3D printer patents

3D Printing Patents landscape » 3D Printing Media Network

The scenario for 3D printing patents is as complex as one can imagine. Not only is 3D printing the most horizontal technology that exists, with specific patentable applications in just about every segment of manufacturing, but it also spans across multiple technology areas including mechanical (hardware), IT (software and automation) and material science. In addition, not only can 3D printing technologies be patented but also anything made with a 3D printer that was not made before (and most things have never been made before with a 3D printer). Finally, 3D printing can be used to easily copy patented (and copyrighted) products, adding more complexity to the legal landscape.

We all know that the success story of 3D printing officially began in 1984 when Charles W Hull applied for a patent for stereolithography. In 1989 S Scott Crump of Stratasys invented fused deposition modeling, which fuses material layer by layer until a 3D object is created. This style of additive manufacturing is what most people associate with 3D printing today. In 2009 the patent for fused deposition modeling expired and companies started to take a different approach by trying to sell to consumers instead of business to business. Together with the rise of Kickstarter, a perfect storm formed and hype around 3D printing in the early 2010s was born.

Top 3 owners of 3D printing patents. Please consult the IPlytics report for the full list of the top 10 companies. Source credit: IPlytics.

Several patent experts have undertaken the challenge of trying to clarify the 3D printing patent landscape and how it is evolving. SmarTech Analysis just released a fully comprehensive interactive report that will enable companies to easily search for and identify previously released metal AM patents. The report is going to be released shortly so stay tuned. In the meantime, a great resource to start learning about 3D printing patents is this free report from Tech Insights. It dates back to 2013 – which is an eternity in 3D printing – but it will give you a very detailed and full overview of everything that happened until then. More recently, German company IPlytics published a free report on the evolution of 3D printing patents and relative litigation.

This IPlytics report looks at additive manufacturing and 3D printing from an IP perspective, again demonstrating that 3D printing patents are on the rise. In order to identify 3D print-related patents, the IPlytics platform database performed an extensive keyword search of worldwide filed patents in the 3D-print technology field. The search was based on the patent’s content, making use of state-of-the-art stemming and semantic indexing methods. Between 2007 and 2019 the analysis identifies 95,302 patents and 43,718 patent families (unique patents in the INPADOC database) relevant for 3D printing. The report then goes on to identify the largest patent holders (spoiler: GE has the most, HP a close second) and the countries where the most 3D printing patents have been filed (spoiler: the US is first).

The number of 3D printing patent applications filed per year (source credit: IPlytics)

One very interesting chart is the one that concerns litigation cases: between 2000 and 2018 there have been 155 litigation cases in the United States in the 3D printing field. IPlytics found that from the 155 litigated patents in 3D printing a total of 71 (45%) have been transferred (reassigned) at some point in time. By comparing the date of the first transfer with the date of the first litigation the IPlytics platform was used to assess the transfer timing before or after the litigation took place. It turned out that 80% of all patents that have been both litigated and transferred have changed owners before the litigation, with 22.5% doing so within the same year.

3D printing patent litigation cases in the US (source credit: IPlytics)

Patenting is increasing sharply for 3D printing technologies. Further, 3D printing patents are increasingly transferred and litigated. Senior patent managers and patent directors involved in industries where 3D printing has an impact should constantly monitor this evolving situation. 3dpbm‘s AM Focus Patents intends to provide an updated patent landscape and an access point to the tools to help you do just that.

