LPBF In-situ Process Monitoring Patent Landscape 2026
The LPBF in-situ process monitoring patent field is in a Growth stage, with 57 patent families in scope and a 38% increase in the most recent filing window; activity is spread across national labs, machine OEMs, aerospace primes, and universities. Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC holds the largest single portfolio, though the field remains fragmented enough that no single applicant commands a dominant share.
Lawrence Livermore leads a fragmented, fast-growing field
Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC ranks first with 9 patent records, followed by Nikon SLM Solutions AG with 4 and three applicants — AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd., AECC Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and Siemens AG — each holding 3 patent records.
The top five filers account for 24% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, a relatively low concentration ratio that signals a genuinely fragmented competitive field with no entrenched dominant block.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | 9 | |
| 2 | Nikon SLM Solutions AG | 4 | |
| 3 | AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd. | 3 | |
| 4 | AECC Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | 3 | |
| 5 | Siemens AG | 3 | |
| 6 | South China University of Technology | 2 | |
| 7 | Peridot Print LLC | 2 | |
| 8 | Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. | 2 | |
| 9 | Beihang University | 2 | |
| 10 | Hunan Luojia Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Alfonso Ruiz Rodríguez | 1 | |
| 12 | Jentek Sensors Inc. | 1 | |
| 13 | Graphic Era Deemed to be University | 1 | |
| 14 | Dr. Hari Kumar Singh | 1 | |
| 15 | Wuhan University | 1 | |
| 16 | Inner Mongolia Power Machinery Research Institute | 1 | |
| 17 | Dr. Bijaya Bijeta Nayak | 1 | |
| 18 | Queen’s University | 1 | |
| 19 | Jihua Laboratory | 1 | |
| 20 | Guangzhou Ante Laser Technology Co. Ltd. | 1 |
The presence of a US national laboratory at the top, flanked by a European machine OEM and Chinese aerospace state-owned enterprises, suggests that LPBF in-situ monitoring is simultaneously a government-funded research priority and an industrially strategic capability — conditions that typically produce rapid diversification of approaches.
Filing counts for 2024 onward are understated due to the typical 18–24 month patent publication lag and should not be treated as a ceiling on recent activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filings accelerating; core IPC classes dominate but AI and imaging branches are emerging
The annual trend chart and the IPC composition chart together show a field that is growing in volume while beginning to diversify its technical approach beyond traditional additive-manufacturing and powder-metallurgy classes.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings were modest from 2017 through 2023, then jumped sharply — 2024 recorded 13 filings and 2025 shows 10, though both years are subject to publication lag and likely understate true activity. The 38% recent-window growth rate confirms the field is in an active expansion phase.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B33Y (additive manufacturing) and B22F (powder metallurgy) dominate with 55 and 53 patent records respectively, reflecting the core process focus. Emerging adjacent branches — G06N (AI/ML models), G06T (image data processing), G01N (material analysis), and B23K (laser/welding process control) — each hold single-digit counts, signalling that sensing, data-analytics, and closed-loop control layers are beginning to attract dedicated filings.
↗ 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.
Systems and methods for simulating process monitor…
We describe a system for simulating process monitoring by a sensor system in an additive layer manufacturing, in particular selective laser melting, process used to solidify material from which a three-dimensional workpiece is to be produced, wherein the system comprises: a data input coupleable to a data output of the sensor system and configured to… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一种针对激光选区熔化成形缺陷的在线检测与优化系统 | 50 |
| 2 | Method for automatically preventing defects potent… | 25 |
| 3 | Method for automatic identification of material de… | 15 |
| 4 | Deep-learning-based SLM online quality monitoring … | 14 |
| 5 | Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing in-… | 13 |
| 6 | Two-color high speed thermal imaging system for la… | 13 |
| 7 | 一种钛合金横孔的激光选区熔化无支撑成形方法 | 12 |
| 8 | 3d-printing method and manufacturing device | 12 |
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 portfolio structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural signals stand out from the evidence: the life-cycle stage, concentration dynamics, collaboration patterns, and geographic filing distribution.
Growth stage — annual filings still rising
The field is classified in the Growth stage, with annual filings still rising and a 38% uplift in the recent window. Entry barriers from existing portfolios are still moderate, but the pace of new filings means the window for establishing foundational positions is narrowing. Teams that delay R&D investment risk finding key monitoring modalities already covered.
