Here’s an unusual idea from IBM: what if a 3D printer could decide exactly where crystals should begin growing inside a print?
patent
Lawrence Livermore Patent Proposes Multimaterial Two-Photon 3D Printing
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory appear to have found an unusual way to 3D print multiple materials with a two-photon system: change the light instead of changing the resin.
Chinese Patent Proposes Swappable Hotends For Multimaterial FFF
Changing filament in a multimaterial FFF printer usually means pushing the new material through the old hotend until the previous material is gone. A Chinese patent proposes a different solution: leave the extruder in place and swap the hotend underneath it.
Carbon Patent Adds Laser Cleanup To Resin Printing
Resin 3D printing usually treats excess material as a post-processing problem. Carbon’s latest patent application proposes dealing with it while the part is still inside the printer.
3D Systems Patent Moves The Build Plane Through Liquid
3D Systems proposes a vat photopolymerization system that moves its build plane downward by pumping a dense transparent fluid away, while a projector follows the changing focus position.
EOS Patent Shapes Laser Beams To Reduce Metal Cracks
A laser beam with a deliberately abrupt edge may help metal powder bed fusion produce fewer hot cracks.
Lawrence Livermore Patent Uses Z-Pinch For Metal Droplet Printing
What if a metal printer could use the molten metal itself as both the printing material and the actuator?
3D Systems Patent Describes Faster Sloped Resin Printing
3D Systems has patented an unusual resin 3D printing method that could point toward a larger high speed photopolymer architecture.
Continuous Composites’ Fibre Seek Lawsuit Has A Financial Backstory
Continuous Composites’ new patent lawsuit against Fibre Seek looks a bit different once you examine the company’s recent financial troubles and the legal battle with the lawyers who won its previous patent case. Continuous Composites, or “CCI”, has been developing continuous fiber composite 3D printing technology for many years. Its patent family goes back all… Continue reading Continuous Composites’ Fibre Seek Lawsuit Has A Financial Backstory
NanoVoxel Patent Turns Micro 3D Prints Into Metal Parts
NanoVoxel has patented a clever method for producing highly detailed metal microcomponents using polymer micro 3D printing as a temporary mold.
Anycubic Patent Explores Full Color Resin 3D Printing
Anycubic has patented an unusual way to produce multicolor resin prints without painting them afterwards.
Ford Patents Production 3D Printed Suspension Parts
Ford is looking at something much more interesting than 3D printing another automotive part.
CEAD Patent Targets Nonstop Continuous Extrusion Toolpaths
CEAD has patented an unusual slicing strategy designed for 3D printing materials that cannot easily stop flowing.
IBM Patents “5D Printing”
IBM has patented a way to make robotic “5D printing” compensate automatically when the workpiece moves during fabrication.
Bambu Lab Patent Reveals Multi-Printhead Toolchanger Concept Beyond Vortek
Bambu Lab has a new patent that seems to describe something beyond their advanced Vortek technology.
Thermwood Patent Adds Internal Bracing to Cut Layer Tooling
Thermwood has patented an interesting way to strengthen large hollow tooling made from stacked, machined layers.
Hybrid Manufacturing Patent Automates Additive Tool Docking
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies has published a European patent application describing a way to make toolheads work like CNC tools.
Slice Engineering Patent Separates Hotend Structure From Heatbreak
Slice Engineering has secured a European patent covering an FFF hotend design that simplifies the heatbreak.
University Of Bath Patent Automates 3D Printing Setup
The University of Bath has filed a patent for automated material calibration on FFF systems.
EOS Pursues AM Software Patent In China
EOS is pursuing Chinese patent protection for additive manufacturing preflight software
Bambu Lab Patents a Method for Faster 3D Printer Assembly
A newly patent application from Shenzhen Tuozhu Technology, the company behind Bambu Lab, focuses on assembling the machine itself.
New Stratasys Patents Target Both FFF And Resin
Stratasys has surfaced in two recent patents that work on very different problems: keeping heat inside an industrial FFF machine, and making resin parts last longer after printing.
