Dental Milling Bur Compatibility Chart: 30+ Machine Brands
Every dental lab tech has been there. You find a great deal on milling burs, add them to the cart, and then freeze: "Will these actually fit my machine?" It is the single most common question we get, and the answer is not always straightforward. Shank diameter alone does not tell the whole story. This article is the reference chart I wish existed when I started — every major dental milling machine brand, what burs they take, and where the pitfalls are.
What Determines Bur Compatibility?
Three physical specs decide whether a bur will seat correctly in your spindle and run without issues:
- Shank diameter — Almost all dental mills use either 3mm or 6mm shanks. A few older or specialty machines use 4mm or 6.35mm (1/4 inch). Get this wrong and the bur physically will not fit the collet.
- Overall length (OAL) — This is the one people overlook. Two burs can both be 3mm shank, but if one is 40mm long and your machine expects 35mm, it either will not seat in the tool changer or will bottom out in the collet. Worse, some tool detection systems will reject it outright.
- Collet and holder system — Some machines use standard ER-type collets where any correctly sized bur drops in. Others use proprietary tool holders with specific geometry, RFID chips, or locking rings. This is where OEM lock-in attempts happen.
If all three match, the bur fits. Period. The material, coating, and flute geometry are performance choices — they do not affect physical compatibility. For a deeper look at bur types, materials, and coatings, see our complete guide to milling burs.
Dental Milling Machine Compatibility Chart
Below is a brand-by-brand breakdown covering the machines most commonly found in dental labs worldwide. Shank sizes listed are what the machine accepts with its standard collet or tool holder system.
Roland DG
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWX-4, DWX-4W | 3mm | Flat end, ball nose, radius end | Compact 4-axis mill. Pin-type blanks only. Short OAL burs (around 40mm). |
| Roland DWX-42W, DWX-50, DWX-51D | 3mm, 6mm | Flat end, ball nose, radius end, drill point | 5-axis capable. DWX-50/51D have automatic tool changers (ATC) with 15 positions. 6mm shanks used mainly for PMMA and wax roughing. |
| DWX-52D, DWX-52DCi | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types | Most popular Roland models in production labs. Standard ER collet system. DCi adds ionizer for dry milling dust management. |
Imes-icore
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORiTEC 150i, 250i | 3mm | Flat end, ball nose | Entry-level dry mills. Standard collet, no proprietary holder. |
| Imes-icore 350i, 350i PRO | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types | Workhorse 5-axis. ER11 (3mm) and ER8 (6mm) collets. 350i PRO adds wet milling. Tool magazine holds 16 to 32 burs depending on configuration. |
| CORiTEC 450i, 650i | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types including long-reach | Production-grade. 650i handles titanium and CoCr wet milling. Uses standard collets — no lockout. |
VHF
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| K5, K5+ | 3mm, 6mm | Flat end, ball nose, radius end | Compact 5-axis dry mill. Uses VHF-specific tool holders with pull studs. |
| VHF N4+, N4 | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types | Mid-range 5-axis. N4+ includes wet capability. Same VHF tool holder system as K5. Burs must be mounted in VHF holders before loading — but the burs themselves are standard shank. |
| R5, S1, S5 | 3mm, 6mm | All types including metal-cutting | Production machines. S-series for wet milling metals. R5 is the flagship with 44-position ATC. |
Amann Girrbach
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramill Mikro, Ceramill Motion 2 | 3mm | Flat end, ball nose | Older models. Motion 2 is 5-axis dry. Uses AG tool holders — the bur itself is standard 3mm shank but must sit in the branded holder. |
| Ceramill Motion 3 | 3mm | All standard types | Current flagship dry mill. 16-position ATC. AG markets their own bur sets but any 3mm shank bur with correct OAL (39.5mm) works in the holders. |
| Ceramill Matik | 3mm, 6mm | All types including wet cutting | Full production wet/dry system. Automated blank handling. |
Dentsply Sirona
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| inLab MC X5 | 3mm | Flat end, ball nose, step burs | 5-axis dry/wet mill. Uses Sirona-specific tool holders with RFID tracking. Burs are standard 3mm shank inside, but Sirona sells them pre-mounted in holders at a markup. Third-party burs fit the holders fine. |
| CEREC Primemill | 3mm | Diamond-coated, carbide | Chairside speed mill. Proprietary bur cartridge system — this is one machine where you genuinely need the OEM bur format. Standard shanks will not physically fit the cartridge. |
| inLab MC XL | 3mm | Flat end, ball nose | Legacy but still widely used. Standard collet, very compatible with aftermarket burs. |
Zirkonzahn
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1, M2, M3 | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types | Uses the 95mm Zirkonzahn system for blanks. Standard ER collets for burs — highly compatible with aftermarket tools. The M-series is known for being open and tech-friendly. |
| M5 Heavy Metal | 3mm, 6mm | Metal-cutting carbide, coated | Wet milling for CoCr and titanium. Same collet system as M1-M3. |
Aidite
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATC-5X, ATC-5XL | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types | Chinese-manufactured 5-axis mills gaining market share. Standard ER collets. Very open system — accepts virtually any bur with correct shank diameter and OAL. |
Arum
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5X-200, 5X-300, 5X-400 | 3mm, 6mm | All types including titanium-rated | Korean-made production mills. Standard collet system. 5X-400 handles full wet milling workflows. Good aftermarket bur compatibility. |
JINY
| Models | Shank Sizes | Bur Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| JINY JDM5, JDM6 | 3mm, 6mm | All standard types | Budget-friendly 5-axis mills popular in Asia and increasingly in Europe. Standard ER collets. No proprietary restrictions. 3mm burs with 40mm OAL fit without modification. |
Other Notable Dental Brands
| Brand | Key Models | Shank Sizes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planmeca | PlanMill 30S, 40S | 3mm | Chairside and lab mills. 30S uses a cartridge system similar to CEREC. 40S uses standard tool holders — more aftermarket-friendly. |
| Straumann | CARES Mill | 3mm, 6mm | Based on imes-icore hardware. Standard collets, good third-party compatibility. |
| Ivoclar | PrograMill PM7, PM5 | 3mm | Uses Ivoclar-branded tool holders. Burs are standard 3mm shanks inside. PM7 has 20-position ATC. |
| Yenadent | D40, D50 | 3mm, 6mm | Turkish-made mills. Standard ER collets, very open to aftermarket burs. |
| Camdent | CNC-5X | 3mm, 6mm | Standard collet system. Straightforward compatibility. |
| Deprag | DMU series | 3mm, 6mm | German-engineered spindles. Standard ER collets. Often OEM-supplied to other dental brands. |
Universal Fit Burs: What Works Across Machines
If you run multiple machines or want to stock fewer SKUs, these specs cover the widest ground:
- 3mm shank, 40mm OAL — This is the single most universal dental milling bur spec. It fits Roland, imes-icore, VHF (in holder), Amann Girrbach (in holder), Zirkonzahn, Aidite, Arum, JINY, Yenadent, and most other open-collet machines.
