How to Improve 3D Printing Using Cold Spray Metal Deposition
A method for perfecting metal 3D printing by analyzing how spray angles affect material quality and adjusting the printer's path to fix errors.
Original patent title: “Method for cold spray additive manufacturing”
A method for perfecting metal 3D printing by analyzing how spray angles affect material quality and adjusting the printer's path to fix errors. Granted to Individual in 2025 with 20 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to make 3D-printed metal parts more precise using cold spray technology. Instead of melting metal, cold spray uses high-speed gas to blast metal powder onto a surface. The inventors created a system that first prints a single test line to see how the spray angle affects the shape and internal defects of the metal. By measuring this test line, the system builds a mathematical model that predicts how the metal will build up. It then automatically adjusts the nozzle's path to ensure the final part matches the desired shape and has fewer structural flaws.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover traditional laser-based additive manufacturing (like SLM or DMLS).
- Does not cover deposition methods that rely on melting the material.
- Does not cover systems that lack the step of generating a predictive model from a single-line test pass.
- Does not cover manual path adjustment without the specific geometric and defect modeling described.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system treats the spray nozzle's impact angle as a variable in a predictive model, allowing the software to compensate for the uneven 'plume' of particles that naturally occurs during spraying.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Repairing worn-out aircraft engine components
Additive manufacturing of large-scale structural metal parts
Applying protective metal coatings to industrial machinery
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Cold spray is increasingly used for repairing expensive aerospace parts or creating high-strength components. Because cold spray is a physical impact process rather than a thermal one, it is hard to predict how layers will stack. This patent provides a systematic way to calibrate these machines, which is essential for industrial adoption where part failure is not an option.
Filed
June 10, 2022
Granted
February 25, 2025
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies specializing in cold spray technology, such as VRC Metal Systems or Spee3D, are the primary entities working on automated path planning for these systems. This patent provides a framework for these companies to move away from manual trial-and-error toward software-driven precision.
Market impact
This patent helps standardize the quality control process for cold spray manufacturing. By reducing the reliance on human expertise to guess the correct spray path, it lowers the barrier for industries like aerospace to adopt cold spray for critical, load-bearing parts.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to make 3D-printed metal parts more precise using cold spray technology. Instead of melting metal, cold spray uses high-speed gas to blast metal powder onto a surface. The inventors created a system that first prints a single test line to see how the spray angle affects the shape and internal defects of the metal. By measuring this test line, the system builds a mathematical model that predicts how the metal will build up. It then automatically adjusts the nozzle's path to ensure the final part matches the desired shape and has fewer structural flaws.
The clever bit
The system treats the spray nozzle's impact angle as a variable in a predictive model, allowing the software to compensate for the uneven 'plume' of particles that naturally occurs during spraying.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover traditional laser-based additive manufacturing (like SLM or DMLS).
- Does not cover deposition methods that rely on melting the material.
- Does not cover systems that lack the step of generating a predictive model from a single-line test pass.
- Does not cover manual path adjustment without the specific geometric and defect modeling described.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
13/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$18K – $56K
Midpoint $35K · 16.0 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
20 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Nardi, A., Nault, I., & Ellingsen, M. D. (2025). How to Improve 3D Printing Using Cold Spray Metal Deposition (U.S. Patent No. 12,233,456). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12233456/mars-colonial-transporter-architecture
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to Improve 3D Printing Using Cold Spray Metal Deposition cover?
A method for perfecting metal 3D printing by analyzing how spray angles affect material quality and adjusting the printer's path to fix errors.
Who owns patent US 12233456?
Individual owns this patent, granted in 2025.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 25, 2045, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Cold spray is increasingly used for repairing expensive aerospace parts or creating high-strength components. Because cold spray is a physical impact process rather than a thermal one, it is hard to predict how layers will stack. This patent provides a systematic way to calibrate these machines, which is essential for industrial adoption where part failure is not an option.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover traditional laser-based additive manufacturing (like SLM or DMLS).
Same assignee
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