A New Ultra-High-Precision Metal 3D Printer with 5-Micron Layer Thickness and 500°C Preheating Debuts — Yunyao DeepDimension Launches an Economical Research-Grade System

Panda3dp.com Guide: Selective Laser Melting (SLM) has become the most extensively applied 3D printing technology in the production of terminal metal parts. Among these, ultra-high-precision metal 3D printing — achieving micron-level accuracy — is currently in a phase of rapid technological evolution.

In April 2025, Panda3dp.com learned that Yunyao DeepDimension, a leading domestic manufacturer specializing in micron-level metal 3D printing, officially announced the launch of an economical research-grade device featuring a 5-micron layer thickness and up to 500°C substrate preheating.

This high-precision, cost-effective research printer distinguishes itself with micron-level accuracy, deeply customizable process parameters, ultra-high-temperature preheating at 500°C, and multi-material printing capabilities. Its design integrates comprehensive cylinder exchange, contactless powder handling, and future-proof hardware and software upgrade potential — dramatically enhancing research efficiency and accelerating the prototyping of intricate microstructures to drive cutting-edge innovations from concept to reality.

Key Features

According to a Yunyao DeepDimension spokesperson, this micron-level, high-precision economical metal 3D printer was purpose-built for research, aiming to empower and expedite academic and industrial innovation.

- Micron-Level Ultra-High Precision — 5-micron layer thickness delivering exceptional resolution.

- Deep Parameter Customization — Real-time adjustment throughout the printing process.

- Ultra-High-Temperature Preheating — Optional substrate preheating up to 500°C.

- Integrated Cylinder Replacement & Contactless Powder Handling — Ensuring operational efficiency and laboratory safety.

- Multi-Material Printing — Customizable layer thickness for gradient material research.

- Continuous Upgrade Potential — Robust support for future software and hardware enhancements.

Breakthroughs in Micron-Level Metal 3D Printing Technology

Yunyao DeepDimension has achieved a series of significant advancements in ultra-high-precision metal additive manufacturing technology.

1. Micron-Level Specifications Guarantee Ultimate Precision

- Laser spot diameter ≤25/30μm with a typical layer thickness of 5μm.

- Industrial-grade positioning precision of ±1μm to eliminate experimental errors.

- State-of-the-art configuration, co-developed with international experts, ensuring process stability.

Application Example:

2. Customizable Parameter Palette with Real-Time On-the-Fly Adjustment

With over 200 adjustable variables, the system enables precise fine-tuning of parameters within minimal ranges. Its fully open process control system allows for script-based process management, offering programmable customization for laser power, scanning speed, jump speed, laser on/off delays, powder feed rate, powder laying speed, scan sequences, and part arrangements. Furthermore, parameters can be modified mid-print without halting the build.

Application Example:  

In cases where the cross-sectional area of a part varies significantly in its first ten layers, an IF conditional command adjusts laser power and scanning speed specifically for those initial layers to optimize heat input. Subsequent layers revert to standard parameters, ensuring both quality and efficiency.

3. Optional 500°C Preheating Expands Research Possibilities

The system offers a standard substrate preheating temperature of 200°C, with an optional upgrade to 500°C to address material cracking and residual stress, thereby substantially reducing the risks of delamination, warping, and cracking — particularly vital for pioneering material research in universities and institutes.

Preheating Applications Include:

- Deformation & Crack Reduction: High preheat temperatures minimize thermal gradients in high-stress materials like titanium alloys, reducing residual stress and layer cracking.

- Crack Propagation Mitigation: Preheating alleviates micro-cracking in crack-prone alloys, such as nickel-based superalloys, caused by rapid cooling.

- Improved Interlayer Bonding: Elevated temperatures promote atomic diffusion, enhancing metallurgical bonding and reducing lack-of-fusion defects.

- Porosity and Defect Minimization: Enhanced melt pool fluidity at high temperatures reduces gas entrapment and poor fusion.

Case Study:  

For Hastelloy X, preheating at 500°C significantly lowered cooling rates, suppressed grain boundary liquation, reduced dendritic strain, and promoted elemental diffusion — achieving a density exceeding 99.9% while reducing crack density by over 85%.

