Croom Medical and GAM use Colibrium Additive M2 for tantalum implants
February 20, 2025
Croom Medical, Limerick, Ireland, and Global Advanced Metals (GAM), Boyertown, Pennsylvania, USA, report that they have developed a robust, closed-loop supply chain for tantalum powder reuse and recycling, leveraging the M2 Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) machine from Colibrium Additive, a GE Aerospace company based in Lichtenfels, Germany.
Primarily used in electronics and high-temperature applications such as aircraft engines, tantalum also has a long-established history in surgical devices, such as staples, dental implants, and joint replacements. Tantalum’s biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties make it an ideal material for supporting bone growth and osseointegration of implants, thus reducing the risks of toxicity, bone resorption, and implant loosening due to stress shielding.
While tantalum is difficult to process, it is particularly well-suited for Additive Manufacturing; until now, however, there has only been limited industrial AM of the material compared to established alloys like titanium and cobalt-chromium.
The collaboration between Croom Medical and Global Advanced Metals (GAM) aimed to overcome this challenge. Post-build, end-of-life tantalum powder from Croom Medical is returned to GAM, where it undergoes recycling and reprocessing within GAM’s manufacturing process. The recycled powder is then able to be reused within Croom’s Additive Manufacturing operations, creating a sustainable and reliable circular system that minimises costs and environmental impact.
Croom Medical produces high-quality implants for global medical device OEMs around the world. In recent years, the company has increasingly focused on PBF-LB Additive Manufacturing – particularly titanium, cobalt-chromium, stainless steel and tantalum – to create complex, porous and osteoconductive structures that can be tailored to individual patient anatomies. Croom has invested heavily in AM technology, collaborating with leading academic and research institutions. Under ISO 13485 and FDA registration certifications, the company has successfully additively manufactured over 60,000 devices.
GAM is said to play a critical role in this collaboration by supplying ultra-pure, spherical tantalum powder produced at its facility in Pennsylvania. GAM’s ability to recycle the tantalum that cannot be reused in the Additive Manufacturing process enables a circular manufacturing cycle and makes the collaboration even more sustainable.
Dr Shane Keaveney, R&D Manager at Croom Medical, stated, “The intrinsic purity and properties of tantalum have a wonderful fit for next-generation implants, and we feel that Croom Medical is the company with the right balance of experience, capability, and long established customer relationships to bring this to market.
“We invest continuously in research and innovation to push the boundaries of medical device manufacturing. Although it is rare for a contract manufacturing firm to do this, our investment in future technologies underscores our commitment to innovation. The advantage of the collaboration with GAM is that by harnessing our combined strengths and resources, we can deliver solutions that precisely address the specific needs of our OEM customers.”
With several customers reported to already be in the prototyping phase of tantalum Additive Manufacturing, this material is now available for order under Croom’s contract manufacturing model.
Using a Colibrium Additive M2 machine, Croom Medical and GAM have developed structures designed for high-precision AM where accuracy and consistency are paramount. The M2 machine allows for the creation of complex, lightweight, and porous structures that promote bone integration, making it well suited for medical implants. Advanced usability features and high productivity make the M2 suitable serial manufacturing while maintaining quality and compliance with industry standards.
Built for high part quality, usability, and repeatability, the M2 machine is said to deliver high feature resolution, part quality, and consistency, adhering to the requirements of highly regulated industries like medical and aerospace.
Overall, Croom Medical and GAM believe that Additive Manufacturing of tantalum shows great potential for the future of medical devices, allowing the excellent implant material to be produced more cost-effectively in complex geometries. The companies stated that the scalable process stability of Colibrium’s M2 and continued research into tantalum, as well as other alloys, may pave the way for even more advanced medical solutions.
