UnfoldIPThemes

Company patents

VulcanForms Inc.

VulcanForms Inc. demonstrates a strong and sustained focus on Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing), accounting for 94.0% of its portfolio, despite a 56.7% decline in patent filings in this area in 2025. Surprisingly, while core manufacturing categories like Welding & Soldering saw an 81.8% decline in 2026 (so far), the company is showing an emerging focus on Optical Elements & Systems, with a 150.0% increase in filings so far in 2026, indicating a potential shift towards integrating advanced optical technologies into their manufacturing processes.

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.

67 US filings (since 2023) · 7 categories · 8 themes

Metal Additive Manufacturing Processes

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.

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)Powder MetallurgyPlastics Shaping & Molding
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50since 2023
-52.2%YoY
AM Process Monitoring & Controlfiltered

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.

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)Powder Metallurgy
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45since 2023
-68.2%YoY
Hybrid Additive-Subtractive Manufacturing

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.

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
Who else files here? →
33since 2023
-56.2%YoY
Laser Material Processing

Techniques and systems utilizing laser beams for precise material modification, including cutting, cladding, ablation, and surface treatment, often for joining, shaping, or removing material.

Welding & Soldering
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12since 2023
0.0%YoY
Additive Manufacturing of Cementitious Materials

Methods for layer-by-layer deposition or 3D printing of concrete and cement-based materials, often employing rapidly hydrating binders or specialized compositions for rapid setting.

Cement & Ceramics
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5since 2023
new
Optical Fiber Sensing Systems

Systems and methods that utilize optical fibers as sensing elements or for transmitting sensing signals, often for distributed monitoring of environmental conditions, phase changes, or integrating sensing with communication.

Optical Elements & Systems
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2since 2023
new
Welding Process Control

Systems and methods for precisely controlling welding parameters such as power, speed, oscillation, and material feed to optimize weld quality, consistency, and efficiency, often involving automated or semi-automated processes.

Welding & Soldering
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2since 2023
new
Fiber Composite Layup & Curing

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.

Plastics Shaping & Molding
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1since 2023
n/a

Patents

Showing 41-50 of 57

AM Process Monitoring & Control
Page 5 of 6
US 20230256543 A2APPLICATION
B23K26/342

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM WITH GAS FLOW HEAD

Filed:2022-06-24Pub:2023-08-17
Applicant:Matthew Sweetland

An additive manufacturing system may include a build surface, one or more laser energy sources, and an optics assembly. Exposure of a layer of material on the build surface to laser energy from the optics assembly melts at least a portion of the layer of material. A gas flow head is coupled to the optics assembly and defines a partially enclosed volume between the optics assembly and the build surface. The gas flow head includes a gas inflow through which a supply gas flows into the gas flow head, a gas outflow through which a return gas flows out of the gas flow head, and an aperture arranged to permit transmission of the laser energy through the gas flow head to the build surface. The supply gas and return gas define a gas flow profile within the gas flow head.

US 20230249259 A1APPLICATION
B22F12/44

OPTICAL FIBER MODULES FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Filed:2023-02-03Pub:2023-08-10
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing are generally described. In some embodiments, an additive manufacturing system may include at least one mechanical fixture in the form of a resilient member for accurately positioning one or more optical fibers without the use of adhesives. The resilient member may, in some embodiments, bias each optical fiber (or similarly, an endcap coupled to a distal end of an optical fiber) against an alignment fixture to maintain a desired position and/or orientation of the fiber or endcap. In some embodiments, an additive manufacturing system may include at least one stray light baffle for reducing the amount of stray light within the optical system.

US 20230182380 A1APPLICATION
B29C64/153

DEFECT MITIGATION FOR RECOATING SYSTEMS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Filed:2023-02-01Pub:2023-06-15
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Disclosed embodiments relate to recoater systems for use with additive manufacturing systems. A recoater assembly may be used to deposit a material layer onto a build surface of an additive manufacturing system. In some instances, the recoater assembly may include a powder entrainment system that trails behind a recoater blade of the recoater assembly relative to a direction of motion of the recoater blade across a build surface of the additive manufacturing system. The powder entrainment system may generate a flow of fluid across a portion of the build surface behind the recoater blade that at least temporarily entrains powder above a threshold height from the build surface to mitigate, or prevent, the formation of defects on the build surface with heights greater than the threshold height.

