DED Digital Twin Patent Snapshot 2026
The patent corpus for DED (Directed Energy Deposition) Digital Twin is extremely nascent, with only 4 patent families in scope and no single dominant route. Activity is fragmented across academic institutions and aerospace suppliers, with India holding the most patent records and additive manufacturing (B33Y) accounting for every family.
A fragmented, early-stage field with no clear leader
Six distinct applicants each hold a single patent record, making JB Institute of Inventors Association, Hamilton Sundstrand Corp, RVR & JC College of Engineering, Goodrich Corp, University of Coimbra, and Goodrich Aerospace Canada Ltd co-equal at the top of the ranking.
The top five filers collectively account for 83% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total — a very high concentration figure, but one that reflects the microscopic scale of the corpus rather than any structural dominance. There is effectively no tier gap between applicants at this stage.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JB Institute of Inventors Association | 1 | |
| 2 | Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | 1 | |
| 3 | RVR & JC COLLEGE OF ENG | 1 | |
| 4 | Goodrich Corporation | 1 | |
| 5 | University of Coimbra | 1 | |
| 6 | Goodrich Aerospace Canada Ltd | 1 |
The absence of an established leader means the field is open: no single incumbent has built a defensible position, and first-mover advantages are still available to any organization that can sustain a focused filing programme.
The corpus covers global filings through mid-2026; the most recent 18–24 months are subject to publication lag and may under-represent actual activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sparse filing history with a possible uptick in 2025
The annual filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that has barely moved for most of the decade, with isolated activity only since 2021. Additive manufacturing is the unambiguous technical anchor.
Annual filing trend
No filings were recorded from 2017 through 2020; a single record appeared in 2021, followed by a gap through 2023, one record in 2024, and two records attributed to 2025. Because the most recent 18–24 months are affected by publication lag, the 2025 figure should be treated as a floor, not a ceiling.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing) covers all four families, confirming it as the defining branch. B23K (Welding, soldering and brazing) and G06N (AI-based computing) each appear in two records, indicating that process-control and machine-learning angles are early secondary themes. A61B (Diagnosis and surgery), B22F (Powder metallurgy), and G05B (Control and regulating systems) each appear in one record, reflecting exploratory cross-domain work.
↗ 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.
Methods and apparatus for cognitive robotic additi…
The present disclosure describes a new method and platform for adaptive and controlled material deposition based on directed energy deposition (DED) technology that facilitates development of modern metallic components at a lower cost and waste rate, while increasing the quality, precision and user-friendliness. The platform transforms robotic Direct Energy… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Methods and apparatus for cognitive robotic additi… | 7 |
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.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Goodrich / BF Goodrich (Aerospace)
Goodrich Corp and its affiliate Goodrich Aerospace Canada Ltd each hold one patent record, and BF Goodrich (US) is identified as a new entrant with one recent record — marking it as the only applicant showing measurable momentum. Their technology focus clusters around B23K 9 (arc welding processes), B33Y 30 (additive manufacturing equipment), and B33Y 50 (data and control for additive manufacturing), pointing to process-level digital-twin integration for aerospace DED components. Their combined presence across the Goodrich family makes them the closest thing to a leader in this nascent corpus.
patent records: 1 (each entity)University of Coimbra
The University of Coimbra holds one patent record with a focus on B22F 10 and B22F 12 (powder metallurgy process routes) and B33Y 30 (additive manufacturing equipment), indicating a materials-science approach to DED digital twins. As an academic filer, its trajectory is harder to extrapolate than a commercial entity’s, but its presence in PCT and European contexts adds international reach that the India-based academic filers currently lack.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 4 patent families in scope. This is an exceptionally small corpus, reflecting the early-stage intersection of directed energy deposition processes and digital-twin methodology.
India holds the most patent records among the jurisdictions covered, followed by the United States and WIPO (PCT). The India-heavy profile largely reflects the academic institutions — JB Institute of Inventors Association and RVR & JC College of Engineering — that are domiciled there.
Six applicants each hold one patent record: JB Institute of Inventors Association, Hamilton Sundstrand Corp, RVR & JC College of Engineering, Goodrich Corp, University of Coimbra, and Goodrich Aerospace Canada Ltd. No single applicant has established a meaningful lead in terms of portfolio size.
B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing) covers all four patent families and is the unambiguous visible branch. B23K (Welding, soldering and brazing) and G06N (AI-based computing) each appear in two records as secondary themes.
Annual filings have plateaued near their modest peak, which was reached in 2021. The lifecycle evidence classifies the field at a Maturity stage in terms of filing cadence, though the absolute volume is too small to draw strong conclusions. The most recent filings (2024–2025) remain subject to publication lag and may under-represent true activity.
Two branches stand out for their relative sparsity relative to their technical relevance: G05B (control and regulating systems), which underpins closed-loop digital-twin feedback, appears in only one record; and G06N (AI and machine-learning models), while present in two records, is held entirely by a single academic applicant with no commercial-sector competition.
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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.