VBN Components to showcase Vibenite 500 at Formnext
VBN Components, headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, will showcase its recently introduced Vibenite 500 pure tungsten material at Formnext 2026, taking place in Frankfurt, Germany, November 17–20, 2026. The company will exhibit in the Swedish Pavilion, Hall 12.0, Stand F121, where it will also present its wider range of Vibenite materials for metal Additive Manufacturing.
Introduced in October 2026 following a fifteen-month development project supported by the Swedish Energy Agency, Vibenite 500 has been developed for applications including radiation shielding and high-temperature protection.
According to VBN Components, when processed using Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB), Vibenite 500 achieves a relative density exceeding 99.7% and a hardness of approximately 400 HV2. The company also reports that gamma radiation testing demonstrated a shielding factor 15% higher than that of the reference tungsten alloy B777 Grade 3.
The new material expands VBN Components’ existing portfolio of wear- and heat-resistant Vibenite materials, which includes high-performance steels and carbide-based alloys designed for demanding applications. These include Vibenite 290, a high-hardness steel developed for cutting tools and other wear-intensive applications, and Vibenite 480, a cemented carbide-type alloy combining high hardness with wear and heat resistance.
For its established Vibenite materials, the company states that its proprietary AM-HSS process enables the production of fine, uniform microstructures, contributing to their mechanical properties and wear resistance. Depending on the alloy, hardness and toughness can also be adjusted through subsequent heat treatment.
The use of AM offers additional design flexibility, allowing manufacturers to produce complex geometries, incorporate internal channels, consolidate multiple components into a single part and reduce material usage. VBN Components also highlights the potential for shorter product development cycles, with design modifications implemented through updated CAD models.
VBN Components offers its Vibenite materials as finished components manufactured in-house to customer specifications, as well as through licensing agreements that enable customers to establish production at their own facilities.
At Formnext, VBN Components’ co-founder and CTO Ulrik Beste will be joined by Technical Sales Engineers Julia Sjöström and Erik Djurberg to discuss the company’s latest material developments and potential applications.
