As we approach the 75th anniversary of Vitallium, this is an ideal opportunity to briefly revisit the history of Vitallium and Austenal. The Austenal story spans over 70 years, offering a rich account that mirrors changes in the dental industry itself.
It all began with the original partnership of Reiner Erdle and Charles Prange in 1926 when Austenal was founded. These men began their company based on the concept of offering innovative material and techniques and the highest quality products for the dental industry. In 1928, at the company’s inception, this meant swedging Austenitic steel into metal bases for full dentures, an advanced procedure in its day.
By 1932, Erdle and Prange had been working with a new cobalt-chromium alloy that was showing great promise for strength and tarnish resistance. The method of casting it, however, was radically different and required considerable training for laboratories to embrace the new technique. As its biocompatible properties were further understood, Vitallium was considered to be a miracle alloy, offering tremendous benefits not only for dental patients but for orthopedic patients as well. The demand for Vitallium grew rapidly, and with it the demand for training and further innovation.
The Austenal Company went on to pioneer a host of new products, from porcelain denture teeth to pre-formed wax patterns. All the while, the family of Austenal Laboratories continued to grow, as did Austenal’s reputation for service and quality products.
The 1970s and early 80s ushered in the merger and acquisition phase of the laboratory industry and Austenal was acquired and re-acquired, eventually residing with large European conglomerate. In 1992, a group of American investors succeeded in acquiring Austenal with the mission of returning the company to its original philosophy of innovation, product development and service.
By 1996, advances in metallurgy made possible to introduce Vitallium 2000. This new alloy provided laboratories with improved handling and advanced physical characteristics. This was shortly followed by Vitalluim 2000 Plus, a formulation that allowed for the creation of even lighter, more refined partial castings.
The acquastion of Austenal in 2002 by Dentsply International made Austenal stronger than ever and ready to embrace the laboratory industry with innovation in products and support for the 21st century.
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