DED Wire/Powder Feedstock Supply Patent Snapshot 2026
The dedicated patent space for DED wire/powder feedstock supply is extremely sparse, with only two families on record, split evenly between the University of Coimbra and Battelle Energy Alliance. Activity plateaued after 2021 and has not resumed, signalling that formal IP protection for this sub-topic remains largely unclaimed.
Two applicants share an entirely uncrowded space
The University of Coimbra and Battelle Energy Alliance each hold one patent family in DED wire/powder feedstock supply, together accounting for all known activity in this narrowly defined sub-field.
With only two filers and perfect concentration, there is no meaningful tier gap — the field lacks a visible incumbent capable of blocking entry, and no portfolio depth advantage exists for either current holder.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Coimbra | 1 | |
| 2 | Battelle Energy Alliance LLC | 1 |
The near-absence of filers implies that most DED feedstock development work is either unpublished, embedded in broader additive-manufacturing patents, or conducted as trade secret and process know-how rather than formal IP.
The most recent two years should be treated as under-counted due to standard patent publication delays; any apparent continuation of zero filings after 2022 may partially reflect lag rather than confirmed inactivity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A brief 2021–2022 pulse with no sustained follow-on
The annual filing trend shows a single two-year pulse in 2021 and 2022 with zero activity before and after; the technology composition confirms that powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing classifications are visible in, with minor coverage in alloy composition and process control.
Annual filing trend
One family was filed in each of 2021 and 2022, with no preceding or subsequent activity visible through 2026. The 2024–2026 window should be interpreted cautiously given publication lag, but the 2023 zero is consistent with a plateaued field. The lifecycle evidence describes annual filings as having plateaued near their peak.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) each appear in both families, confirming that feedstock supply is framed in a process and material context. C22C (Alloys) and G05B (Control and regulating systems) appear in one family each, pointing to nascent interest in material specification and process automation for feedstock delivery.
↗ 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.
University of Coimbra
Holds 1 patent family with a technology focus spanning B22F powder metallurgy (process and equipment sub-classes) and B33Y additive manufacturing. As an academic filer, portfolio growth is likely project-driven rather than strategic, and no momentum trend data is available in the evidence for this applicant.
families: 1Battelle Energy Alliance
Holds 1 patent family with focus on B22F powder metallurgy process and equipment sub-classes and B33Y additive manufacturing process. Momentum data classifies Battelle Energy Alliance as a new entrant, indicating this is their first filing in the sub-field within the tracked window.
families: 1Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 2 patent families in scope, making this one of the least-patented sub-topics in the directed energy deposition domain.
The University of Coimbra and Battelle Energy Alliance each hold 1 patent family, placing them as co-equal leaders in this narrow sub-field.
The two families are filed in the United States and through WIPO PCT. No dedicated feedstock-supply patents are on record in European, Asian, or other regional jurisdictions based on current evidence.
B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) each appear across both families. C22C (Alloys) and G05B (Control and regulating systems) each appear in one family.
The lifecycle is classified as Maturity, with annual filings having plateaued near their 2021 peak and zero growth recorded in the recent window. At only two total families, this reflects stagnation rather than a densely developed field.
Not necessarily. The near-absence of dedicated filings more likely indicates that DED feedstock supply innovation is embedded within broader additive-manufacturing patents, protected as trade secrets or process know-how, or simply has not yet attracted dedicated IP strategy from commercial manufacturers.
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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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