Binder Jetting Process Patent Landscape 2026
Binder jetting IP is moderately concentrated, with Desktop Metal commanding the leading position among a small cohort of active filers spanning metal powder, ceramics, and sports equipment applications. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, with recent three-year filings well above the prior window, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak.
Desktop Metal leads a moderately concentrated field with a long tail of niche filers
Desktop Metal holds the top-ranked position with 47 patent families, nearly three times the output of the second-ranked applicant, Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp, at 15 patent families — establishing a pronounced tier gap at the very top of the field.
The top five filers account for 42% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate-to-high concentration at the apex but meaningful activity distributed across a broader set of specialist entrants, including Hoeganaes Corp, General Electric, and Honeywell International.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desktop Metal Inc | 47 | |
| 2 | Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp | 15 | |
| 3 | Hoeganaes Corp | 9 | |
| 4 | General Electric Co | 7 | |
| 5 | Honeywell International Inc | 7 | |
| 6 | General Electric Renovables Espana SL | 7 | |
| 7 | UT-Battelle LLC | 5 | |
| 8 | A&S BUSINESS GRP PTY LTD | 5 | |
| 9 | CONCR3DE BV | 5 | |
| 10 | Sandvik Machining Solutions AB | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Keracel Inc | 4 | |
| 12 | 3M Innovative Properties Co | 4 | |
| 13 | South China University of Technology | 3 | |
| 14 | Suleyman Demirel University | 3 | |
| 15 | University of Aveiro | 3 | |
| 16 | Porcelanas da Costa Verde SA | 3 | |
| 17 | Atomik AM Ltd | 3 | |
| 18 | The Nano Co Inc | 3 | |
| 19 | Evove Ltd | 3 | |
| 20 | The Boeing Co | 3 |
Desktop Metal’s dominant position reflects a deliberate platform strategy covering process equipment, binder chemistry, and post-processing, while mid-tier players tend to cluster around specific material classes or end-use verticals, suggesting the field has not yet converged on a single dominant architecture.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are understated due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a slowdown; the scope covers global patent families with the. United States as the lead office. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year filing growth with additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy dominating the technology mix
Annual filings rose sharply from 2017 and reached a 2023 peak before easing, a pattern consistent with a maturing but still active growth phase; the recent three-year window sits 77% above the prior three-year window. The technology composition is anchored in two core branches — additive manufacturing (B33Y) and powder metallurgy (B22F) — with plastics shaping (B29C) forming a distinct secondary cluster.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed from 6 in 2017 to a high of 37 in 2023, then recorded 21 in 2024 and 13 in 2025; the 2024–2025 figures are understated by publication lag and should not be read as a structural decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B33Y (additive manufacturing) and B22F (powder metallurgy) dominate, reflecting the process-and-feedstock pairing that defines binder jetting; B29C (plastics shaping) and B28B (clay and cement products) appear as meaningful secondary branches, while C22C (alloys), A63B (sports equipment), and C04B (ceramics) mark specialized application verticals.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Method of compensating for sintering warpage due t…
A method of compensating for sintering warpage due to powder spreading density variations in binder jetting additive manufacturing, including receiving an initial design file defining an object geometry, representing the object geometry as a part mesh and filling the mesh with a grid of voxels to create a voxel grid, each voxel having at least one shrinkage… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | System for fabricating an interface layer to separ… | 87 |
| 2 | Reversible binders for use in binder jetting addit… | 63 |
| 3 | Thermoplastic binders for use in binder jetting ad… | 38 |
| 4 | Method for fabricating an interface layer to separ… | 38 |
| 5 | Infiltrated Segregated Ferrous Materials | 36 |
| 6 | Powder dispensing in binder jetting for additive m… | 24 |
| 7 | Automated depowdering of 3D printed objects | 23 |
| 8 | Method of making a pre-sintered preform | 20 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure implies for R&D investment decisions
The combination of a clear leader, a 77% multi-year growth signal, moderate concentration, and sparse adjacent branches points to a field where targeted technical differentiation — particularly in materials and post-processing — can still yield defensible IP positions.
Growth phase, past its 2023 annual peak but multi-year expansion intact
The field carries a Growth lifecycle designation: recent three-year filings sit 77% above the prior three-year window, confirming multi-year expansion. Annual volume eased from the 2023 peak of 37 filings, but publication lag means 2024–2025 data understate true activity. Entrants still have a realistic window to establish IP before the field matures further.
Growth · past 2023 peakOne dominant player, a shallow mid-tier, and an active long tail
Desktop Metal’s 47 patent families are nearly triple the second-ranked applicant’s 15, creating a significant moat at the top. The top five filers hold 42% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, while ranked applicants 6–20 each hold single-digit family counts. New entrants are more likely to differentiate through material or application specificity than to challenge the leader on process breadth.
Moderate-high concentrationMinimal co-filing activity; UT-Battelle and University of Tennessee Research Foundation are the only identified co-filers
The evidence shows two co-filing pairs, both involving UT-Battelle (the operating arm of Oak Ridge National Laboratory) together with ExOne and with the University of Tennessee Research Foundation respectively, each with a single shared family. Co-development activity is sparse relative to the total corpus, suggesting that most IP is generated within single-entity R&D programmes rather than through consortium or academic partnerships.
