in over 120 countries worldwide. Planmeca Oy is part of the Finnish Planmeca Group, which consists of several healthcare technology brands, each committed to innovation and design. With over 4,300 employees worldwide, Planmeca Group companies achieved a combined turnover of EUR 1.24 billion in 2025.
www.planmeca.com
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