GrowthLow concentration — fragmented across institution types
With the top five filers holding just 24% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, no applicant has locked up the space. The field is split across a national lab (Lawrence Livermore), a machine OEM (Nikon SLM Solutions AG), aerospace state-owned enterprises (AECC entities), a European industrial conglomerate (Siemens AG), and multiple universities. This fragmentation leaves room for focused entrants with differentiated sensor or algorithm approaches.
FragmentedOne confirmed co-filing pair within the aerospace sector
The only co-applicant relationship in evidence is between AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd. and AECC Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd., which share 3 jointly filed patent records. This pairing reflects a parent-subsidiary coordination model within China’s aero-engine industry. No cross-sector or international co-filing partnerships are visible in the current evidence.
Intra-sectorChina leads filings; US and PCT routes provide international reach
China accounts for 22 patent records — the largest single jurisdiction — followed by the United States with 16. WIPO PCT filings total 7, Europe (EPO) 6, and India 6. The India count is notable relative to the overall corpus size and likely reflects university and individual inventor activity. Organizations seeking global freedom-to-operate should monitor PCT and EPO prosecution closely given the international spread of key assignees.
China-ledGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd. | AECC Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Lawrence Livermore anchors R&D; Nikon SLM Solutions leads among OEMs
The top two filers represent distinct strategic archetypes — a government-funded research institution focused on additive-manufacturing process science, and a commercial machine builder integrating monitoring into hardware.
Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC
Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC leads with 9 patent records, concentrated heavily in B33Y additive-manufacturing subclasses (B33Y10, B33Y50, B33Y30 each with 7–8 records), indicating broad coverage of process design, monitoring data, and equipment configurations. Momentum is flagged as a new entrant in the recent filing window with 2 recent records, suggesting the portfolio is actively expanding rather than legacy-only.
9 patent recordsNikon SLM Solutions AG
Nikon SLM Solutions AG holds 4 patent records, split between B22F powder-metallurgy process steps and B33Y50 monitoring/data subclasses, reflecting an OEM strategy of embedding in-situ monitoring directly into machine architecture. Momentum data for this applicant is not present in the recent-window evidence, so trajectory is pending further data.
4 patent records| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hunan Luojia Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
AI/ML, image processing, and materials analysis are under-served relative to core classes
Five IPC branches show low absolute counts and share relative to the dominant B33Y and B22F classes; two carry the clearest combination of technical relevance and plausible entry path for focused R&D.
G06N · AI and machine-learning models
G06N holds only 7 patent records and a 5% share among the top branches — sparse for a field where melt-pool anomaly detection and defect classification are active research problems. The most-cited patent in the corpus already references deep-learning-based SLM quality monitoring, confirming technical value. Entry paths include transformer-based or physics-informed neural network architectures applied to thermal or acoustic sensor streams, areas where the current filing density leaves room for foundational claims.
Search this in Eureka →G01N · Material analysis and testing
G01N accumulates only 6 patent records at a 4% share, despite in-situ material characterization — porosity detection, microstructure inference from pyrometer or camera data — being a core value proposition of real-time monitoring. The sparsity may reflect that most current work embeds sensing in machine or process claims rather than dedicating claims to the characterization method itself. Applicants with novel non-destructive evaluation or spectroscopic sensing modalities could find the G01N branch relatively open.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B33Y 50 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 10 · Powder metallurgy | B33Y 10 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 12 · Powder metallurgy | B33Y 30 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | Strong · 8 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 7 |
| Nikon SLM Solutions AG | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 1 |
| Siemens AG | Strong · 3 | Absent | Strong · 2 | Absent | Strong · 2 |
| AECC Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | Strong · 3 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd. | Strong · 3 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| Hunan Luojia Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Strong · 2 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The current corpus covers 57 patent families in scope globally, spanning national labs, machine OEMs, aerospace primes, and universities.
Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC leads with 9 patent records, more than double the next-ranked applicant, Nikon SLM Solutions AG, which holds 4 patent records.
China leads with 22 patent records, followed by the United States with 16. WIPO PCT and EPO routes each carry a smaller but internationally significant share.
The field is in the Growth stage. Annual filings are still rising, and the most recent filing years are understated due to the standard patent publication lag of 18–24 months.
One confirmed co-filing relationship is in evidence: AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. Ltd. and AECC Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine Manufacturing Co. Ltd. jointly filed 3 patent records, reflecting coordinated R&D within China’s aero-engine sector.
The G06N (AI/ML models) and G01N (material analysis and testing) branches each carry only 6–7 patent records and represent under-served areas relative to the dominant B33Y and B22F classes, particularly for applicants with novel sensing modalities or physics-informed machine-learning approaches.
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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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