4. Rapid, Integrated Cylinder Exchange with Contactless Powder Handling

The powder feed and build cylinders can be swiftly detached and replaced as integrated modules, complete with barrel, substrate, and precision zero-point quick-change fixtures. Before removal, the system's glovebox clears residual powder, after which the cylinder is sealed and transported to a separate depowdering station — enabling contact-free powder processing and enhanced lab safety, especially when handling highly reactive powders.

5. Multi-Material Printing with Customizable Layer Thickness

The feed cylinder accommodates various metal powders, allowing different powders to be spread across distinct layers. Layer thickness is flexibly adjustable, facilitating gradient material research and customized property tuning.

6. Open Ecosystem and Future-Proof Modularity

A modular system architecture, standardized interfaces, and an expandable control framework offer seamless upgrades and the integration of auxiliary modules such as multispectral melt pool monitoring and interlayer topography scanning systems.

Empowering Academic Innovation

The field of micron-level, high-precision metal 3D printing has already fostered numerous landmark academic publications, signaling abundant opportunities for novel breakthroughs.

- China University of Petroleum (Beijing) — Prof. Hao Shijie’s team, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia, Yunyao DeepDimension, and Germany's Aixway3D, published in Additive Manufacturing, presenting a study titled “Micro Laser Powder Bed Fusion of NiTi Alloys with Superior Mechanical Properties and Shape Recovery Function”. The research demonstrated how optimizing laser power and scanning speed, combined with small laser spots, fine powder, and thin powder layers, achieved superior density and surface finish. The study also contrasted μ-LPBF’s single-track scanning with conventional multi-track LPBF from a thermal history perspective and explored the distinct manufacturing, microstructural, phase transformation, and mechanical characteristics of NiTi alloys fabricated via μ-LPBF.

- ShanghaiTech University CASE Center — Led by Dr. Zhai Zirong, the team published in Materials & Design an article titled “Microstructure and Mechanical Property Comparison of Inconel Alloys Fabricated Using Micro and Conventional Laser Powder Bed Fusion”. Their findings revealed that the reduced energy input from small 20μm laser spots in μ-LPBF significantly increased solidification rates, encouraging a transition from columnar to equiaxed grains, thereby producing fine-grained, weakly textured high-temperature alloys with substantially improved yield strength in specific orientations.

- Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Plasticity — Prof. Chen Jun’s team reported in Materials Research Letters the discovery of two distinct dislocation structures and elemental segregation patterns within the melt pool of 316L stainless steel fabricated via micro-laser powder bed fusion by Yunyao DeepDimension. The study, “Formation of Two Distinct Cellular Structures in 316L Stainless Steel Fabricated by Micro-Laser Beam Powder-Bed-Fusion”, detailed the correlation between process parameters, microstructural formation, solidification behavior, and resultant mechanical properties.

Research Support Program Now Available

Yunyao DeepDimension has announced the launch of a Research Support Program for its new 5-micron layer, 500°C preheating, ultra-high-precision metal 3D printer. The program includes complimentary sample print validation, free maintenance for the first year, and two complimentary calibrations.

Additionally, Yunyao DeepDimension seeks to collaborate with distributors and academic partners to jointly advance the progress of ultra-high-precision metal additive manufacturing.

About Yunyao DeepDimension

Yunyao DeepDimension (Jiangsu) Technology Co., Ltd. was founded by a veteran team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, the birthplace of mainstream LPBF/SLM technology. The company’s founder trained under pioneers of metal additive manufacturing. With its Chinese headquarters in Taicang, Jiangsu, and European operations in Aachen, Germany, Yunyao DeepDimension offers proprietary micron and sub-micron metal 3D printing technologies, achieving typical printing precision of 2–10μm, ultra-smooth surface finishes of 0.8–2.8μm, and multi-angle, support-free fabrication for complex precision metal structures — filling a critical gap in China's high-precision metal AM sector.

Leveraging its formidable expert team, the company maintains close partnerships with renowned research institutions, universities, and industrial enterprises worldwide, including Lufthansa Technik Group and China National Machinery Research Institute.