Advanced Manufacturing Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
- No single company dominates. the ranked leader holds 427 records and the top 10 combined account for just 13.8% of all 15,535 records in scope — this is a fragmented field, not a gated one.
- Filing has cooled from its 2020 peak. 2020 was the high point at 1,365 records, and 2021's 1,170 fell to 853 by 2024, a 27% decline over that span — though 2025-26 figures are still filling in under publication lag.
- Additive manufacturing now rivals classic machine tool claims. B33Y (additive manufacturing) sits at 17.9% of records, close behind B23Q machine tool fittings at 20.2%, while powder metallurgy (B22F) at 9.3% signals metal-AM's growing claim footprint.
Filing growth compares 2021 (1,170 records) with 2024 (853) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 15,535 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this landscape covers
This dataset spans 15,535 published records filed or published between 2015 and mid-2026 that combine core manufacturing terms — machine tool, digital manufacturing, advanced manufacturing — with process-specific terms spanning precision machining, additive manufacturing, metal casting and smart manufacturing. The scope therefore captures both the physical machine tool tradition (turning, boring, fittings) and the newer digital and additive layers now sitting on top of it.
Records here are counted as families in the assignee ranking, which removes some of the inflation that comes from continuation filings and multi-jurisdiction duplicates. Filing counts for 2025 and 2026 are necessarily incomplete because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months; treat the tail of the trend chart as a floor, not a ceiling.
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Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 15,535 records: how filing volume has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses carry the claim density.
A 2020 peak followed by a real but partial pullback
Filings rose from 811 in 2017 to a peak of 1,365 in 2020, then eased to 1,170 in 2021 and 853 by 2024 — a 27% decline over that three-year window. 2025 and 2026 numbers will rise as publication catches up, so this should not be read as a field in terminal decline.
Machine tool fittings and additive manufacturing lead the composition
B23Q machine tool fittings (20.2% of records) and B33Y additive manufacturing (17.9%) are the two largest subclasses, followed by B29C plastics shaping (14.5%) and G05B control systems (11.7%). Because records can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares sum to well over 100% and should be read individually against the 15,535-record base, not against each other as a closed pie.
Shares are the percentage of the 15,535 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Advanced Manufacturing & Machine Tools Patent Landscape with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about advanced manufacturing & machine tools patent landscape and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaA representative claim and the most-cited records
Cartesian numerically controlled machine tool for high-precision machining (HPT Sinergy)
The filing describes a Cartesian numerically controlled machine tool built from three linked movement stages, each responsible for one controlled axis, together with an onboard optical monitoring system that tracks the position of reference points on each axis to detect deformation during machining.The optical deformation-monitoring layer is the distinguishing element over a conventional three-axis Cartesian tool.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20160045841A1 | New and improved system for processing various chemicals and materials | 860 |
| 2 | US20200259896A1 | Industrial Automation with 5G and Beyond | 751 |
| 3 | US20110029093A1 | Patient-adapted and improved articular implants, designs and related guide tools | 659 |
| 4 | US20110029091A1 | Patient-Adapted and Improved Orthopedic Implants, Designs, and Related Tools | 467 |
| 5 | US20130211531A1 | Patient-adapted and improved articular implants, designs and related guide tools | 461 |
| 6 | US20140163717A1 | Systems and methods for additive manufacturing and repair of metal components | 457 |
| 7 | US20110087332A1 | Patient-adapted and improved articular implants, designs and related guide tools | 444 |
| 8 | US20170223046A1 | Multiphase threat analysis and correlation engine | 394 |
| 9 | US20100003904A1 | High speed flat lapping platen, raised islands and abrasive beads | 381 |
| 10 | US20120209394A1 | Patient-Adapted and Improved Articular Implants, Designs and Related Guide Tools | 378 |
Citation counts favour older filings simply because they have had more time to accumulate citations within the searched corpus — treat this as a signal of influence, not of current technical importance.
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Four read-outs from the ranking, the trend and the IPC composition, translated into what they imply for where to file and who to watch.
Leadership is thin, not absent
The leading assignee holds 427 records and the top 10 combined reach only 13.8% of all records in scope. That leaves a long tail of single- and few-filing entrants with room to establish position, particularly outside the core machine tool fittings class.
A real pullback, not a collapse
Filing fell from 1,170 records in 2021 to 853 in 2024, following a 2020 peak of 1,365. The drop is measured across complete years only; 2025-26 counts are still filling in under normal publication lag and should not be read as continuing the decline.
