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Metal 3D printing (metal additive manufacturing) is no longer a novelty confined to laboratories: fuel nozzles in aero engines, orthopaedic implants and mould inserts with conformal cooling channels are all being made this way. So which fields are Chinese-made metal 3D printers suited to? This article offers an objective overview.

1. First, distinguish the processes

Before discussing applications, it helps to separate the process routes, because what each can do differs considerably:

• Laser powder bed fusion (SLM, also called LPBF): the most mainstream route. A laser melts metal powder layer by layer, building up the part. High precision and density make it suitable for complex, small-to-medium parts.

• Electron beam melting (EBM): an electron beam melts powder in a vacuum; well suited to titanium alloys, with relatively high efficiency and lower residual stress.

• Directed energy deposition (DED): powder or wire is fed while being melted, suitable for large parts and for repair.

• Binder jetting (BJT): binder is jetted to form the shape, which is then sintered as a whole — suited to batch production.

Chinese-made machines are currently dominated by SLM, which is also the main route behind the applications below.

2. Fields suited to the technology

1. Aerospace

This is where metal 3D printing was adopted earliest and most maturely. Aerospace parts are often structurally complex, must be lightweight, come in single units or small batches, and use expensive materials (titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys) that are difficult to machine conventionally. Typical parts include engine fuel nozzles, combustion chambers, rocket nozzles, structural brackets and lattice structures. According to public reports, the fuel nozzle of GE's LEAP engine, once assembled from 20 parts, is now produced in one piece by additive manufacturing.

2. Medical: orthopaedics and dentistry

Healthcare has the most direct demand for customisation. Using a patient's CT or intraoral scan data, implants can be printed to match individual anatomy, and porous structures can leave room for bone tissue to grow in. Common products include acetabular cups, interbody fusion cages and craniomaxillofacial implants, as well as dental products such as crowns, bridges, implant abutments and lingual orthodontic appliances — mostly in titanium and cobalt-chromium alloys.

3. Mould making

Conventional cooling channels can only be drilled in straight lines, whereas additive manufacturing can create conformal cooling channels that follow the cavity, making cooling more uniform and shortening injection cycles. Typical use is in inserts for injection and die-casting moulds.

4. Automotive and new energy

Mainly used in R&D and small-batch stages: rapid manufacture of samples and functional prototypes to shorten development cycles, as well as complex flow-channel parts and lightweight structural components. It is also used for trial production of parts related to new-energy vehicles, batteries and electric drives.

5. Consumer electronics and robotics

Used for lightweight structural parts, heat-dissipation components and precision small parts. In the past two years, component development for new directions such as humanoid robots has also used it as a rapid verification tool.

6. Energy and power

In nuclear power, gas turbines and hydrogen equipment, some complex, low-volume parts in superalloys or refractory metals suit additive manufacturing. New light sources such as green lasers are also making copper alloys and other hard-to-process materials printable.

7. Research and teaching

Universities and institutes commonly use it to study new materials (high-entropy alloys, shape-memory alloys), new processes, gradient materials and lattice structures, and for laboratory teaching in materials and mechanical engineering.

3. Where Chinese-made machines stand

According to publicly available industry research, domestic brands accounted for more than 65% of unit sales in the Chinese market in 2025; in the first half of 2026, the export value of Chinese-made metal 3D printing equipment grew noticeably year on year. Objectively, the localisation of key components such as high-power lasers and galvanometer scanners is still a work in progress.

4. Limitations worth knowing

Metal 3D printing is not a universal process. At least four points must be weighed when choosing it:

• Size: limited by the build chamber, very large parts require printing in sections or a large-format machine;

• Post-processing: printed parts usually need support removal, heat treatment, polishing or even machining to meet final requirements;

• Batch size: single units, small batches and complex structures benefit most; for simple, high-volume parts, conventional casting or machining may be more economical;

• Materials and process: printable materials are still expanding, and some refractory or highly reflective materials are harder to process and need mature process parameters.

Conclusion

The value of metal 3D printing lies in covering a range that conventional processes handle poorly — complex structures, customisation and small batches. It does not replace casting or machining; it works alongside them, with each part made by the most suitable process.