Sailong Metal Delivers Over 50,000 Electron Beam 3D-Printed Medical Implants Annually

The 2025 Formnext Shenzhen exhibition drew more than 20,000 professionals, while Panda3dp.com’s livestream attracted over 34,000 online viewers.

At the booth of Xi’an Sailong Additive Technology Co., Ltd.—a pioneer in electron beam metal 3D printing (SEBM)—Manager Li introduced the company’s three core business segments and showcased large-scale applications of SEBM technology in medical, automotive, and research fields.

1. Core Equipment: Comprehensive Metal Powder Solutions

Sailong highlighted its advanced powder production systems covering both research and industrial needs:

· Desktop PREP Systems: Tailored for universities and research institutes, already widely adopted as standard equipment in additive manufacturing labs.

· Industrial PREP Systems: Utilizing plasma rotating electrode atomization, capable of producing nearly all alloy powders with melting points below 3,500°C—including refractory metals like tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, and niobium. Major Chinese powder producers now rely on this equipment.

· Microwave Plasma Powder Systems (New Release):

o Micron-Scale Spheroidization: Improves flowability of irregular powders such as titanium, iron-based alloys, superalloys, and ceramics.

o Nano-Scale Powder Production: Successfully developed silicon, copper, nickel, and their carbides, oxides, and nitrides, opening new avenues for advanced materials.

2. Core Equipment: SEBM Printer Family

Sailong presented three SEBM models for distinct markets:

· Y150 (Ø170 × 180 mm): Designed for universities and research institutions.

· T200 (200 × 200 × 450 mm): Tailored for medical device companies, specializing in batch implant manufacturing.

· H400 (400 × 400 × 400 mm): Aimed at aerospace, capable of printing large and complex structures.

Technical Advantages: SEBM excels in areas where laser-based SLM struggles:

· Brittle Materials: Effective with titanium aluminide (TiAl); a printed TiAl blade was on display as proof of maturity.

· High-Reflectivity Metals: Processes pure copper and copper alloys stably, avoiding reflection issues. Sailong is already collaborating with automotive component suppliers on such materials.

3. Large-Scale Printing Services: Batch Production in Three Key Fields

Beyond equipment sales, Sailong operates over 30 SEBM machines, providing extensive printing services. Two of its projects have been recognized as official “typical application scenarios” by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

· Medical Implants:

o In 2024, Sailong delivered more than 50,000 implants, underscoring its production scale.

o Capabilities include standardized titanium alloy implants (acetabular cups, fusion cages), custom porous tantalum implants, and zirconium-niobium implants for hips, knees, and personalized prosthetics.

o Its trabecular acetabular cup design was selected as a MIIT benchmark case. A single build can produce 288 cups, with stacking techniques further multiplying yield, drastically reducing per-unit costs.

· Automotive Components:

o Focused on coil production for auto suppliers, another MIIT-recognized application.

o Collaborating with over 20 automotive component manufacturers, achieving small-batch production.

· Research & Materials Exploration:

o Supporting 30+ universities and institutes in breakthroughs with refractory alloys (Ta, W, Mo, Nb), superalloys (IN718, IN625), and brittle materials (TiAl4822, TiAl45XD).

Through its differentiated SEBM pathway, Sailong Metal is carving out a unique high-efficiency trajectory in metal additive manufacturing. Its achievements in large-scale medical implant production are particularly remarkable. Combined with expertise in hard-to-process materials like TiAl and pure copper, and an end-to-end presence from powder production to part manufacturing, Sailong has built formidable competitiveness in aerospace, new energy vehicles, and other high-value sectors. Sailong’s success illustrates that by aligning technological strengths with market demand, 3D printing can indeed progress beyond the lab—into scaled, commercialized reality.