Additive manufacturing has closed most of the gap on machine tools
B33Y additive manufacturing claims now sit at 17.9% of records, just behind B23Q machine tool fittings at 20.2%. Powder metallurgy (B22F, 9.3%) adds a metal-AM layer underneath both, suggesting the additive and traditional machining traditions are converging in claim space rather than competing for a fixed pool.
Filing is concentrated in the US and Europe
The United States receives the largest share of filings at 5,371, ahead of Europe (EPO) at 2,271, China at 1,522 and Japan at 1,493. WIPO PCT filings (1,305) indicate a meaningful share of applicants are still pursuing multi-jurisdiction protection rather than filing directly.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to advanced manufacturing & machine tools patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where the gate sits
The assignee ranking runs 100 companies deep and shows a fragmented field: a modest leader, a fast-thinning group behind it, and a long tail of infrequent filers. Recent-year momentum for the visible leaders has cooled sharply, which is consistent with the broader 2021-2024 pullback rather than any single company retreating.
A modest lead, not a moat
The top-ranked assignee holds 427 records against a field of 15,535 — enough to lead, not enough to gate the space. Fifth place already drops to 187 and tenth place to 130, showing how quickly the ranking thins.
Leading filers pulled back sharply in the latest year
Several of the most active historical filers show latest-year counts near zero, with year-over-year drops as steep as -87% to -100%. Given publication lag, this partly reflects incomplete recent-year data rather than an actual stop in filing activity.
Co-filing is limited and concentrated
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, and the strongest pair reaches 15 joint filings. This points to a field where most patenting happens under a single corporate owner rather than through joint ventures or research partnerships.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric | 5 | -87% |
| DMG Mori Co., Ltd. | 0 | -100% |
| FANUC Ltd. | 0 | — |
| ConforMIS, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Renishaw plc | 0 | — |
| The Boeing Company | 0 | -100% |
| PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. | 0 | -100% |
| Siemens AG | 0 | -100% |
Where to take this next
The dataset points to a fragmented, still-active field with clear under-claimed branches. Turning that into a filing or freedom-to-operate decision means going deeper than the aggregate view.
Map claim scope on the optical monitoring layer
Deformation-monitoring add-ons to multi-axis machine tools appear thinly claimed relative to the core mechanical tool classes. A focused prior-art pull on this narrow branch would clarify how much room remains.
Explore this branch in EurekaTrack the additive-metallurgy convergence
B33Y and B22F filings are rising in parallel, suggesting hybrid claims spanning additive process and powder metallurgy are becoming more common. Watching this intersection closely over the next few publication cycles will matter more than watching either class alone.
Set up monitoring in EurekaVerify recent-year momentum before acting on it
The steep year-over-year drops shown for top assignees are likely inflated by publication lag rather than an actual pullback. Re-check momentum once 2025-26 filings have had time to publish.
Re-run this analysis in EurekaCommon questions about this landscape
The ranking covers 100 companies drawn from 15,535 records, and it is a fragmented field rather than one dominated by a handful of firms. The leading assignee holds 427 records, fifth place already falls to 187, and the top 10 combined account for only 13.8% of all records in scope. That means a large share of filing activity sits with companies outside the ranked leaders, spread across a long tail of occasional filers.
Filing peaked in 2020 at 1,365 records, then declined from 1,170 in 2021 to 853 in 2024, a 27% drop over that three-year window using only complete years. However, publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so 2025 and 2026 figures are still incomplete and will rise as more filings publish. The honest read is a real pullback from a 2020 high, not a field in terminal decline.
Machine tool fittings (IPC class B23Q) lead at 20.2% of the 15,535 records, closely followed by additive manufacturing (B33Y) at 17.9%. Plastics shaping (B29C, 14.5%) and control/regulating systems (G05B, 11.7%) follow, with powder metallurgy (B22F, 9.3%) reflecting growth in metal additive manufacturing specifically. Because records often carry multiple IPC classes, these shares should be read against the full record count, not against each other as slices of a single pie.
The densest claim territory sits in core machine tool fittings and additive manufacturing process claims, where filing volume is highest and prior art is thickest. Thinner but technically active branches include optical deformation monitoring layered onto multi-axis tools, hybrid additive-subtractive tool heads, and control-loop claims linking industrial automation to newer connectivity standards. These are not guaranteed-clear areas, but they show lower filing density relative to the core classes and warrant a closer prior-art check before committing claim language.
Ownership is not highly concentrated at the top. The leading assignee's 427 records and the top 10's combined 13.8% share of 15,535 records both point to a competitive rather than gated landscape. Co-filing is also limited, with only 10 co-assignee pairs identified across the dataset, suggesting most patenting happens under single corporate ownership rather than joint development arrangements.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.