ELEGOO Patent Targets Lighter Multi Nozzle FFF Switching
A new Chinese patent application suggests ELEGOO is exploring a lighter way to switch multiple FFF toolheads.
Flashforge Patents Swappable FFF Toolheads
Flashforge appears to be thinking about a different way to handle multiple toolheads on desktop FFF 3D printers.
Shining 3D Patent Packages Resin Into Capsules
Shining 3D has filed a European patent application for a resin printing capsule system, and the interesting part is not just the packaging.
Hanin Patent Makes Toolhead Filament Cutters Safer
Xiamen Hanin has patented a modular filament cutting mechanism intended to make automated material changes safer and easier to maintain.
Chinese Patent Combines Pellet Material Heating And Metered Feeding
A newly granted Chinese utility model proposes combining material heating, mixing and forced feeding inside one compact 3D printer hopper.
Mechanical Patent Detects FFF Material Flow Failures
System to mechanically detect material flow in the hot end [Source: Espacenet]
Nine Bambu Lab Patents Reveal Broader Printer Architecture
A collection of nine new Bambu Lab patents provides a detailed picture of several future 3D printer concepts.
Patent Proposes Self Retracting FFF Nozzle Guard
A newly published Chinese patent proposes an unusually elaborate way to protect an FFF 3D printer nozzle when the machine is idle.
Retracting Sensor Patent Targets Cleaner Filament Monitoring
A newly granted Chinese utility model patent proposes a self-cleaning, retractable filament sensor for FFF 3D printers.
Chinese Patent Proposes Unusual Magnetic FFF Platform
A newly granted Chinese utility patent describes an unusual FFF 3D printer arrangement combining a magnetically driven platform, a rotating work area and a vertically actuated extrusion head.
INSTATIQ Patents Method for Difficult Concrete Printing
INSTATIQ has patented a construction 3D printing system designed to place concrete directly against existing walls and other awkward building features.
Patent Proposes New Method to Reduce CoreXY Ringing
A new Chinese patent application suggests a more sophisticated way to stop ringing on high speed CoreXY 3D printers.
Crawling 3D Printer Patent Targets Large FFF Parts
A Chinese patent application describes a crawling FFF 3D printer that can print beyond a fixed build volume.
FlashForge Patent Describes a Method for Smoother Toolhead Docking
FlashForge has patented a new way to make detachable FFF toolheads dock more reliably.
Inkbit Patents New 3D Printing Process
Inkbit has published a patent application that describes a different kind of material chemistry for inkjet additive manufacturing.
SprintRay Patent Targets Replaceable LCD Resin Screens
SprintRay has been granted a patent for a replaceable screen cartridge.
Chinese Patent Targets Magnetic Flexible Print Beds
A Chinese utility model patent attempts to claim a magnetic flexible print platform — a feature that has been common in desktop FFF machines for many years.
IBM Patent Applies AI To 3D Printer Control
IBM has published a patent application describing an AI decision engine for managing 3D printers.
Qingdao Patents Multimaterial Gradient Resin Printing
Qingdao University of Technology has filed a patent application for a light curing 3D printing method for functional gradient materials.
Hefei Patent Targets Cleaner Multi Resin SLA Printing
A new patent proposes a more practical way to switch materials in resin 3D printing.
Bosch Patents Suggest Continuous Pellet 3D Printing
Bosch has published three related German patent applications that point toward a rather interesting 3D printing concept: a pellet-based extrusion system designed to keep printing while its printheads are being refilled.
Patent Filing Trends Reveal China’s Dominance in 3D Printing Intellectual Property
I did some analysis on 3D print patents to understand where innovation seems to be occurring.
No, Voron Was Not Just Patented In China
The Voron 3D printer design was NOT just patented by Chinese organizations.
Magma OrcaSlicer Fork Introduces Vertical Plastic Injection for Stronger Parts, But There’s a Patent
There’s an interesting software fork of OrcaSlicer brewing, but there could be patent issues in the future.
Prosthetic Printer Patent Targets Better Z Accuracy
A new Chinese utility model patent describes a compact high speed FFF 3D printer aimed specifically at prosthetic and orthotic manufacturing.