Desktop Metal has completed the qualification of Grade 420 stainless steel (420 SS) for use on the Production System platform, which leverages patent-pending Single Pass JettingTM (SPJ) technology for high throughput AM production. Manufacturers can now leverage SPJ technology for the mass production of high-strength, end-use parts in 420 SS…
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Tethon Corporation Inc. (Tethon 3D) announces issuance and publication of the company’s U.S. patent number 11,126,088 “Photopolymer Development Resin Base for Use with Three-dimensional Printer” on September 21, 2021. Genesis resins are used as a composite matrix to create materials for ceramic AM via stereolithographic processes. The patented product line…
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The Australian Patent Office has examined the Australian member of AML3D‘s International Patent Portfolio and has now granted the company an Australian patent for its Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM) process. AML3D’s Australian patent provides coverage over the method and apparatus for manufacturing 3D metal parts. Key coverage items include the…
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Desktop Health, a service recently launched by Desktop Metal, received the Conformité Européenne (CE) Mark certification for its Flexcera resin, a proprietary technology for use in 3D fabrication of high-quality dental prosthetics. The CE Mark affirms that Flexcera resins meet the requirements of the European Medical Devices Directive, paving the…
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Global materials company Tethon Corporation (dba Tethon 3D), of Omaha Nebraska USA, received the US patent “Three-Dimensional Printed Objects with Optimized Particles for Sintering and Controlled Porosity”, for optimally sintering parts that 3D printed via photopolymerization processes of bound metal and bound ceramic slurries. The patent covers objects made from…
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NUBURU, a leader in high power blue laser technology, today announced that it has been awarded seven new blue laser IP patents, further demonstrating its dominant intellectual property portfolio in visible laser technology and its applications across 3D printing and material processing. NUBURU was awarded US Patent No. 10,562,132, No.…
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PostProcess Technologies Inc. has been granted another U.S. patent for its automated 3D printing post-processing solutions. This patent, U.S. Patent No. 10,737,440, pertains to the company’s support removal process, specifically its Submersed Vortex Cavitation (SVC) technology. The company’s SVC technology is one of its polymer support removal and resin removal…
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AM quality assurance software developer Sigma Labs has been granted two U.S. patents for its PrintRite3D software platform. The recently obtained patents expand the company’s intellectual property portfolio, making for a total of 11 issued patents and 24 pending patents. Sigma Labs’ PrintRite3D software enables manufacturers to detect defects that…
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Chicago-based biofabrication company Dimension Inx has been granted a U.S. patent covering its 3D-Painting System, a platform built for designing and manufacturing next-gen biomaterials for organ and tissue repair and regeneration. The company says the patent issuance strengthens its position on the market by showcasing the differentiation of its biomaterials…
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FATHOM, an advanced manufacturer with extensive expertise in 3D printing and additive manufacturing was issued a United States Patent for the systems and methods powering its online digital manufacturing platform. The team also received its seventh consecutive ranking on the Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America—only 1.5%…
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3D printing patents filed in 2019 » 3D Printing Media Network

HP's material scientists and engineers are hard at work on new 3D printing patents.

Barcelona. Sant Cugat del Valles 29/5/19 - HP. Nuevo edificio 3D- Photo: Vicens Gimenez/ HP

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Over the past 6 months alone, almost 500 3D printing patents were either requested or granted for various geographic areas around the world. This statistic alone can offer a view into the vibrant scene of 3D printing patents, with several tech giants actively involved. Some are usual suspects like HP or 3D Systems. Others may seem unexpected, like Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft, IBM, LG and Amazon.

HP was the company that appeared the most in patent news, with 38 patents filed for or received, which makes sense given the sheer R&D power of the company and its new AM development center. The second most present company is XYZprinting – which also makes sense since the Taiwanese company manufactures 3D printers leveraging several different technologies. Further down the list are Autodesk and Velo3D, two companies making some big moves in AM recently (mostly with innovative software to run the AM hardware). In between are literally dozens of Chinese companies and universities with some very, very interesting ideas for materials and processes.

Looking a little more closely at what these patents are about can help us understand where the additive manufacturing industry is headed.

