3D printing industry technology life cycle
The global 3D printing industry patent technology was initially developed in the early 21st century, and the number of 3D printing patent applicants and applications was at a low level during this period. Since 2012, the development of patent technology in the 3D printing industry has generally been in a period of rapid growth, and the number of patent technology applications or applicants in the global 3D printing industry in 2018-2019 has reached the highest level as a whole, and then gradually entered a period of stable development. The number of applicants in 2023 is about 2,000, and the number of applications is more than 4,000.
The number of patent applications and disclosures in the 3D printing industry: patent applications increased first and then decreased, and patent disclosure showed an overall growth trend
According to the information disclosed by incoPat, from 2013 to 2023, the number of patent applications in China's 3D printing industry as a whole showed a trend of first growth and then decline, reaching its peak in 2019, with more than 10,000 patent applications in that year, and 4,070 patent applications in China's 3D printing industry in 2023. From 2013 to 2023, the number of disclosed patents in China's 3D printing industry showed an upward trend, and in 2023, the number of disclosed patents in China's 3D printing industry was 11,632. From January to April 2024, the number of patent applications and disclosures in China's 3D printing industry were 195 and 3,808, respectively.
In terms of technical composition, the number of patent applications for "B33Y" (additive manufacturing, that is, the manufacture of three-dimensional (3D) items by additive deposition, additive coagulation or additive layering, such as 3D printing, stereophotography or selective laser sintering) is currently the highest, with more than 47,000 applications, accounting for 60.3 percent of the total. Followed by "B29C(plastic molding connection; The number of patent applications was 36,000, accounting for 45.7% of the total number of applications. In third place is "B22F(Processing of metal powder; Products made of metal powder; Manufacture of metal powder (alloy into C22C by powder metallurgy); The number of patent applications was 25,000, accounting for 31.3% of the total number of applications.
At present, the world's largest source of 3D printing technology is China, and China's 3D printing patent applications account for 30% of the total global 3D printing patent applications. Followed by the United States, 3D printing patent applications accounted for 25% of the global 3D printing patent applications; Ranking third is the European Patent Office (EPO), 3D printing patent applications accounted for 12% of the global 3D printing patent applications.
According to the information disclosed by Incopat, as of April 2024, the largest number of patent applications in the global 3D printing industry is HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY(HP Research and Development Limited Partnership), with nearly 2,600 patent applications; The second is GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY(General Electric Company), the number of patent applications about 2,300, ranked third is STRATASYS LTD(Stertassi Company), the number of patent applications about 780.