Creality Patents Better 3D Printer Feet
Creality appears to be looking at an overlooked 3D printer component: the foot.
Patent For Smarter FFF Failure Recovery
A Chinese patent application describes a way to make FFF printers recover more intelligently from nozzle clogs and filament breaks.
Bambu Lab Fails to Invalidate Stratasys Purge Tower Patent in U.S. Patent Office Ruling
Bambu Lab just lost a case against Stratasys. What does this mean?
Chinese Patent Describes Adjustable FFF Nozzle
A newly granted Chinese utility patent proposes a variable extrusion head for FFF 3D printers, aimed at avoiding one of the oldest annoyances in desktop and industrial extrusion printing: changing nozzles.
Selective SLA Curing Patent Targets Variable Properties
A patent application proposes a more selective way to post-cure stereolithography parts.
Patent Suggests Low Cost Automated Part Removal
A new German patent application proposes a simpler way to automate part removal in 3D printers: use the motion system already inside the machine.
Flashforge Patent Targets Smarter Resin Peel Speeds
Flashforge appears to be looking at a smarter way to control resin 3D printing.
HKUST Patent Targets Multi Directional DLP Coating
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has filed a patent for a DLP 3D printer that uses multi-directional coating to handle more difficult photopolymer materials.
3D Systems Patent a New Way to Align Printheads
3D Systems has published a European patent application for a printhead mounting and alignment system that could make multi printhead 3D printers easier to calibrate.
TNO Patents a Multi Material Semi Solid Extrusion
TNO has published a patent application describing a compact printhead for multi material semi solid extrusion.
Kumovis Patents Smoother Porous Implants
Kumovis has a new European patent application that digs into a very specific FFF problem: how to print parts with regions that transform smoothly from porous to solid.
ELEGOO Develops Faster FFF Nozzle Switching System
A new ELEGOO patent application describes a mechanical approach to making multi nozzle FFF 3D printers easier to set up and switch.
Shining 3D Patent Introduces Sealed Resin Printing
There’s a new patent for a resin 3D printing method that tries to handle high viscosity materials without slowing the job.
Chinese Patent Targets Combined 3D Printer Plotter
A newly published Chinese patent application describes a machine that can switch between FFF 3D printing and pen-based writing or drawing without manual toolhead replacement.
EOS Patent Targets Higher SLS Powder Reuse
EOS has filed a patent application that could make polymer powder reuse in SLS more efficient.
Trinckle Patents User Guided 3D Printing Configuration
Trinckle 3D has published a pair of German patent applications that point toward a very specific problem in additive manufacturing: how do you let less experienced users customize 3D printed parts without letting them break the part?
Bosch Patent Targets Hotter FFF Nozzle Control
Bosch has filed a German patent application for a 3D printer printhead with a heated ring around the nozzle.
Stick Tech Patent Targets Easier Print Removal
Stick Tech has published a patent application for getting a finished part off the build surface.
Patent Targets Dual Material DLP Printing
Shanghai JIZHI Zongheng Technology has patented a compact approach to dual-material resin 3D printing.
Creality Patent Suggests Faster Filament Switching For FFF Printing
A new patent application by Creality describes a way to make filament changes faster in FFF 3D printers.
Bambu Lab Patent Describes Smarter 3D Printer Heating
Shenzhen Tuozhu Technology has filed a patent application for a 3D printer control system that manages heating loads more intelligently.
DTU Patent Targets Scanned Vat Photopolymerization
Technical University of Denmark has patented a resin 3D printing concept that moves the optics instead of exposing a whole layer at once.
Bambu Lab Patents Simpler Material Box Handle
Bambu Lab has patented a more foolproof handle and latch for a 3D printer material storage box.
Laser Beam Modulation Patent Targets Smarter Metal PBF
A new patent application from GE/Concept Laser proposes tighter real time control over laser energy in powder bed fusion systems.
Prusa Patents Automated Resin Print Workflow
A Czech patent application by Prusa Research proposes a more coordinated resin printing workflow built around shared process data.
