Industrial Computed Tomography Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Offering (Equipment, Services), By Vertical (Oil & Gas, Electronics), By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview

The global industrial computed tomography market size to be valued at USD 765.8 million by 2028 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% during the forecast period. The increasing use of additive manufacturing techniques in the production processes across industries, such as automotive, aerospace, defense, and electronics among others, has contributed to the market growth. Moreover, the technological advancements in sensor and digital detector technology have also paved the way for the increased adoption of industrial computed tomography (CT) scanners in the market. Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, involves the production of complex designs and structures that are expensive and difficult to produce using traditional manufacturing methods. These structures are made by depositing material layer upon layer, thereby creating a single-piece structure.

Therefore, industrial CT scanners are used to test the strength and capabilities of the structures/designs formed using the additive manufacturing process. These scanners help the manufacturers to test & evaluate the capabilities/characteristics of the complex structures without damaging the product. Therefore, increased demand for 3D printing technology across the automotive, healthcare, electronics, and other industries is paving the way for market expansion over the forecast period.

The benefits offered by industrial computed tomography, including the precise scanning of micro and large parts of the structure, enable the manufacturer to reduce the product development cost. Also, various types of inspection capabilities offered by this scanning technology, such as failure analysis, flaw detection, assembly analysis, and others, help improve the overall product quality, thereby reducing the product recall risk. Therefore, the pre- and post-production benefits offered by computed tomography for the industrial sector are anticipated to bolster the market growth over the coming years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created various challenges for the evolution of the market. The supply chain disruptions, coupled with the reduction in manufacturing capabilities of various organizations, resulted in the reduced demand for industrial CT scanners. However, the gradual easing of the restrictions across the globe and the growing dissemination of coronavirus vaccines are anticipated to set the market on a growth trajectory. Moreover, companies are mounting strategic changes in their mode of operations to prepare for similar future uncertainties, which are expected to revive the market over the next couple of years.

Industrial Computed Tomography Market Trends

The increasing implementation of 3D printing techniques in manufacturing processes of various industries is boosting the CT market as the technology progresses from the prototyping stage to the production stage. This has resulted in a significant increase in the use of additive manufacturing to produce various items based on 3D modeling. As a result, the demand for radiography testing techniques like CT to analyze the internal geometries of 3D printed objects has increased. The market is expected to be driven by the growing trend of using computed tomography in additive manufacturing activities in conjunction with 3D printing.

To reduce money and time, aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are focused on CT technologies for examining major components such as turbines, piston engines, and other equipment in a single run. The increasing demand for high precision and reliability requirements for evaluating complex parts at high temperatures has pushed the aerospace computed tomography business forward. CT can also be used to inspect tiny and moderate components such as welded tubes, aluminum castings, turbine blades, and others. Furthermore, the industrial CT market is being driven by the high adoption of techniques in the aerospace sector.

The probability of artifacts in the data is a key challenge with industrial computed tomography. Some machines also produce noise which corrupts the information or data of the inspection section. This produces inaccurate results, thus, limiting the use of computed tomography systems in the industry.

Offering Insights

The equipment segment accounted for the highest revenue share of more than 58% in 2020, contributing to more than 58% of the global market revenue in 2020. Previously, companies preferred to buy CT scanners, including the line and cone beam scanners, due to confidentiality issues with the product design process, which is the primary reason for the high share of the equipment segment in the market. However, the high cost of equipment restricts several small- and medium-scale organizations from investing in product purchases, thereby lowering the growth of the equipment segment over the forecast period.

The services segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of over 8.5% from 2021 to 2028. The capital-intensive nature of the industrial CT scanners has paved the way for the high growth of the services segment in the market. Companies are increasingly outsourcing the CT services to third-party service providers due to the low cost, which helps them significantly reduce their capital investment.

Application Insights

The flaw detection & inspection segment accounted for the highest revenue share of more than 26% in 2020. The increasing need for inspection of the products to detect any flaw, crack, damage or variation from the designed product has been the key driver for the high share of this segment. The use of industrial CT systems for product inspections helps the manufacturer considerably reduce production/manufacturing costs. In addition, industrial CT scanners can quickly test and analyze minor defects that are not efficiently and effectively traceable using traditional inspection methods. The flaw detection & inspection segment is also anticipated to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

The fastest growth is credited to the growing use of 3D printing technology and the increasing complexity of the products/parts. Furthermore, CT scanners are also used for several other purposes, including failure analysis, assembly analysis, dimensioning & tolerance analysis. The assembly analysis segment is expected to register a significant growth rate over the forecast period. Assembly analysis is increasingly being used in industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics, which require the inspection and analysis of the assembled products to gain insights on the placement and condition of smaller/minor internal components without disassembling or destructing the product.

