Swedish materials specialist VBN Components has announced a significant process advancement: a method for integrating additively manufactured cemented carbide directly into large-scale cast components, without requiring the entire part to be 3D printed.
The approach, developed in collaboration with a major pump manufacturer, centers on Vibenite® 480, VBN’s flagship cemented carbide material, and a newly engineered interface called the Vibenite® Nucleation Net Zone (VNNZ).
Introduced during the printing process, the VNNZ allows high chromium cast iron to metallurgically bond to Vibenite® 480 during casting, a previously unsolved challenge, as molten cast iron would otherwise melt or intermix with printed inserts, compromising both geometry and performance.
The result is a hybrid manufacturing solution: smaller, strategically designed AM components are placed in the most wear-critical zones of a casting mould. Wear testing in representative slurry pump environments confirms that Vibenite® 480 offers erosive wear resistance approximately ten times higher than high chromium cast iron, and around 100 times higher than hardened steel plate. Following successful trials, full-scale verification on slurry pump housings is now underway.
“This is an exciting development for our additive manufacturing technology. We are demonstrating how the superior wear resistance of Vibenite® 480 can be integrated into large industrial components in a practical and scalable way—combining material performance with the design freedom of AM. It opens up significant new business opportunities,” says Dr Ulrik Beste, CTO of VBN Components.
The Swedish firm has steadily built credibility around its Vibenite® material family, from collaborations with SKF on large-size bearings and Wayland Additive on NeuBeam-based printing, to biocompatibility trials of Vibenite® 350 for medical implant applications.
Each development has reinforced the argument that Vibenite® materials can achieve performance in demanding industrial environments where conventional approaches fall short. The VNNZ innovation directly addresses the scale limitation that has constrained metal AM adoption in heavy industry, and does so without abandoning the casting infrastructure that manufacturers already rely on.
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