Laser Powder Bed Fusion Metal Powder Bed Fusion Patents
Laser Powder Bed Fusion Metal Powder Bed Fusion Patent Landscape in 2026
The laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metal additive manufacturing field encompasses 371 patent families, with RTX Corp holding the largest position and the top five filers accounting for 30% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. Activity has expanded sharply over the multi-year window, with the United States as the dominant filing jurisdiction and a competitive field spanning defense primes, national laboratories, and academic institutions.
RTX Corp leads a moderately concentrated field with strong national-lab and defense participation
RTX Corp ranks first with 32 patent families, followed closely by Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC with 30, giving the top two filers a commanding combined presence at the head of the ranking. Edison Welding Institute (16), Nanjing University of Science & Technology (12), and Hamilton Sundstrand Corp (11) round out the top five.
The top five filers hold 30% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, signaling moderate concentration: no single player dominates, but a clear tier gap exists between the top two and the rest of the field. Below rank five, counts drop sharply to single digits, indicating a long tail of occasional filers.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RTX Corp | 32 | |
| 2 | Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | 30 | |
| 3 | Edison Welding Institute Inc | 16 | |
| 4 | NANJING UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 12 | |
| 5 | Hamilton Sundstrand Corp | 11 | |
| 6 | General Electric Co | 10 | |
| 7 | Mott Corp | 10 | |
| 8 | Renishaw PLC | 9 | |
| 9 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corp | 9 | |
| 10 | French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 9 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 7 | |
| 12 | The Boeing Company | 7 | |
| 13 | South China University of Technology | 6 | |
| 14 | Seurat Technologies Inc | 6 | |
| 15 | Bull SA | 5 | |
| 16 | VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland | 5 | |
| 17 | HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 5 | |
| 18 | AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE GMBH | 5 | |
| 19 | NuTech Ventures Ltd | 4 | |
| 20 | Divergent Technologies Inc | 4 |
The presence of RTX Corp, Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp, and Hamilton Sundstrand Corp at or near the top reflects the field’s strong grounding in aerospace and defense applications, where process control and alloy qualification drive proprietary IP. National laboratories add a research-driven layer distinct from purely commercial players.
Filing counts for 2025 and 2026 are understated due to typical patent publication lag of 12–18 months and should not be interpreted as a slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Strong multi-year growth trajectory with powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing as dominant technology branches
The filing trend chart tracks annual activity from 2017 onward, illustrating the field’s expansion trajectory. The technology composition chart maps the IPC branch mix, revealing where technical effort is concentrated and where adjacent areas remain comparatively sparse.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings grew from single digits in 2017 to a recorded peak of 88 families in 2024, representing 108% growth over the recent window. The 2025 and 2026 tallies are substantially understated due to publication lag and should not be read as a reversal of the growth trend.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) dominate the branch mix, together accounting for the large majority of records, underscoring the field’s core technical identity. C22C (Alloys) and B29C (Shaping of plastics) represent meaningful secondary branches, while G06F (digital data processing), G06N (AI models), and B23K (Welding) are present but comparatively sparse, pointing to areas where computational and joining-science integration is still nascent.
↗ 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.
Method of providing control data for manufacturing…
The invention relates to method of providing control data (11) for manufacturing a workpiece (1) by a laser powder bed fusion device (2), comprising the following steps performed by a control unit (3): evaluating a function describing a local modified mass integral value within a respective of the layers (6), the local modified mass integral value… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Control of solidification in laser powder bed fusi… | 181 |
| 2 | Method and system for powder bed fusion additive m… | 43 |
| 3 | Laser beam profiling system for use in laser powde… | 33 |
| 4 | Predicting system in additive manufacturing proces… | 23 |
| 5 | 一种复合材料和结构功能的金属骨植入物的制造方法 | 20 |
| 6 | Control of solidification in laser powder bed fusi… | 19 |
| 7 | 一种激光粉末床熔融成形件缺陷在线监测方法 | 14 |
| 8 | Control of solidification in laser powder bed fusi… | 14 |
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.
What the LPBF patent structure means for R&D strategy
Four structural observations—life-cycle stage, competitive concentration, collaboration patterns, and geographic spread—shape where defensible IP positions remain available and where investment risk is highest.
Active Growth stage with annual filings still rising
The field is classified in the Growth stage, with annual filings still rising and a 108% increase recorded over the recent window. The 2024 peak of 88 families and upward trajectory since 2017 confirm that the technology is not yet commoditized. New entrants continue to appear, and foundational process-control claims are still being contested, making early IP positioning valuable but increasingly competitive.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a clear two-player lead tier
RTX Corp (32 families) and Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (30 families) form a distinct lead tier separated from the next cluster by roughly half the family count. The top five filers hold 30% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. Below rank ten, counts fall to single digits, creating a long tail of occasional filers—a structure that favors new entrants targeting narrow technical niches not yet captured by the leaders.
Moderate concentrationLimited but notable co-filing between Lawrence Livermore and Seurat Technologies
The most active co-filing relationship identified is between Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC and Seurat Technologies Inc, with 6 jointly filed families—consistent with a technology transfer or sponsored-research arrangement between a national laboratory and a commercial LPBF equipment developer. A second pairing between Mott Corp entities records 1 joint family. Overall collaboration density is low, suggesting most players protect their LPBF advances independently.
