Global patent filings for 3D printing technologies between 2013 and 2020 grew eight times faster than for all technology fields as a whole, according to a new report by the European Patent Office in Berlin called Innovation Trends in Additive Manufacturing.
“This revolutionary approach to manufacturing is quickly maturing from a niche market to a disruptive force impacting value chains in a wide range of sectors,” the report found.
More than 8,000 3D printing-related international patent families (IPFs) — or patent applications filed in multiple countries to protect the same invention — were published in 2020 alone, accounting for over 2% of all patents. As 3D printing continues to evolve as a manufacturing method, patent data provides valuable insight into the technological landscape and areas of innovation within the industry.
Topping the list of sectors where 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing (AM), is innovating the fastest is healthcare, medical, and transportation. “AM’s capabilities prove particularly advantageous for patient-specific implants, anatomical models, and dental applications,” according to the study.
Patents in this field relate to machines, the 3D printers themselves, as well as processes, materials, applications, and software.
U.S., Europe Driving AM Innovation
The U.S. accounts for the most patent filings, 40% of all filed between 2001 and 2020, with Europe, particularly Germany, close behind with 33%. Together, these regions account for 73% of worldwide AM innovation. China’s contributions remain relatively small at 4%.
Although large technology-related corporations, such as General Electric
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Smaller additive manufacturing companies and emerging start-ups are further down the list, but reflect some of the most exciting innovations.
California-based 3D printer and material maker Nexa3D has filed 14 patents since 2020 covering everything from new 3D printing methods and innovations on specific machine parts to advancements on current processes that boost speed and reduce energy consumption.
3D Fortify, a digital manufacturing company based in Boston, has filed nine patents in the past three years related to their Digital Composite Manufacturing platform. The company has received millions in government funding to develop 3D printed tooling for automotive lightweighting to replace more expensive the time-consuming CNC tooling.
Another California company, Azure Printed Homes, aims to fundamentally change the construction industry with its 3D printing technology. One of its patent, filed in 2022, covers the process of depositing construction material in a continuous bead to build up the walls of a structure.
Massachusetts-based material maker 6K has filed for 16 patents since 2020 covering its method of producing metal materials for additive manufacturing and battery storage that cheaper and more sustainable than current methods.
Essentium, based in Texas, makes materials and production platforms for industrial 3D printing aimed at complimenting or replacing traditional processes. It has filed dozen of patents in the past few years for printer components, applications, machines, and processes.
Other US companies filing 3D printing related patents for their innovations in the past few years include, Sprintray (dental 3D printers), Sintx Technologies (medical ceramics), Tepha Inc. (tissue engineering), Evolve Additive Solutions (polymer 3D printing), Relativity Space (metal materials and methods), Seurat Tech (3D printers and methods), Adaptive 3D Tech (polymer materials), and Paxis LLC (3D printers and methods).
A significant portion (12%) of 3D printing innovations are coming from universities and public research organizations, including Harvard University, MIT, and Abbott Labs, particularly in the health and medical field, such as 3D printing organs and artificial tissue.
What’s Being Patented?
In 2020, roughly 22 3D printing-related patents were filed every day. In the medical filed, patents for implants and prostheses grew four-fold since 2012. Dozens of patents related to 3D printing bioresorbable bone implants alone have been filed in the past few years.
In transportation, which includes aerospace, patents are dominated by aviation companies using 3D printing to produce lightweight parts that lower overall fuel consumption and emissions. Patents for materials were dominated by polymers, but also included biomatierals, metals, ceramics and glass, and cements and concrete.
When it comes to the various technologies within 3D printing, the most patents related to resin 3D printing, also called vat polymerization.
Software and digital is the smallest of the 3D printing technology sectors, but showed the strongest growth since 2013, 37% year on year. The digital sector encompasses technologies related to software, data processing, and digital design tools that enable and enhance the printing process. The patents in this area are dominated by software makers Siemens and Autodesk
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The European Patent Office says many new and exciting applications of 3D printing have appeared in different industry sectors more recently. Although small, they represent the emerging areas of 3D printing. The food industry, for example, has just 50 patents filed in 2020, but the topics may hint at vast potential. There’s 3D-printed vegetarian proteins, personalized nutritional supplements, and lab-grown meats.
The energy sector, which has long used 3D printing to repair worn and broken parts, is shifting focus toward sustainability by leveraging additive manufacturing to reduce physical part inventories and accelerate part production on-demand.
“AM has gained significant traction in the consumer goods industry,” the report notes. “This innovative technology is being utilized to produce a wide range of consumer products, including eyewear, footwear, fashion, jewelry, and sports equipment.”
Overall, the findings of the European Patent Office point to a world in which the pace of innovation in AM technologies has accelerated dramatically over the past years and shows no sign of slowing.
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