VBN Components Expands Horizons with Biocompatible 3D Printing Materials

VBN Components is a Swedish firm specializing in wear-resistant additive manufacturing (AM) materials, a niche that could become a significant market. Industries such as tooling, mining, and industrial equipment require extremely hard surfaces in specific areas where wear resistance is paramount. Traditional processes present a conundrum: if a material is highly wear-resistant, it is also difficult and time-consuming to machine, driving up costs. Additive manufacturing offers a potential solution by enabling parts to be made more easily, quickly, and often more cost-effectively. Additionally, parts can be made lighter or easily repaired afterward, the latter typically done with directed energy deposition.

In powder bed fusion, a growing market has emerged for wear-resistant alloys, printing processes, and related applications. It’s a “chicken and egg” market: as more people adopt the technology, growth potential becomes virtually limitless. The business case is straightforward: if a tool costs 100 and lasts a year, 3D printing the same tool might cost 200 but last three years—a compelling value proposition. While many might wait for this market to reach its peak, the Uppsala-based company is not content to do so.

The company is funding in-vitro biocompatibility testing for its flagship Vibenite material portfolio. The Vibenite materials are diverse and optimized for specific uses, ranging from steel to carbide cobalt-chromium alloys. Vibenite 280 is designed for gear hobs and cutters, while Vibenite 150 offers strong fatigue resistance, making it suitable for difficult-to-machine parts. Vibenite 290, meanwhile, is described as the “hardest commercially-available steel type in the world,” with a hardness of up to approximately 72 HRC. Despite its hardness, the material also exhibits toughness. Vibenite 350 is a high-carbon, high-chromium martensitic steel intended for injection mold tools, pumps, and potentially even hip implants. This material could someday replace cobalt chrome in implants.

Cobalt chrome, a hard and wear-resistant material, is commonly used in tools, orthopedic implants, and dental applications. However, its use in the body is becoming increasingly controversial. There are concerns about metal-on-metal implants, and emerging toxicology issues have been noted in dental and other applications. Potential cancer risks and other rare complications have also been suggested. While the topic remains confusing, I would personally avoid getting a cobalt chrome implant, especially as lawsuits related to cobalt chrome implants are on the rise in the U.S.

Now, VBN aims to fill the gap with what it hopes is a safer material. Uppsala University’s AM4life competence center has conducted tests on this material. The center is involved in seven “work packages,” one of which focuses on using AM to develop new materials and implants that improve clinical performance. This includes goals such as enabling the body to replace the implant with its own tissue when no longer needed, reducing wear to minimize complications in biotribological applications, and producing antibacterial components on demand. This aligns perfectly with VBN’s materials and demonstrates the value of a group that certainly deserves greater recognition.

The findings so far indicate that “bone-like cells spread and proliferate on the material,” which is a promising result, particularly for implants requiring significant osseointegration. The company is targeting wear resistance in joints as a primary application. They hope that further optimization of 3D printing geometries could lead to improved osseointegration and enhanced cell propagation. The image above shows a confocal laser scanning microscopy image of bone cells growing on a Vibenite 350 surface.

The tests were led by Assistant Professor Gry Hulsart Billström’s Translational Bioprinting Group at Uppsala University, with other key partners including AM4Life Director Professor Cecilia Persson, Professor Urban Wiklund, and student Vidhiaza Leviandhika. The team plans to conduct additional tribological (friction/wear) tests, as well as more biocompatibility testing.