The effect of die spacing on crown deformation and seating time.

A machined brass crown, onto which a strain gauge had been attached, was filled with a silicone fluid and placed on various dies to simulate luting using zinc phosphate cement. Space between the crown and the die was varied, as was the seating force. As the load increased, crown deformation increased and time to seat decreased. Increasing the axial space decreased the time to seat but did not affect the strain recorded for a given load.