Low collaboration densityUS-centric protection with selective EPO and PCT coverage; Asia under-filed
The United States leads with 103 patent records, followed by EPO and WIPO PCT filings at 34 each, indicating that leading applicants are pursuing transatlantic protection as a baseline. China holds only 9 records and South Korea 7, a low share given both markets’ manufacturing scale — representing either a strategic gap or deliberate prioritisation of Western markets by current filers.
US-led · Asia sparseGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| UT-Battelle LLC | ExOne LLC | 1 |
| UT-Battelle LLC | University of Tennessee Research Foundation | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Desktop Metal anchors process IP; Topgolf Callaway Brands leads a sports-equipment application vertical
The two largest filers illustrate the breadth of binder jetting IP: Desktop Metal is a platform-level process owner across metals and polymer-mixed feedstocks, while Topgolf Callaway Brands represents a compelling case of a product-focused company building deep process IP for a single end-use vertical.
Desktop Metal Inc
Desktop Metal holds 47 patent families — the largest portfolio in the corpus — concentrated in additive manufacturing process steps (B33Y10, B33Y30) and powder metallurgy feedstock engineering (B22F1). Its applicant momentum is flagged as a new entrant in the most recent measurement window with 14 recent families, reflecting a concentrated burst of filing activity rather than a long legacy position. The portfolio breadth across process, equipment, and materials makes it the single most comprehensive IP holder in the field.
families: 47Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp
Topgolf Callaway Brands holds 15 patent families and is the clearest example of vertical-application IP strategy in the corpus, with its top technology focus in sports and gymnastics equipment (A63B53) alongside powder metallurgy (B22F10) and additive manufacturing process steps (B33Y10). With 11 recent families, its momentum is also flagged as a new entrant, suggesting a rapid ramp-up in binder jetting IP specifically for precision sports equipment manufacturing.
families: 15| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Metal Inc | 14 | ▲ new entrant |
| General Electric Co | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp | 11 | ▲ new entrant |
| Digital Metal AB | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hoeganaes Corp | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
| Sandvik Machining Solutions AB | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| UT-Battelle LLC | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| CONCR3DE BV | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
Ceramics, alloy composition, and cleaning/depowdering are under-served relative to core process classes
Several IPC branches with plausible technical relevance to binder jetting carry low patent counts, pointing to areas where IP density is sparse relative to the dominant process and powder metallurgy classes. These are observations of relative sparsity; only branches with a plausible technical rationale and realistic entry path are highlighted as worth watching.
C04B · Ceramics, cement & refractories
With only 13 patent records against 195 in the dominant B33Y class, ceramic binder jetting is materially under-filed relative to its technical importance: ceramic components for aerospace, medical implants, and energy applications are a known growth target for binder jetting. The adjacent B28B branch (clay and cement, 25 records) is larger but still sparse. An entrant with expertise in ceramic powder characterisation, binder-ceramic compatibility, or sintering process control could build a differentiated position here with relatively low existing IP density to navigate.
Search this in Eureka →B08B · Cleaning (general) — depowdering and post-process removal
B08B holds only 8 patent records, yet depowdering and cleaning of binder-jetted parts is a well-documented process bottleneck that limits throughput and surface quality. The most-cited patent in the corpus (‘Automated depowdering of 3D printed objects’) confirms that this sub-problem is technically recognised but has attracted limited dedicated IP. An organisation developing automated depowdering hardware, ultrasonic or fluidic cleaning methods, or integrated cleaning modules could enter a sparse branch with direct commercial relevance to production-scale binder jetting operations.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders diverge across process, material, and application technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B33Y 10 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 10 · Powder metallurgy | B29C 64 · Shaping of plastics | B33Y 30 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 3 · Powder metallurgy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop Metal Inc | Strong · 39 | Strong · 25 | Strong · 22 | Strong · 29 | Strong · 21 |
| General Electric Co | Strong · 18 | Moderate · 7 | Strong · 10 | Strong · 10 | Moderate · 9 |
| Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp | Strong · 13 | Strong · 13 | Moderate · 4 | Absent | Moderate · 4 |
| CONCR3DE BV | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Absent |
| Digital Metal AB | Absent | Strong · 8 | Moderate · 4 | Strong · 8 | Absent |
| Honeywell International Inc | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 7 |
| Hoeganaes Corp | Strong · 5 | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 2 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 197 patent families in scope covering binder jetting process technology globally.
Desktop Metal Inc leads with 47 patent families, nearly three times the output of the second-ranked applicant, Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp, which holds 15 patent families.
Yes, on a multi-year basis. Recent three-year filings are 77% above the prior three-year window, confirming continued expansion. Annual volume reached a peak of 37 filings in 2023 and has eased since, though 2024–2025 counts are understated by publication lag and should not be read as a structural decline.
The United States leads with 103 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO PCT filings at 34 each. China holds 9 records and South Korea 7, indicating that Asian jurisdiction coverage is relatively sparse compared to the US and European markets.
The most-cited patent in the corpus is ‘System for fabricating an interface layer to separate’ with 87 citations, followed by ‘Reversible binders for use in binder jetting additive manufacturing’ at 63 citations and ‘Thermoplastic binders for use in binder jetting additive manufacturing’ at 38 citations — reflecting that binder chemistry and interface engineering are the technically most referenced sub-areas.
Ceramics and refractories (C04B, 13 patent records) and cleaning or depowdering processes (B08B, 8 patent records) are the sparsest adjacent branches relative to the dominant additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy classes. Both have plausible technical relevance to production-scale binder jetting and represent areas of relatively low existing IP density.
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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.
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