Global technical textiles market size was valued at USD 143.75 billion in 2014. The growth of automotive industry, particularly in emerging markets of Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, is expected to drive growth. Technical textiles are used for rubber products, balance, safety, insulating products, floor coverings, composites and protective gear in automobiles.
These textiles are known for their superior properties over their conventional counterparts and are used for special functionalities. Properties such as higher strength, versatility, and superior technical performance make them desirable for numerous industrial, commercial as well as domestic usages.
The global market is characterized by massive R&D investments made by industry participants that have resulted in innovations and novel products. Key industry participants have been taking ardent steps to develop novel applications in accordance with consumer demand and specifications. These trends are expected to drive the global technical textiles market over the forecast period.
Technical textiles have varying grades that are used for various applications. Such versatility is presumed to complement the industry owing to wide acceptance across multiple industries. The high raw material cost associated is expected to remain a key challenge for market participants.
Growing acceptance of geotextiles is presumed to offer ample opportunities to the industry participants over the forecast period. Emerging regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America are presumed to witness rapid technical textile acceptance across several industries.
Countries such as China, India and Brazil are projected to lead their respective regional markets. Such a trend in the developing regions promises ample opportunities for growth and development.
North America technical textiles market, by technology, 2012 – 2022, (Kilo Tons)
Fibers, yarns, and filaments are the major products used in manufacturing technical textiles. Numerous technologies involved in the manufacturing includes 3D weaving, thermoforming, 3D knitting, heat-set methods, nanotechnology, hand-made methods, finishing treatments and others. Thermoforming, 3D weaving, and 3D knitting are the most mostly used methods. Newer technologies such as nanotechnology are projected to witness wide acceptance over the forecast period and offers ample scope for growth.
Thermoforming in textiles is a heat treatment process that is used to shape composites containing fabric layers into various shapes. This technology is widely adopted in the indutech, mobiltech, packtech, and hometech segments. 3D weaving is a weaving process used for manufacturing products such as spacer fabrics, geotextiles, surgical implants, webbings, conveyor belts and more.
Three-dimensional knitting technology is used to manufacture complete garments with minimal or no cutting. This innovative technology eliminates post labor work, thus saving production time and cost. In addition, this technology offers knitwear consumers more comfort and better fit by eliminating seams. The heat-set method is a thermal process carried out either in a moist or dry heat environment. Finishing treatments are used in the final production stages.
The market has been segmented into eleven categories viz., indutech, mobiltech, sportech, hometech, buildtech, clothtech, agrotech, packtech, meditech, protech, and others. Mobiltech dominated the global market in the recent past followed by Indutech. This trend is estimated to continue over the forecast period. Meditech and buildtech are estimated to be the fastest growing segments over the next seven years.
Increasing infrastructure spending especially in the developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Central & South America owing to government initiatives is presumed to be a major regional driver. Growing population coupled with increasing access to medical treatment is estimated to drive the medical & pharmaceutical industry, which in turn is expected to aid the meditech segment.
Asia Pacific technical textiles market dominated the global industry and is expected to continue this dominance over the next seven years. It is projected to account for over 45% of the global consumption by 2022. North American share is projected to decline slightly over the forecast period owing to end-use industry saturation.
Economies such as China, India and Brazil are expected to witness brisk growth in the technical textiles market and are thus presumed to lead their regions. Favorable government initiatives and policies encouraging infrastructure spending, manufacturing, and medical industries are projected to play a key role in shaping these countries.
The industry is highly fragmented with several prominent industry participants. Major companies are engaging in acquisitions or forging partnerships with an aim to increase their production capacity and enhance their product portfolio. Companies such as Avintiv have increased their product prices as well as acquired Duonor S.A.S. Such strategic steps are being taken to meet the product demand and gain considerable market share by integrating novel technologies and capabilities.
Key industry participants include DuPont, Avintiv, Kusumgar Corporates, SRF, Ahlstrom, Ibena Textilewerke GmbH, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, 3M, SKAPS, Kimberley Clark Corporation, Maccaferri, and Strata Geosystems (India) Pvt. Ltd.
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