US 11602891 B2GRANTED
B29C64/218

Defect mitigation for recoating systems for additive manufacturing

Filed:2021-08-30Pub:2023-03-14
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Disclosed embodiments relate to recoater systems for use with additive manufacturing systems. A recoater assembly may be used to deposit a material layer onto a build surface of an additive manufacturing system. In some instances, the recoater assembly may include a powder entrainment system that trails behind a recoater blade of the recoater assembly relative to a direction of motion of the recoater blade across a build surface of the additive manufacturing system. The powder entrainment system may generate a flow of fluid across a portion of the build surface behind the recoater blade that at least temporarily entrains powder above a threshold height from the build surface to mitigate, or prevent, the formation of defects on the build surface with heights greater than the threshold height.

US 20230056367 A1APPLICATION
B29C64/268

OPTICAL FIBERS INCLUDING ENDCAPS FOR USE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Filed:2022-07-20Pub:2023-02-23
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing are generally described. According to certain aspects, endcaps optically coupled to optical fibers of additive manufacturing systems are provided. In some aspects, methods for reducing a power area density of laser energy within an endcap are provided. The endcaps described herein may be used to at least partially mitigate thermal cycling that may result from the transmission of laser energy through interfaces of an additive manufacturing system.

US 20220331905 A1APPLICATION
B23K26/342

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM WITH GAS FLOW HEAD

Filed:2022-06-24Pub:2022-10-20
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

An additive manufacturing system may include a build surface, one or more laser energy sources, and an optics assembly. Exposure of a layer of material on the build surface to laser energy from the optics assembly melts at least a portion of the layer of material. A gas flow head is coupled to the optics assembly and defines a partially enclosed volume between the optics assembly and the build surface. The gas flow head includes a gas inflow through which a supply gas flows into the gas flow head, a gas outflow through which a return gas flows out of the gas flow head, and an aperture arranged to permit transmission of the laser energy through the gas flow head to the build surface. The supply gas and return gas define a gas flow profile within the gas flow head.

US 11453087 B2GRANTED
B23K26/342

Additive manufacturing system with gas flow head

Filed:2019-08-05Pub:2022-09-27
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

An additive manufacturing system includes a build surface, one or more laser energy sources, and an optics assembly. Exposure of a layer of material on the build surface to laser energy from the optics assembly melts at least a portion of the layer of material. A gas flow head is coupled to the optics assembly and defines a partially enclosed volume between the optics assembly and the build surface. The gas flow head includes a gas inflow through which a supply gas flows into the gas flow head, a gas outflow through which a return gas flows out of the gas flow head, and an aperture arranged to permit transmission of the laser energy through the gas flow head to the build surface. The supply gas and return gas define a gas flow profile within the gas flow head.

US 20220219260 A1APPLICATION
B23K26/082

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS UTILIZING RISLEY PRISM BEAM STEERING

Filed:2022-01-07Pub:2022-07-14
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Additive manufacturing systems and related methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, an additive manufacturing system includes a build surface, one or more laser energy sources configured to emit laser energy, an optical phased array operatively coupled to the one or more laser energy sources, and a Risley prism assembly comprising a plurality of wedge prisms. The optical phased array includes one or more phase shifters operatively coupled to the one or more laser energy sources and configured to control a phase of the laser energy. The optical phased array is configured to direct the laser energy towards the Risley prism assembly, and the Risley prism assembly is configured to direct the laser energy towards the build surface.

US 20220152926 A1APPLICATION
B29C64/214

RECOATER SYSTEM FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Filed:2022-01-28Pub:2022-05-19
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Disclosed embodiments relate to recoater systems for use with additive manufacturing systems. A recoater assembly may be adjustable along multiple degrees of freedom relative to a build surface, which may allow for adjustment of a spacing between the recoater assembly and the build surface and/or an orientation of the recoater assembly relative to an orientation of the build surface. In some embodiments, the recoater assembly may be supported by four support columns extending above the build surface, and attachments between the recoater assembly and the support columns may be independently adjustable to adjust the recoater relative to the build surface.

US 20220072769 A1APPLICATION
B29C64/153

DEFECT MITIGATION FOR RECOATING SYSTEMS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Filed:2021-08-30Pub:2022-03-10
Applicant:VulcanForms Inc.

Disclosed embodiments relate to recoater systems for use with additive manufacturing systems. A recoater assembly may be used to deposit a material layer onto a build surface of an additive manufacturing system. In some instances, the recoater assembly may include a powder entrainment system that trails behind a recoater blade of the recoater assembly relative to a direction of motion of the recoater blade across a build surface of the additive manufacturing system. The powder entrainment system may generate a flow of fluid across a portion of the build surface behind the recoater blade that at least temporarily entrains powder above a threshold height from the build surface to mitigate, or prevent, the formation of defects on the build surface with heights greater than the threshold height.

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