Just this past June, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc and Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe sought a patent for “Device and Method of Analysing an Object for 3D Printing”. It is unclear what this patent is about but it would make sense that it relates to the company’s activities in the virtual reality space.
3D Systems, the first company to patent a 3D printing technology ever, was granted United States patents for two very interesting materials. One is “Thiol-Ene Inks for 3D Printing” and the other is “Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane Inks for 3D Printing”. This last one in particular, non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU), is a novel kind of polyurethane prepared by reaction of cyclo-carbonates and amines without the use of toxic isocyanates. NIPU has attracted increasing attention because of its improvements in porosity, water absorption, and thermal and chemical resistance over conventional polyurethanes. In other words, it’s a type of “green” polyurethane, which would indicate two things: one is that 3D Systems is increasingly looking at production applications and the other is that the company is growing more environmentally conscious.
Microsoft Technology Licensing was awarded a patent for “Determining Print-Time for Generation of 3D Objects Based on 3D Printing Parameters”. Those who followed the “videogame wars” of the early 2000’s know that there is no Sony move without a Microsoft counter-move. Microsoft is also very active on the 3MF file format and even integrated some 3D printing support into its Windows OS. It seems logical that the company is increasingly looking at controlling the AM process.
IBM was awarded a patent for “Methods and Systems for Verifying and Modifying a 3D Printing Process”. If Microsoft is moving in this space so is IBM. Apparently, large computer companies are starting to see the business in using processing power to manage the AM process.
John T. Simpson obtained a patent for “Liquid Resin Modification for Volumetric Superhydrophobic 3D Printing”. We told you we would hear the term volumetric quite often this year. Prof. Simpson is a senior research scientist at Oak Ridge National Lab in Oak Ridge Tennessee, another frequent 3D printing patent flyer. He has worked at ORNL for the past 12 years and is currently working on a variety of programs related to superhydrophobic and nanostructured materials, anti-corrosion surface treatments and anti-biofouling materials. This will be interesting to follow.

Volumetric 3D printing is going to be a great “battleground” for 3D printing patents in the years to come.

Another one for sustainability: Heilongjiang Xinda Group submitted a patent application for “PP-SEBS Composite Material for 3D Printing”. SEBS is actually a form of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) with styrene added. Green Peace lists SEBS as an acceptable alternative to PVC in toys. Polyolefin plastics such as Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) are the most common building blocks for SEBS, which don’t need plasticizers (like phthalates) or stabilizers (like lead) for flexibility.
Hewlett-Packard Development Company LP submitted a United States patent application for “Post-Processing in 3D Printing Systems”. Out of more than 30 HP patent applications or registrations, we chose this one that highlights how the company is looking beyond just the AM process. Another patent was for a specific storage system for the AM build, which clearly is used for more automated production.
LG Chemical applied for a patent on “3D Printing Method”. We don’t know anything else about this except that it’s LG and LG is a big, very innovative company. If they are developing a new 3D printing method we are curious to know more about it.
The State Intellectual Property Office of China published Winsun New Mat’s patent application for a “3D Printing Spray Head”. Again, it’s not so much the new spray head that is interesting here but rather the company behind it. It’s interesting that Winsun actually registers a lot of patents when the company has been often accused of a very libertine use of ideas by other construction 3D printing inventors.
Voxeljet AG was granted a patent for “Construction of a 3D Printing Device for Producing Components”. Not sure if this refers to voxeljet’s latest VJET X production technology or its HSS business. However, it would be great if the company is finally using its sand 3D printing technology to make final parts.
Voxel8 Inc submitted a United States patent application for “Methods of 3D Printing Articles with Particles”. This likely relates to the company’s footwear 3D printing technology. As does another patent that Voxel8 obtained in 2019 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “3D Printing Methods Using Mixing Nozzles”. Possibly this means that the company is closer to commercialization.

Voxel8’s technology for 3D printing shoe uppers may be facing some competition?

