Freemelt receives eMELT order from China's Jiuli for energy and medical applications
Hardware
Originally reported by Metal AM
Swedish electron beam powder bed fusion (PBF-EB) specialist Freemelt has received an order from its Chinese partner Jiuli for an eMELT system, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. The order builds on a strategic collaboration agreement established in 2025, under which Jiuli provides local technical expertise and customer relationships to help Freemelt penetrate the Chinese market. The eMELT machine will target applications in the energy and medical technology sectors, two verticals where PBF-EB's high-temperature capability and low residual stress profile offer advantages over laser-based processes for refractory metals and large-format parts.
This order is a concrete signal that Freemelt's PBF-EB technology is moving beyond the demonstration phase into commercial adoption, but the context matters. China is the world's largest and most competitive metal AM market, dominated by domestic OEMs like BLT, Eplus3D, and Farsoon who have deep local supply chains and aggressive pricing. Freemelt's partnership with Jiuli - a Chinese industrial group with established customer networks - is a classic localization play that mirrors how Western AM companies have historically entered the Chinese market. The energy vertical is particularly relevant: PBF-EB can process tungsten and other high-melting-point materials needed for nuclear fusion components, oil and gas downhole tools, and medical implants, where Freemelt's technology competes indirectly with LPBF systems from EOS, Trumpf, and SLM Solutions. The order is modest in absolute terms - a single machine - but it validates the partnership model and provides a reference installation that could unlock repeat business.
For Freemelt, the execution challenge is now operational: delivering the eMELT on schedule, ensuring Jiuli's service team can support the system independently, and building a pipeline of qualified applications that justify the machine's cost premium over LPBF alternatives. For the broader AM industry, this is a reminder that PBF-EB remains a niche but technically important process segment, and that Chinese market access for Western hardware increasingly depends on local partnerships rather than direct export. The real test will be whether Jiuli can convert this first installation into a sustained service and materials business, or whether it remains a single-unit sale.
Topics