Company patents
Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
Spirit AeroSystems Inc. shows a surprising patent strategy, with nearly half (49.5%) of its portfolio in "Plastics Shaping & Molding," a manufacturing category, rather than core aerospace, and a significant emerging focus on "Alloys," which has seen a remarkable 300.0% year-over-year growth in 2026 so far, with 4 patents compared to 1 in 2025, while its traditional aerospace categories like "Aircraft Equipment" and "Aircraft & Aerodynamics" have seen sharp declines of -100.0% in 2026 so far.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
105 US filings (since 2023) · 9 categories · 14 themes
Techniques for combining multiple materials or layers, often with specialized surface treatments, coatings, or assembly methods, to create functional or aesthetically enhanced plastic articles, including consumer goods and encapsulated electronics.
Methods and tooling for forming structural components from fibrous materials impregnated with resin, involving processes like prepreg handling, resin infusion, and co-bonding during curing.
Processes involving the application of heat and pressure to shape thermoplastic or elastomeric materials, often using molds or presses, to achieve specific forms or material properties.
Techniques for building three-dimensional metal objects layer-by-layer using metal powders, including powder bed fusion, binder jetting, and directed energy deposition. This theme encompasses process mechanics, equipment design, and operational control for AM systems.
Design and control of electromechanical or hydraulic actuators for moving aircraft components like wing tips, control surfaces, or landing gear, often focusing on efficiency, redundancy, or specific operational profiles.
Innovations in aircraft airframe design, material usage, and aerodynamic surfaces to improve performance characteristics such as weight, rigidity, short take-off/landing capabilities, or stall resistance.
Integration of electric motors, power generation, and distribution systems for propelling aircraft, including components for coupling motors to propellers and managing electrical power.
Composite materials where a metallic matrix is reinforced with a second phase (e.g., ceramic particles, carbon nanotubes, diamond grains) to significantly enhance properties like hardness, wear resistance, stiffness, or strength, often used in cutting tools, wear parts, or structural applications.
Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.
Methods and compositions for applying metallic or alloy layers to a substrate, or modifying the surface of an alloy, to impart specific functional properties such as corrosion resistance, wear resistance, electrical insulation, or improved adhesion, without altering the bulk properties significantly.
Systems and methods for real-time sensing, modeling, and closed-loop control of additive manufacturing parameters to ensure part quality, consistency, and process efficiency. This includes thermal management, atmospheric regulation, and precise material deposition.
Multi-layered materials incorporating fiber layers (e.g., carbon, non-carbon, fabric, mesh) within a polymer or ceramic matrix to achieve enhanced mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness, impact resistance, or tailored hardness for demanding structural applications.
Integration of additive manufacturing with subtractive manufacturing (e.g., machining, cutting) or other traditional processes within a single system or workflow to create parts with improved features, surface finish, or material properties, or to enable new manufacturing paradigms.
Development and processing of metal powders with specific magnetic properties, including soft magnetic alloys, permanent magnet materials, and insulated powders for electronic components, often involving precise control of particle size, morphology, and composition.
Patents
Showing 1-7 of 7
Automated Visual Inspection