Vertical Insights

The automotive segment held the largest revenue share of more than 34% in 2020. The industrial CT systems are used in the automotive industry at various stages of the production process that include pre-production inspection, production inspection, parts sorting, as well as failure investigation. The scanners generate precise metrology data that enables the user to validate the conformity of the parts with the original CAD designs, which, in turn, helps in improving the overall product quality. In addition, dimensioning analysis is also conducted at various intervals during the production process, along with the tolerance analysis of the produced parts. Furthermore, several automotive companies are making significant investments in developing and utilizing advanced CT technology for automotive applications. For instance, in July 2018, BMW Group announced that the company is using an advanced CT system for prototype development, analysis, and production applications. Therefore, the unmatched utility and application of CT scanners in the automotive industry are boosting the segment growth.

The other verticals that use industrial computed tomography systems include oil & gas, aerospace & defense, and electronics. The electronics segment is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of more than 8.5% from 2021 to 2028. CT scanning, as a non-destructive testing method for inspection, is increasingly being used in the electronics industry to investigate internal parts & assemblies, molded circuits, and verify the optimal functioning of the electronic components. In addition, the increasing demand for electronic devices and the resultant rise in their manufacturing coupled with the growing focus on quality control are anticipated to drive the segment during the forecasted period.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the global market in 2020 and accounted for the highest revenue share of more than 31%. The region will expand further at a significant CAGR over the forecast years. The increasing number of investments in the adoption of new & advanced technologies by key industry players is expected to drive the regional market growth. The region’s prospering automotive and electronics industries and strong presence of prominent market players, such as Baker Hughes Co., Nikon Metrology NV, and Yxlon International GmbH, are also anticipated to bolster the market growth over the coming years.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing regional market from 2021 to 2028. This growth can be attributed to the rising adoption of industrial CT systems for testing and inspection purposes among various industries, such as electronics, automotive, aerospace & defense. The region is considered to be the hub for automotive and electronics manufacturing companies. Furthermore, the Asia Pacific region is also marked by the highest amount of oil & gas production across the globe. For instance, in 2019, the oil & gas production in the region totaled over 3600 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe). Therefore, the rising manufacturing and production activities in the region are contributing to the market expansion.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is moderately consolidated with the presence of several equipment and service providers. These companies consistently undertake various strategical steps to strengthen their market presence and gain an advantage over their competitors. Strategies including acquisitions and partnerships to expand their reach by leveraging each other’s expertise are being undertaken to gain more customers and increase the company’s regional presence. For instance, in June 2019, Baker Hughes announced a Customer Solution Center (CSC) in Silicon Valley, California, U.S.

The Silicon Valley CSC is focused on providing X-ray and CT machine demonstrations, industrial inspection services, application development, and training. In July 2019, Rigaku Corp. acquired Xwinsys Technology Development Ltd., a company offering X-ray technology-based metrology solutions headquartered in Israel. The acquisition was aimed at developing new in-line X-ray metrology equipment for semiconductor processes, electronics devices and packaging, MEMS, and other applications.

Recent Developments

• In June 2022, Shimadzu launched an AA-7800 series automatic absorption spectrometer. It is a versatile analytical application and it offers continuous analysis using remote data. Moreover, this application makes use of network connections for making the work of the operator flexible

• In June 2022, Werth Inc. developed a new technology for measuring workpieces while in motion.Parts can be fully captured using X-ray computed tomography at high speeds and precision. However, for measurements taken concurrently with manufacturing, this method has shown to be excessively slow. Besides this, information of high density can be provided with the implementation of 2D radiography that helps in development of 3D work pieces

Some prominent players in the global industrial computed tomography market include:

• Nikon Metrology NV

• OMRON Corp.

• Baker Hughes Company

• YXLON International

• ZEISS Group

• VJ Group

• Rigaku Corp.

• Shimadzu Corp.

• Werth, Inc.

• North Star Imaging, Inc.

Industrial Computed Tomography Market Report Scope

Global Industrial Computed Tomography Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global industrial computed tomography market report on the basis of offering, application, vertical, and region:

• Offering Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Equipment

    • Line Beam Scanners

    • Cone Beam Scanners

  • Services

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Flaw Detection & Inspection

  • Failure Analysis

  • Assembly Analysis

  • Dimensioning & Tolerancing Analysis

  • Others

• Vertical Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Oil & Gas

  • Aerospace and Defense

  • Automotive

  • Electronics

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

  • Middle East & Africa