Antarctic Bear Guide: In recent years, many metal 3D printing equipment manufacturers have introduced “support-free metal 3D printing” technology. While it is termed support-free, it is more accurate to describe it as having minimal support, as support structures are still required for angles less than 15°.
Breaking through 0-15° support-free printing, dismantling industry barriers
On August 26, 2025, Antarctic Bear learned that Zhongke Xianglong has achieved a significant technological breakthrough in the field of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metal 3D printing. Their integrated solution for support-free 3D printing of high-temperature alloys and titanium alloys has reduced the support-free printing limit to below 15°, enabling support-free printing from 0° to 15°, which is equivalent to completely support-free printing, setting a new technical benchmark in the industry.
△Metal parts printed without support by Zhongke Xianglong
In the LPBF process, support structures are a key bottleneck that restricts technological upgrades. While they ensure printing stability, they also lead to increased material waste, extended production cycles, and rising post-processing costs. Zhongke Xianglong has restructured the process system and precisely controlled laser energy on a model of metal 3D printing equipment that does not include support-free printing technology, breaking through traditional technical limitations to achieve support-free printing at low angles, even below 15°. This not only preserves the surface quality and overall mechanical properties of the parts (equivalent to traditional support processes) but also establishes a collaborative optimization system of “cost reduction – efficiency improvement – quality enhancement.”
From aerospace to consumer goods, comprehensive adaptability and value enhancement
This means that Zhongke Xianglong’s integrated solution for support-free 3D printing can also be adapted to various types of metal 3D printers. Do not underestimate the number “15°”; it represents a substantial technological leap.
It is reported that this technology is expected to demonstrate its adaptability and application value across multiple fields:
● In the aerospace field, it can achieve integrated forming of complex components such as impellers and turbines, expanding design freedom by reducing internal supports, thus aiding in weight reduction and efficiency enhancement of aircraft.
● In the automotive manufacturing sector, leveraging lightweight structural printing capabilities can reduce material consumption of components while simultaneously improving production rhythm and fuel economy;
● In the medical device field, high precision and superior surface quality ensure product dimensional stability and safety;
● In the consumer goods sector, it meets personalized demands through design freedom, enhancing market competitiveness for enterprises.
△A turbine from an engine
Economic and environmental value throughout the lifecycle
From a lifecycle assessment perspective, compared to traditional additive manufacturing methods, Zhongke Xianglong’s support-free metal 3D printing technology shows significant advantages. By reducing or eliminating support structures, it greatly decreases powder consumption and material waste; it shortens printing time and reduces post-processing steps, effectively lowering energy consumption and improving energy efficiency in the production process.
Moreover, optimized geometric shapes help parts dissipate heat better and reduce stress concentration, thereby extending the service life of parts and enhancing the economic and environmental value of the technology from a lifecycle perspective.
Zhongke Xianglong’s technology, by breaking through process limits, ensuring part quality, expanding application boundaries, and enhancing overall benefits, promotes the LPBF technology from “feasible” to “efficient,” “economic,” and “sustainable,” providing core support for the large-scale application of additive manufacturing in the industry.
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