Leading innovators in vibration suppression devices

The aerospace and defence industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by the uptake of advanced technology, and the growing importance of technologies such as hypersonics and advanced materials.

In the last three years alone, there have been over 174,000 patents filed and granted in the aerospace and defence industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Aerospace, Defence & Security: Vibration suppression devices.

However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the aerospace and defence industry using innovation intensity models built on over 262,000 patents, there are 180+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, bonded fibre laminates, thermoplastic elastomer laminates, and vibration suppression devices are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Centrifugal fan impellers, ceramic composite laminates, and gas turbine engine testing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are protective blade coatings and blade alloy welding, which are now established in the industry.

Vibration suppression is critical for various platforms across aerospace and defence. Vibration is often controlled by damping, a method designed to absorb some of the vibrations.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies.

According to GlobalData, there are 80+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defence companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of vibration suppression devices.

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

KYB is one of the leading patent filers in vibration suppression devices. Some of the patents filed by KYB in the area related to vibration suppression devices include developments in cabin vibration suppression, as well as various devices designed to both control and dampen vibrations. Some other key patent filers in the area include Honda Motor, Toyota Motor, and Bridgestone.

In terms of geographic reach, Leonardo leads the pack. TT Electronics and Ford Motor stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of application diversity, Porsche Automobil held the top position, followed by Raytheon Technologies, Leonardo, Boeing, and Delta Kogyo.

Vibration suppression devices had a number of patents filed by companies with a primarily commercial market focus. Defence companies are also filing patents in this area, with those doing so including Leonardo, Boeing, and BAE Systems all submitting patents related to vibration suppression devices.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the aerospace and defence industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Defence.