DED Part Inspection (CT/NDT) Patent Snapshot 2026
The DED part inspection (CT/NDT) patent space is highly concentrated, with a small number of aerospace-sector players accounting for virtually all activity. Filing volume peaked in 2021 and has since eased, signalling a maturing but still narrow field with meaningful adjacent white space.
BAE Systems commands an outsized lead in a tightly held niche
BAE Systems PLC holds the top position with 5 patent families, followed by GKN Aerospace Services Ltd with 2 and JB Institute of Inventors Association with 1. Together these three applicants account for the entire corpus of 8 patent families in scope.
The top five filers hold 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total — an extreme concentration ratio that confirms this is an early-stage, specialist niche rather than a broadly contested technology field. There is no meaningful second tier.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAE Systems PLC | 5 | |
| 2 | GKN Aerospace Services Ltd | 2 | |
| 3 | JB Institute of Inventors Association | 1 |
BAE Systems’ commanding position, built primarily around additive manufacturing process control and powder metallurgy, suggests the company has used patent protection to establish a defensive perimeter around DED inspection workflows. GKN Aerospace’s focus on image data processing represents the closest challenger angle.
Filing data from the most recent 18–24 months should be treated as preliminary due to standard patent publication lag; the apparent absence of very recent grants may therefore understate current activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2021 burst of activity has given way to a quieter phase; additive manufacturing dominates the technology mix
Annual filing volume and the technology branch breakdown together reveal a field that mobilised quickly around 2021 and is now consolidating, with additive manufacturing process codes anchoring nearly every filing.
Annual filing trend
Filings were sporadic from 2017 onward, spiked to 4 families in 2021, then returned to near-zero. The 2025 single filing should be read cautiously given publication lag. The overall pattern is consistent with a post-peak lifecycle stage rather than sustained growth.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B33Y (additive manufacturing / 3D printing) appears across all 8 patent families, confirming it as the anchoring technology class. B29C (shaping of plastics), B22F (powder metallurgy), and G06N (AI-based computing) each appear in 5–6 records, reflecting the process-simulation and defect-detection focus of the corpus. G06T (image data processing) and several application-sector codes remain sparse, marking adjacent branches with lower coverage.
↗ 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.
Defect detection and correction
Boundary detection for an object manufactured by 3D printing comprises receiving 21 an, IR or near-infrared, first image of a first layer of the object. A computer aided design (CAD) model representing the object is sliced 23 into slices, a slice corresponding to the first layer is selected 24 and output 25 as a second image having a border representing an… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method for simulating properties of an additively … | 4 |
| 2 | Structural simulation of additively manufactured c… | 2 |
| 3 | Defect detection and correction | 2 |
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.
BAE Systems PLC
BAE Systems holds 5 patent families — the largest position in this 8-family corpus. Its technical emphasis centres on B33Y (additive manufacturing / 3D printing), B22F (powder metallurgy), and B29C (shaping of plastics), reflecting a focus on process simulation and materials-level inspection for DED workflows. No momentum data is available to assess recent trajectory.
families: 5GKN Aerospace Services Ltd
GKN Aerospace Services holds 2 patent families, differentiating from the leader through a notably stronger emphasis on G06T (image data processing and generation) alongside shared coverage of B29C and B33Y. This image-processing angle suggests a focus on automated visual or CT-derived defect detection rather than purely process-simulation approaches. No momentum data is available.
families: 2Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 8 patent families in scope globally. This is a small, specialist niche rather than a broadly contested technology area.
BAE Systems PLC leads with 5 patent families, followed by GKN Aerospace Services Ltd with 2 and JB Institute of Inventors Association with 1. These three applicants account for the entire corpus.
The field is classified as Decline, with annual filings having eased back from a peak in 2021. Activity was sporadic before the 2021 surge and has returned to near-zero since, though the most recent 18–24 months may be undercounted due to publication lag.
B33Y (additive manufacturing / 3D printing) appears across all 8 patent families. B29C (shaping of plastics), B22F (powder metallurgy), and G06N (AI-based computing) are also strongly represented, reflecting a focus on process simulation, materials inspection, and defect detection.
Europe (EPO) and the United Kingdom each have 2 patent records, with Australia, India, the United States, and WIPO (PCT) each contributing 1 record. The US coverage is limited relative to the size of the American aerospace manufacturing sector.
G06T (image data processing and generation) is the largest sparse branch with only 2 records, despite being technically central to CT-based inspection workflows. Medical device branches (A61B, A61F) each appear in only 1 record, representing a potential intersection of DED inspection with implant quality assurance requirements. These are observations of relative sparsity and should be validated against commercial and regulatory feasibility before treating them as investment opportunities.
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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.