European Court Denies Stratasys Injunction Request Against Bambu Lab
The Stratasys / Bambu Lab patent dispute continues — in Europe. Readers may recall that in 2024, Stratasys launched a patent infringement lawsuit against Bambu Lab. We suspected at the time that Stratasys may have believed that Bambu Lab was cutting into their business, and therefore it was time to leverage the several patents Stratasys… Continue reading European Court Denies Stratasys Injunction Request Against Bambu Lab
Self Heating Composite Filaments Could Simplify AM
A new Dalian University of Technology patent proposes heating fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament from the inside instead of heating it with a conventional hot end.
3D Printer Noise May Become Speed Aware
A new Chinese patent application by Anycubic proposes tuning 3D printer noise reduction by speed range.
Elegoo Patents Dynamic Build Platform Leveling
Elegoo appears to be working on a way to keep a 3D printer’s build platform level while the job is already underway.
Bambu Lab Patent Points to New Filament Handling System for Flexible TPU Materials
A very curious patent has been registered by Bambu Lab.
Patent Proposes Recycling Thermoset Polymers Into 3D Printing Filaments
You may soon be 3D printing thermoset filament.
Centrifugal Resin Printer Patent Targets Post Processing
A Chinese patent proposes folding three messy resin workflows into one machine.
Creality’s Compact Filament Cutter Patent Targets Smaller Toolheads
A new patent filing sketches a compact way to cut filament inside the printhead before a tool change, and that matters because cleaner swaps can make multi material FFF systems faster and less troublesome.
Hyperion Patent Splits Extrusion From Motion System
A new patent from Australia-based Hyperion Systems proposes a different way to build large format extrusion systems without dragging a heavy hot end around the machine.
IBM Patents Smarter Hollow Fill 3D Printing
IBM is exploring a way to turn empty 3D printed cavities into engineered features instead of unused air.
Creality Patent Targets Cleaner FFF Material Changes
Creality appears to be patenting a small but potentially useful fix for one of desktop FFF’s most annoying recurring chores.
Tethon 3D Acquires Fortify Dielectric Material Technologies
Tethon 3D announced the acquisition of several ceramic materials from Fortify.
Multi Wire FSAM Patent Targets Bigger Metal Builds
A new friction stir additive manufacturing patent proposes a smarter way to feed several metal wires through one rotating tool.
Huistone Patent Targets Large Area Resin Printing Economics
A new Chinese patent application describes a way to make large format resin systems much cheaper.
Patent Proposes Software-Based Method for Sidewall Color Mixing in Multi-Nozzle FFF Printing
A new Chinese patent application suggests standard multi nozzle FFF systems could produce richer sidewall colors without adding any new hardware.
New Creality Patent Proposes Swappable Multi Nozzle Module For FFF
A newly filed Creality patent describes a modular FFF printhead that treats filament changes like tool changes.
Flashforge’s Hidden Filament Cutter Reclaims FFF Build Area
A newly published patent from Flashforge describes a filament cutting mechanism that stays out of the build area until the instant it is needed.
Someone Just Patented 3D Printing Moon Dirt
A surprising new patent proposes an end to end “field factory” that can turn regolith, sand, and scrap into parts using spectroscopy plus automation.
Stratasys Patents Low Temperature PolyJet Modeling Materials
Stratasys has filed a patent that targets a surprising bottleneck in PolyJet 3D printing: the need to run hot just to keep materials jettable.
Patent Proposes Lights Out Implant 3D Printing
A new patent filing describes an AI driven 3D printer that could automate patient specific implant production with minimal human touch time.
Snapmaker Patent Targets Faster Multi Color FFF Switching
Snapmaker has filed a patent that tries to make multicolor FFF printing less wasteful without slowing the job to a crawl.
Dyze Design Patents Modular Motion Control For AM
Dyze Design has filed a patent application that reads like a blueprint for turning a 3D printer into a data driven, self aware machine tool.
Patent Uses Reservoir Silt For Low-Carbon 3DPC
A new Taiwanese patent details a 3D printed concrete mix that substitutes reservoir silt to lower cement and aggregate demand.