- 6mm shank, 50mm OAL — The standard for roughing burs and metal-cutting tools across machines that accept 6mm. Less universal than 3mm since some compact mills skip 6mm entirely.
- 0.6mm and 1.0mm ball nose in 3mm shank — The two most commonly used finishing bur diameters. Every CAM software has default strategies for these sizes.
A starter kit of five 3mm-shank burs — 2.0mm flat end, 1.0mm flat end, 1.0mm ball nose, 0.6mm ball nose, and a 1.5mm radius end — will handle zirconia, PMMA, and wax on nearly any 5-axis dental mill.
Common Compatibility Mistakes
Wrong Overall Length
This is the number one mistake. You order 3mm shank burs and they are 50mm long instead of the 40mm your machine expects. The tool changer cannot grip them correctly, or the bur sticks out too far and crashes into the blank holder. Always check OAL in the bur spec sheet, not just shank diameter.
Confusing Collet Size with Shank Size
An ER11 collet holds 3mm shanks. An ER8 collet is often used for 6mm shanks. But some labs try to force a 3.175mm (1/8 inch) bur into a 3mm collet — it will seat, poorly, and then slip under load. The 0.175mm difference matters when you are spinning at 40,000 RPM.
The OEM Lockout Myth
Some manufacturers imply you must use their branded burs or the machine will not perform correctly. In reality, most dental mills use standard ER collets and any bur with the right dimensions fits perfectly. The exceptions are genuinely proprietary cartridge systems like CEREC Primemill and Planmeca PlanMill 30S. For everything else, RFID on tool holders tracks tool life — it does not verify the brand of bur you inserted. Many labs reprogram or reset these counters and use third-party burs without issue.
Mixing Up Metric and Imperial
This mostly affects labs in North America that occasionally source burs from general CNC suppliers. Dental milling is metric. A 6mm shank is not interchangeable with a 1/4 inch (6.35mm) shank, even though they look nearly identical. If the bur came from an industrial tooling catalog, double-check whether the shank diameter is metric or imperial.
Disc Systems and Bur Compatibility
The three common blank disc sizes in dental milling — 98mm, 95mm, and 89mm — do not directly determine which burs you need, but they do relate to machine compatibility in a practical way.
- 98mm discs — Industry standard used by Roland, imes-icore, VHF, Aidite, Arum, and most open-system mills. These machines almost universally take 3mm and 6mm shank burs.
- 95mm discs — Primarily Zirkonzahn. Their machines use standard ER collets, so bur compatibility is the same as 98mm machines despite the different disc size.
- 89mm discs — Less common today but still seen in older or compact mills. Often paired with machines that only accept 3mm shanks.
The disc size tells you which blank holder and adapter system your machine uses, not which burs to buy. But if you are setting up a new machine and choosing between 98mm and 95mm disc systems, keep in mind that 98mm is the dominant ecosystem. More blank material choices, more aftermarket bur suppliers, and more CAM library support.
Quick Reference: Shank Size by Machine
For fast lookup — every machine listed above, sorted by what shank diameter they accept:
3mm Only
- Roland DWX-4, DWX-4W
- Imes-icore CORiTEC 150i, 250i
- Amann Girrbach Ceramill Motion 3, Ceramill Mikro
- Dentsply Sirona inLab MC X5, MC XL, CEREC Primemill
- Ivoclar PrograMill PM7, PM5
- Planmeca PlanMill 30S, 40S
3mm and 6mm
- Roland DWX-42W, DWX-50, DWX-51D, DWX-52D, DWX-52DCi
- Imes-icore 350i, 350i PRO, 450i, 650i
- VHF K5, K5+, N4, N4+, R5, S1, S5
- Amann Girrbach Ceramill Matik
- Zirkonzahn M1, M2, M3, M5
- Aidite ATC-5X, ATC-5XL
- Arum 5X-200, 5X-300, 5X-400
- JINY JDM5, JDM6
- Straumann CARES Mill
- Yenadent D40, D50
- Camdent CNC-5X
- Deprag DMU series
When in doubt, measure your current burs with a digital caliper — shank diameter and overall length. Match those two numbers and you are safe. Machine brands sell mystique around compatibility, but the physics are simple: if the shank fits the collet and the length fits the holder, the bur will work.