Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing Technology Landscape 2026
Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing Technology Landscape 2026
Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing has reached an inflection point after 30+ years of foundational research, now generating accelerating patent filings since 2020. Aerospace, defense, and energy sectors are deploying CSAM for structural fabrication, repair, and near-net-shape production.
From Coating Technology to Structural Manufacturing Platform
Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing is a solid-state, powder-based process in which metallic particles (typically 5–50 µm diameter) are accelerated to supersonic velocities through a de Laval nozzle and deposited via kinetic energy and severe plastic deformation—without melting. This suppresses oxidation, phase transformation, and thermal residual stress compared to plasma spray, HVOF, or laser powder bed fusion routes.
Two principal operating regimes dominate the dataset: High-Pressure Cold Spray (HPCS), operating at 1.5–6 MPa and up to 800°C (below melting), capable of depositing Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel, and stainless steels; and Low-Pressure Cold Spray (LPCS), suited to softer metals, cermets, and metal matrix composites. A third variant—vacuum cold spray—appears in the most recent Chinese filings from 2023–2025.
The US leads patent filings in this dataset with approximately 30 records, followed by CN (approximately 10) and EP (approximately 10). The Boeing Company is the single most prolific filer with approximately 15 distinct patent records spanning 2021–2026, covering SPFDB hybridization, GAMMC feedstock, multi-curved components, and airfoil leading-edge structures.
Key sub-domains identified include freeform near-net-shape fabrication, structural repair and remanufacturing, hybrid CSAM (combined with laser cladding, hot isostatic pressing, or superplastic forming), feedstock engineering, process modeling and digital twins, and functional coating deposition. Literature confirms cold spray R&D efforts doubled during the previous decade.
Patent Filing Acceleration and Technology Cluster Distribution
Patent filings in Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing have intensified since 2020, with the 2021–2023 period being the most densely populated in this dataset. Four primary technology clusters—structural fabrication, hybrid CSAM, feedstock engineering, and process control—show distinct maturity profiles.
CSAM Technology Cluster Distribution by Patent Count
Hybrid CSAM and structural fabrication clusters dominate the dataset, reflecting the field’s transition from coating applications toward full structural manufacturing.
↗ Click bars to exploreCSAM Patent Filing Volume by Era (Dataset Snapshot)
The 2021–2023 era is the most densely populated in the dataset, with Boeing alone accounting for approximately 12 distinct filings in that period, reflecting a broad commercialization push.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Deployment Domains for Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing
Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing has demonstrated industrial deployments across aerospace, defense, power generation, nuclear fusion infrastructure, and automotive sectors, each with distinct technical requirements and patent activity profiles documented in this dataset.
Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing
Boeing’s multi-patent CSAM program targets airfoil leading-edge structures, multi-curved reinforced rotorcraft components, landing gear hydraulics, and magnesium aerospace component repair. The US DoD MIL-STD-3021 standard enables military applications including UH-60 Black Hawk magnesium repair and B-1 Lancer landing gear hydraulics. Triton Systems’ 2024 US patent describes fragmentation warhead fabrication at deposition rates up to 10 kg/hr with build volumes of 9 m × 3 m × 15 m.
Aerospace & DefensePower Generation Turbine Components
General Electric holds patents on internally cooled turbine blisks (US, 2016/2018) and thermal barrier coatings for hot section gas turbine components (US and EP, 2013). CSIRO’s wrought structure patents explicitly reference titanium alloy turbine component preforms, and literature documents cold spray repair of gas turbine blades, vanes, and combustion chambers. The GE thermal barrier coating patent established cold spray as a viable route for ceramic-metallic functional coatings.
Power GenerationNuclear Fusion First Wall (KIT/ITER)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) developed a hybrid CSAM + machining process for nuclear fusion First Wall components relevant to ITER and DEMO, depositing 9%Cr steel in alternation with machining to create closed internal cooling channels. The resulting preforms are joined by hot isostatic pressing. This application is documented in 2023 literature and represents a niche but technically significant deployment of CSAM in advanced energy infrastructure.
Nuclear Fusion InfrastructureAutomotive, Oil & Gas, Heavy Industry
Literature cites compact, portable cold spray systems enabling in-situ stainless steel deposition for automotive repair and oil and gas component restoration. A 2023 life cycle assessment study documented CSAM’s environmental profile versus conventional machining for aluminum flange production. Low-pressure cold spray for transparent conductive oxide sputtering target fabrication appears in 2017 literature, and superhydrophobic coatings via LPCS are documented from 2019.
Industrial Repair & RemanufacturingDominant Patent Assignees in Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing
The Boeing Company leads the dataset with approximately 15 distinct patent records spanning 2021–2026, while CSIRO holds a multi-jurisdictional portfolio spanning SG, AU, US, and EP jurisdictions from 2019 to 2025, representing the two most strategically significant assignees in this Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing patent landscape.
Top Assignees by Patent Filing Count — CSAM Dataset
↗ Click bars to exploreThe Boeing Company
Boeing is the most prolific CSAM patent filer in this dataset, with approximately 15 distinct patent records spanning 2021–2026 across US and EP jurisdictions. Key patents cover SPFDB hybrid CSAM (US 2021, 2023, 2024), gas-atomized metal matrix composite feedstock (US 2021, 2023, 2024), multi-curved reinforced components (US 2021, 2025; EP 2021, 2024), and airfoil leading-edge structures (US 2024, 2025, 2026; EP 2024). Multiple records are active US grants or pending applications, signaling sustained IP investment through 2026.