Orisol Asia Submitted a patent application for a “High Output Shoe Upper 3D Printing System”. This is curious because it’s the same thing that Voxel8 does, and the application came right around Voxel8 submitted their own. Founded in 1987 in Israel, Orisol is a large company dedicated to the entire shoemaking process: robotics automation, computerized stitching machines, assembly solutions & shoe materials. In 1990, Orisol unveiled the first computerized stitching machine. Today the company is a total comprehensive provider of complete footwear automation integration solutions feature scalability, compatibility, and digitization to meet the requirements of smart manufacturing. Could the two be related?
Goodman Technologies filed a United States patent application for “3D Printing of Silicon Carbide Structures”. This is very fascinating. Mostly because of the company behind it: Goodman Technologies LLC (GT) offers professional, scientific, system engineering, and technical services. GT’s Global Vendor Network which includes 3D and additive manufacturing in polymers, ceramics, metals and composites and provides a capability to analyze, design, manufacture, integrate and test complex system level products. Goodman works with companies in the aerospace business and 3D printed silicon carbide is a big thing in that segment.
A United States patent for “Method of 3D Printing with Finishing Tool” was issued to Amazon Technologies.
Yes, you read correctly: it’s that Amazon, only this time it’s not an April Fools joke. It may be more closely related to the recent deal with Autodesk for more space on its servers. Jokes aside, the fact that amazon is looking at finishing 3D printed products may indicate that the company is looking more closely at selling digital on-demand 3D printed objects.
Northrop Grumman Systems was granted a United States patent for “Device and Method for 3D Printing with Long-Fiber Reinforcement”. While there are now a few companies experimenting with long-fiber composites (we assume it’s intended as continuous fiber, but the same goes for long-chopped fiber), it is particularly interesting if defense giant Northrop goes for it.
Harbin Institute of Technology applied for a patent on “Ultrasound-Enhancement-Based 3D Printing Spray Nozzle for Continuous-Fiber-Reinforced Composite Material”. Talk about the devil. Here is an interesting – to say the least – development on continuous fiber 3D printing. Really curious to find out how ultrasounds come into play.
Xerox was granted a United States patent for “Systems and Methods for Implementing High-Speed Final Surface Curing for Three Dimensional (3D) Printed Parts and Components”. Early on in the era of 3D printing patents, Xerox was one of the biggest patent holders and still is. However, the company has not yet made a very strong move into the market, besides a couple of recent acquisitions. Perhaps the company has been waiting until it is able to print more finished parts.
KT Corporation obtained a patent for “3D Printing Resource Allocation”. KT Corporation, formerly Korea Telecom, is South Korea’s largest telephone company. The formerly state-owned firm is South Korea’s first telephone company and as such it dominates the local landline infrastructure. Who better to study new ways to allocate and distribute 3D printing capabilities for tomorrow’s on-demand production?

Bioniko Models is definitely a company to keep an eye on.

Bioniko Consulting obtained a patent for “Method for Fabricating Simulated Tissue Structures by Means of Multi-Material 3D Printing”. This is interesting because Bioniko makes ultra-realistic eye models. This is a rather unique business segment and definitely one to keep an eye on…
The last one is actually two and it’s again about composites because, well, we really like 3D printing of composite materials. Not because it’s easy but because it’s hard. The Harbin Institute of Technology submitted a Chinese patent application for “Method for Preparing and Printing Aluminosilicate Polymer Composite Material for 3D (Three-Dimensional) Printing”. This is even better because it doesn’t just involve composites but also ceramics and aluminum. Another Asian institution, the Chonnam National University, applied for a patent on “3D Composite Materials for 3D Printing and Method for Manufacturing Electronic Parts Using the Same”. Composites and electronics: could graphene be involved?

Again, these were just some of the hundreds of applications filed for 3D printed patents, the ones that most caught our attention. There are a lot more and there will be tons more. Every once in a while it may be worth giving these a closer look.

Robbo received a patent for a 3D printer

Technique

13 Jan 2021 17:01 13 Jan 2021 17:01 |

Robbo, a Russian manufacturer of educational robotics for children, received a patent from the Federal Service for Intellectual Property for one of its developments, the Robbo Mini 3D Printer, designed for teaching children 3D modeling and 3D printing at home. The decision to grant a patent was made on the basis of the patentability conditions "novelty" and "originality" provided for in paragraph 1 of Art. 1352 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

Robbo's patent application was filed in August 2020. As a result of the examination, the compliance of the 3D printer with the requirements of articles 1231.1, 1349 and 1352 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation was established, on the basis of which a patent for industrial design No. 122799 was issued. The patent will be valid until August 2025

Robbo Mini 3D Printer is designed as a 3D printing tutorial and runs on open source software and hardware. The 3D printer turns any model drawn by a child into a real three-dimensional object made of safe, biodegradable PLA plastic. Children can create models of products and plastic mechanisms up to 170x100x100 in size. At the same time, thanks to its compact design, the 3D printer takes up little space: its dimensions are 370x280x350 mm, and its weight is only 3. 5 kg. In addition to the printer itself, the kit also includes a USB stick with software and settings, a bar filter, a power supply, and a USB cable.

