Large-Format DED Patent Snapshot 2026
The patent corpus for Large-Format Directed Energy Deposition is extremely nascent, comprising only 3 patent families, with Tata Steel Ltd holding the majority position. Filing activity began only in 2021 and remains highly concentrated among two applicants, signalling that the field is at the very earliest stages of formal IP establishment.
Two applicants define a near-empty field
Tata Steel Ltd leads the ranking with 2 patent families, followed by the University of Coimbra with 1 patent family — together accounting for all activity captured in this corpus.
The top five filers hold 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, a concentration ratio that reflects the near-absence of competitive IP rather than dominance by an established cohort. There is effectively no second tier.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tata Steel Ltd | 2 | |
| 2 | University of Coimbra | 1 |
Tata Steel’s position as the lead filer, entering as a new entrant with 2 families, suggests that incumbent steel producers are beginning to explore DED as a manufacturing route, but no systematic patent strategy has yet emerged across the industry.
The most recent filing years should be treated with caution due to standard patent publication lags of 18–24 months; activity in 2024–2026 is likely understated. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sparse but nascent activity across additive manufacturing and welding branches
Filing activity emerged only from 2021 onward, with single filings in 2021, 2022, and 2024. The technology composition spans additive manufacturing as the anchor class, with welding, powder metallurgy, and process control as adjacent branches.
Annual filing trend
Filings first appeared in 2021 and have remained at the level of one family per active year (2021, 2022, 2024), with no activity before 2021 or in intervening years. The apparent absence of filings in 2023 and 2025–2026 should not be read as a decline given the small absolute numbers and publication lag.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing) is the visible IPC branch with 3 records, reflecting the DED process classification. B23K (Welding, soldering and brazing) appears with 2 records, consistent with wire-arc DED variants. B22F (Powder metallurgy), C21D (Heat treatment of metals), C22C (Alloys), C23C (Coating and surface deposition), and G05B (Control and regulating systems) each appear once, indicating that material science, surface engineering, and process control dimensions are present but lightly covered.
↗ 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.
Tata Steel Ltd
Tata Steel Ltd holds 2 patent families, making it the corpus leader. Its technology emphasis spans B23K (Welding, soldering and brazing) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing), consistent with wire-arc or laser-DED approaches applied to steel feedstocks. Momentum is flagged as a new entrant, meaning all activity is recent with no prior-period baseline to compare.
families: 2University of Coimbra
The University of Coimbra holds 1 patent family, with technology emphasis in B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing), indicating a powder-based DED research focus. As an academic institution, its filing trajectory and commercialisation path differ structurally from industrial filers; no momentum trend data is available beyond the single-family count.
families: 1Frequently asked questions
The current corpus contains 3 patent families. This is a very small number and reflects the early, pre-competitive stage of formal IP activity in Large-Format Directed Energy Deposition.
Tata Steel Ltd leads with 2 patent families, followed by the University of Coimbra with 1 patent family. These are the only two applicants captured in the current corpus.
The earliest filings in the corpus appear in 2021. No activity was recorded between 2017 and 2020, indicating that formal IP protection in this specific large-format DED segment is a very recent phenomenon.
India accounts for 2 of the patent records, and WIPO (PCT) accounts for 1. There are currently no filings recorded in the United States, Europe, China, or Japan within this corpus.
B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing) is the leading class with 3 records. B23K (Welding, soldering and brazing) follows with 2 records. B22F, C21D, C22C, C23C, and G05B each appear with 1 record, indicating a multi-disciplinary technical profile.
Based on the current evidence of only 3 patent families and 2 applicants, the space is highly open. Major additive manufacturing OEMs, aerospace companies, and national research institutions are not yet present in the corpus, suggesting that foundational patent positions in process parameters, machine design, and material science remain largely uncontested in formal IP terms.
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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.