United StatesCSIRO
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation holds a multi-jurisdictional portfolio on “Process for forming wrought structures using cold spray,” with active grants in SG (2020, 2022), AU (2020, 2023), US (2022, 2024), and EP (2025). CSIRO’s approach combines cold spray preform deposition with hot isostatic pressing post-processing to achieve wrought-equivalent recrystallized microstructures, enabling structural applications such as rotating titanium components. An EP preform patent (2019) and the active EP 2025 grant confirm CSIRO’s sustained and internationally validated IP position.
AustraliaFive Forward-Looking Directions in CSAM (2023–2026 Filings)
Based on filings dated 2023–2026 within this dataset, five forward-looking directions have been identified, ranging from vacuum-environment equipment to precision robot path planning and defense-specific high-rate deposition.
Vacuum-Environment Cold Spray with Gas Recycling
Two Chinese patents (2023, 2025) describe enclosed vacuum chamber CSAM systems with integrated gas and powder recycling. These systems suppress ambient air interference, improve particle purity, and enable recovery of expensive propellant gases—notably helium. The 2025 filing from Hebei Jingyeli Additive Manufacturing integrates in-situ electrical current loading on the workpiece during spraying, a novel mechanism not previously documented in this dataset.
Precision Robot Path Planning with Edge Compensation
The 2026 CN filing from Hubei Chaozuo Aviation Technology targets systematic geometric error in CSAM by computing edge-dimension compensation quantities based on robot spray angle and slice contour data, then generating corrected robot program instructions. This directly addresses the surface waviness and edge underfill problem that currently requires post-machining, a persistent barrier to CSAM geometric accuracy.
High-Pressure Cold Spray vs. Low-Pressure Cold Spray: Key Dimensions
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| Dimension | High-Pressure Cold Spray (HPCS) | Low-Pressure Cold Spray (LPCS) |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Pressure | 1.5–6 MPa | Sub-atmospheric / below 1 MPa |
| Gas Preheat Temperature | Up to 800°C (below melting point) | Lower temperature range; not specified at HPCS levels in dataset |
| Particle Velocity | Approaches or exceeds 800 m/s | Lower velocity; sufficient for softer materials |
| Material Systems | Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel, stainless steels, aluminum, copper, nickel superalloys | Softer metals, cermets, metal matrix composites (MMCs) |
| Primary Applications | Structural near-net-shape fabrication, aerospace components, turbine preforms | Functional coatings, electronics metallization, EMI shielding, sputtering targets |
| Key Limitation | Interlaminar bond strength, geometric accuracy, surface finish control | Limited to softer materials; lower structural performance |
| Documented Post-Processing | Hot isostatic pressing (HIP), SPFDB, laser-assisted thermal regulation | Minimal documented post-processing in this dataset |
| Representative Assignees | Boeing, CSIRO, General Electric, United Technologies, National Research Council of Canada | Documented in literature (electronics, coatings); fewer named assignees in patent dataset |
Frequently Asked Questions: Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing
CSAM uses a fully solid-state deposition mechanism—metallic particles are accelerated to supersonic velocities and deposited via kinetic energy and severe plastic deformation without melting. This suppresses oxidation, phase transformation, and thermal residual stress compared to plasma spray, HVOF, or laser powder bed fusion routes. Bonding occurs through adiabatic shear instability analogous to explosion welding.
High-Pressure Cold Spray (HPCS) operates at 1.5–6 MPa and up to 800°C, capable of depositing structural alloys including Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel, and stainless steels at particle velocities approaching or exceeding 800 m/s. Low-Pressure Cold Spray (LPCS) operates at sub-atmospheric pressures and is primarily suited to softer metals, cermets, and metal matrix composites. A third variant—vacuum cold spray—appears in Chinese filings from 2023–2025.
The Boeing Company is the single most prolific patent filer with approximately 15 distinct patent records spanning 2021–2026 across US and EP jurisdictions. Boeing’s portfolio covers SPFDB hybrid CSAM, gas-atomized metal matrix composite (GAMMC) feedstock, multi-curved reinforced components for rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft, and airfoil leading-edge structures including a 2026 US filing on velocity-stratified layer deposition.
CSIRO’s process combines cold spray preform deposition with hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-processing to achieve wrought-equivalent recrystallized microstructures, eliminating residual porosity. This unlocks structural applications—such as rotating titanium components—that as-sprayed CSAM deposits cannot reach. CSIRO holds multi-jurisdictional grants in SG (2020, 2022), AU (2020, 2023), US (2022, 2024), and EP (2025).
Five directions are identified: (1) vacuum-environment CSAM with integrated gas/powder recycling and in-situ electrical current loading (CN, 2023–2025); (2) precision robot path planning with edge-dimension compensation (CN, 2026); (3) freeform multi-curvature structures with velocity-stratified layer deposition (Boeing, 2025–2026); (4) defense-specific high-rate CSAM for fragmentation warheads at up to 10 kg/hr (Triton Systems, US 2024); and (5) hybrid laser cladding + cold spray peening composite systems (Nanjing Tech, CN 2022, 2024).
The US leads this dataset with approximately 30 records in both volume and breadth. China is the most active single non-US jurisdiction with approximately 10 records, with filings intensifying post-2020 and two filings in 2025–2026. EP has approximately 10 records, Australia has 3, Singapore has 2, and WO has 1 record in this dataset.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.