Already in the near future, as noted by the company, additive technologies will be widely used in domestic production, medicine and the space industry. And "Robbo" will take a direct part in the training of personnel for the new segment of the IT industry.

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“The global 3D printing market is forecast to grow by almost 2.5 times over the next five years. However, unlike other countries where additive technologies have been actively used for several decades, for example, in industry and manufacturing, in Russia the 3D prototyping industry is only in its infancy. The appearance of the product “Robbo 3D-printer Mini” in Russian homes and schools will make it possible to prepare a pool of specialists capable of bringing the domestic industry of additive technologies to a qualitatively new level in the future. Moreover, our educational 3D printer has no analogues yet,” said Pavel Frolov , founder and producer of the Robbo company.

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New ORNL 3D printing patent scandal

News

positioning system. The fact of issuing a patent caused a flurry of criticism from the developers of open source systems, who have been designing such additive equipment for a long time.

Hangprinter additive system. Photo: Thomas Sanladerer

ORNL and the patent office were criticized by two well-known promoters of open source additive technologies, Professors Dshoshua Pearce and Adrian Bower. Pierce is known for projects such as an inexpensive homemade 3D printer for printing metals using arc deposition technology, a homemade Cerberus additive system for working with refractory structural thermoplastics, a grinding machine from a grinder and 3D printed parts for making compression screws used in 3D printers for printing with granulates, and many other works. Bower needs no introduction at all - he is none other than the founder of the RepRap movement.

Adrian Bower gets to know Hangprinter. Photo: Sally Bower

Academics defended a young Swedish engineer named Torbjorn Ludwigsen, who asked on Twitter about the implications for his own project called Hangprinter. The fact is that the ORNL patent very closely repeats the development of the Swede five years ago, which we have already talked about in the material at this link. The essence of the project is in an unusual positioning system using cable guides with a suspended extruder. Such a scheme makes it possible to build simple and inexpensive, but at the same time large-format additive systems.

Hangprinter additive system. Photo: Torbjorn Ludwigsen

Torbjörn has built a "home" FDM 3D printer, and ORNL's patent US 11230032 considers a construction option for outdoor cement 3D printing suspended from a truck crane. There is no fundamental difference between these developments, the differences mainly relate to the purpose of the equipment.

SkyBAAM 3D printer illustration from ORNL patent

To be fair, the Hangprinter concept is not unique either. Similar options were considered by other designers, examples include Brandon Heller's SkyPrinter 2013 and RigTig's Big 3D Printer 2016. Torbjorn himself took up the job in 2014, and presented the first prototype in 2017. The problem is that none of the previous authors on this topic, including Torbjorn Ludwigsen, have applied for patents, preferring to put their developments in the public domain.

SkyDelta 3D printer prototype. Photo: Brandon Heller

Bower and Pierce believe that the ORNL patent should be invalidated because it repeats someone else's design and differs only in minor modifications that do not give the right to a patent. The piquancy of the situation is also in the fact that in the notes to the patent application there is a footnote to the news about Hangprinter, and therefore the patent office could not have been unaware of the project of the Swedish engineer.

Hangprinter additive system. Photo: Torbjorn Ludwigsen

The question arises: why did ORNL need this at all? There are several options here. In addition to the obvious versions of appropriation of foreign technologies or patent trolling, one can also assume the opposite version. The fact is that many companies, on the contrary, issue not protective, but so-called defensive patents, and they do this precisely to protect against potential exploiters of other people's developments. The concept of a defensive patent, as a rule, provides for the voluntary waiver of exclusive rights. In other words, "we have patented, but everyone can use it, the main thing is not to bother us with claims."

Thorbjorn Ludwigsen with the 3D printed Tower of Babel demonstration. Photo: Make magazine

Ludwigsen himself takes a rather reserved view of the situation, suggesting that this may just be an attempt to justify receiving a research grant. If so, then the story is ugly, but most likely without any serious consequences for the rest of the inventors. The Swede is not going to start a legal battle, because this is a costly business both in terms of time and finances. Plus, in his own words, "it's boring." On the other hand, if one of the other developers tries to challenge the patent, Torbjorn is ready to offer consulting and possibly even financial assistance "to the bitter end" so that the technology remains truly open source. ORNL has yet to comment on the situation.