Low collaboration densityUS-dominant with China and Europe as active secondary jurisdictions
The United States leads all filing jurisdictions with 116 records, followed by China (77), Europe EPO (55), and WIPO PCT (54). India (22) appears as an emerging secondary market, while the United Kingdom (11) and Japan (10) add further breadth. This spread indicates that commercially serious LPBF assignees are pursuing multi-jurisdictional protection, and freedom-to-operate analysis should cover at minimum the US, China, and EPO regions.
US-led, multi-regionGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | Seurat Technologies Inc | 6 |
| Mott Corp | Mott Corp | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
RTX Corp and Lawrence Livermore lead on volume; momentum signals diverge sharply
The two lead-tier players differ significantly in recent trajectory: RTX Corp is characterized as a new entrant by recent-period filing momentum, having rapidly accumulated 32 patent families, while Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC shows a steep recent decline from its broader historical base.
RTX Corp
RTX Corp holds the largest position in the corpus with 32 patent families and carries a ‘new entrant’ momentum signal, meaning substantially all of its filings are concentrated in the recent period—indicating a deliberate and accelerating IP build-out rather than a long-standing archive. Its technical focus spans B22F (Powder metallurgy) and B33Y (Additive manufacturing), consistent with an aerospace prime integrating LPBF into production workflows for turbine and structural components.
Families: 32Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC
Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC holds 30 patent families, placing it one step behind RTX Corp, but its recent-period momentum shows a sharp decline of approximately 90% versus the prior three-year base—suggesting a burst of foundational research output that has since normalized. Its technical emphasis is concentrated across multiple B33Y additive manufacturing subclasses, reflecting broad process and system invention rather than application-specific claims. Its 6-family co-filing relationship with Seurat Technologies Inc indicates active technology commercialization efforts.
Families: 30| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| RTX Corp | 25 | ▲ new entrant |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | 2 | ▼ -90% |
| Edison Welding Institute Inc | 4 | ▼ -67% |
| Nanjing University of Science & Technology | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Mott Corp | 11 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hamilton Sundstrand Corp | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Renishaw PLC | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| Northrop Grumman Systems Corp | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in AI-driven process control and non-ferrous metal treatment
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant B22F/B33Y core show comparatively low filing density relative to their technical relevance to LPBF. These represent areas where the patent landscape is less crowded, though commercial opportunity depends on additional technical and market validation.
G06N · Computing based on AI models
With only 16 records in the corpus, AI-model-based approaches to LPBF process optimization and defect prediction are significantly under-represented given the field’s complexity. The most-cited patents in the corpus already reference predictive systems in additive manufacturing, confirming technical demand. An entry path exists through machine-learning-driven melt-pool monitoring and closed-loop parameter control, areas not yet heavily claimed by the dominant defense-prime filers.
Search this in Eureka →C22F · Non-ferrous metal treatment
C22F (Non-ferrous metal treatment) appears in only 17 records despite LPBF’s inherent focus on aluminum, titanium, and nickel superalloys. Post-build heat treatment and microstructure tailoring are critical for aerospace qualification, yet the IP landscape in this adjacent branch is sparse. Entrants with alloy-specific heat treatment protocols tied to LPBF microstructures could establish defensible positions with relatively limited prior-art density to navigate.
Search this in Eureka →How leading assignees differ by IPC technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | B22F 10 · Powder metallurgy | B33Y 10 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B33Y 50 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 12 · Powder metallurgy | B33Y 30 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTX Corp | Strong · 23 | Strong · 15 | Strong · 22 | Moderate · 11 | Moderate · 9 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | Strong · 13 | Strong · 20 | Strong · 16 | Strong · 12 | Strong · 18 |
| The Boeing Company | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Moderate · 3 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 |
| Edison Welding Institute Inc | Strong · 6 | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 9 |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Strong · 9 | Strong · 9 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent |
| Northrop Grumman Systems Corp | Strong · 7 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 9 | Absent |
| Nanjing University of Science & Technology | Strong · 7 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 371 patent families in the laser powder bed fusion metal corpus. Filing counts for 2025 and 2026 are understated due to patent publication lag and will increase as pending applications are published.
RTX Corp holds the largest position with 32 patent families, followed by Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC with 30. Both are significantly ahead of the next tier, which starts at Edison Welding Institute with 16 families.
The field is in the Growth stage. Annual filings rose from 8 families in 2017 to a recorded peak of 88 in 2024, representing 108% growth over the recent window. Recent-year counts are understated by publication lag and should not be interpreted as a slowdown.
The United States leads with 116 records, followed by China (77), Europe EPO (55), and WIPO PCT (54). Any freedom-to-operate or filing strategy should prioritize at minimum the US, China, and EPO regions, with India (22 records) emerging as a secondary market.
Collaboration is limited. The most active co-filing pair is Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC and Seurat Technologies Inc, with 6 jointly filed families, consistent with a laboratory-to-commercial technology transfer arrangement. A second pairing between Mott Corp entities records 1 joint family. Most players file independently.
G06N (Computing based on AI models) has only 16 records and C22F (Non-ferrous metal treatment) has 17 records, both low relative to their technical relevance to LPBF. B23K (Welding, soldering & brazing) at 39 records and G06F (Electric digital data processing) at 19 records are also relatively sparse compared to the dominant B22F and B33Y branches.
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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.
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