The unidirectional tapes market size was estimated at USD 154.3 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.9% from 2021 to 2028. The rapidly increasing demand for lightweight components in the automotive and aerospace industries is expected to drive the demand for unidirectional (UD) tapes over the forecast period. Temporary closure of industrial operations to curb the spread of COVID-19 outbreak across the globe had negatively impacted the manufacturing operations in 2020. Thus, hampered the product demand in the automotive and aerospace parts manufacturing operations. A surge in the usage of automotive adhesive tapes for bonding electronic products in car interiors, coupled with the rising production of electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S., is projected to fuel the growth.
In addition, the high sensitivity of manufacturers located in the economy towards automobiles aesthetics is expected to benefit the market. The development of advanced products for sealing, coupled with rising investments in R&D for the production of advanced high-strength adhesive tapes, is projected to drive the product demand over the forecast period. In addition, the development of eco-friendly solvent recovery technology used for the coating of adhesives is expected to drive the product demand in the coming years.
The market is expected to be driven by the growth in the usage of UD tapes as a replacement for metals in exterior and interior systems in automobiles and aircraft for reduction of their overall weight by about 40%, to achieve high fuel efficiency levels, and reduce the emission levels to the outer atmosphere. The market growth is expected to be restrained by the high cost of unidirectional tapes as compared to metals. The manufacturers usually prefer metals in all major applications to reduce their production costs. Furthermore, the market is concentrated in North America and Europe, due to which, the product adoption is significantly low in other regions, thus limiting the market growth.
The thermoplastic resin type segment accounted for the largest revenue share of 74.7% in 2020. The product offers exceptional strength, flexibility, and durability for in-situ consolidation, press molding, and autoclave manufacturing processes thus is widely utilized in bonding applications in the automotive and aerospace industries.
UD tapes are an advanced composite material that is manufactured using carbon fiber or glass fiber impregnated with thermoplastic polymer including Polyether Ketone Ketone (PEEK) or Polyamide 12 (PA12) as a thermoplastic matrix. The product offers exceptional strength, flexibility, and durability for in-situ consolidation, press molding, and autoclave manufacturing processes.
UD tapes are derived through raw uncured resin molecules that are cross-linked through a catalytic chemical reaction. The uncured state of the material is primarily in liquid form, which allows for convenient impregnation of various reinforcement fibers including carbon fiber and fiberglass to form the UD tape of desired dimensions.
The thermoset UD tapes are resistant to corrosion, heat, and solvents and offer exceptional adhesion. The product also has high fatigue strength and elasticity, which make it suitable for various end-use applications including airplane wing spars, military vests & helmets, radome (structural weatherproof enclosure that protects a radar antenna), satellite mold joining, and F1 racing cars chassis structure.
The glass fiber segment dominated the UD tapes market with a revenue share of 58.2% in 2020 and is expected to ascend at a notable CAGR over the forecast period. The high tensile strength of glass fiber as compared to steel wires of the same diameter coupled with a lower weight makes it a suitable choice to produce UD tapes.
Glass fibers are used in producing structural composites and a wide variety of special-purpose products, such as frame and mold joining parts in aircraft, boats, rockets, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Carbon fiber is primarily 15% lighter than glass fiber, 40% lighter than aluminum, and approximately 70% lighter than steel, which makes it a lightweight, strong, and rigid reinforced material. As a result, it is used in door panels & chassis of cars, reinforcements insert in military vehicles & protective equipment’s including vests and helmets, and winding pipes & containers in other utility services.
The rising demand for outdoor recreational and sports equipment is further expected to increase the carbon fiber UD tapes demand in sports & leisure and automotive application segments. The carbon fiber UD tape offers excellent conformity and drapes for sporting equipment (skis, archery bow limbs, etc.), marine (yacht stringer reinforcement), motorsport (aero wings, structural components), and pipe wrapping/reinforcement applications.
Aerospace & defense was the largest end-use segment in 2020 with a revenue share of 54.9%. It is likely to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. Thermoplastic and thermosets UD tapes are used in primary and secondary aircraft structures and high-load aircraft interior applications including fuselage, wings, cargo liners, bulkheads/class dividers, and lavatory modules.
The increase in usage of UD tapes in high-end cars and e-vehicles or Electric Vehicles (EVs) is expected to increase their penetration in the automotive industry. The reduction in vehicular weight helps increase its mileage and speed. Their usage in EVs helps increase the car range on a single charge. The governments across several countries including India, Australia, and Canada are undertaking several initiatives to promote the usage of e-vehicles, thus benefitting the UD tape market.
The UD carbon fiber or glass fiber tapes have an exceptional fatigue resistance, rigidity and are lightweight, as a result, they can also be used as a laminated sheet or sleeve once placed at certain angles to manufacture prosthetic blades, which are extensively used by Paralympic sprinters. In addition, UD tapes are used to produce sole of cycling or sprinting shoes, which offer high stiffness along with minimal weight in racing applications.
Other applications include oil & gas, medical, and warehousing & logistics. Fiber reinforcements with a variety of polymer matrices including polyamide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethylene, and polypropylene provide structural stiffness and strength to the tape that is used in the above-mentioned application industries.
UD tapes products are widely used in automotive products, such as auto parts, oil paints, coatings, lightweight hemp plastics, and related composites, for use as an alternative to fiberglass in the automotive and aviation sectors. Several European automobile manufacturers are adopting natural fiber composites on account of the increasingly stringent regulations related to harmful synthetic materials, which is expected to drive market growth over the forecast period.
North America dominated the market and accounted for 39.6% of revenue share in 2020. Robust aerospace and automobile manufacturing industries in the region coupled with the growing demand for lightweight vehicles are expected to ascend the product demand over the forecast period.
The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards introduced in the U.S. to improve fuel economy are supporting the utilization of lightweight components in passenger cars and light truck production in the U.S. The recent upgrades in the CAFE policy in 2018 have augmented the utilization of light bonding materials that can reduce the bonding materials’ weight by nearly 70%, thereby are boosting the product demand.
Europe is likely to ascend at a significant growth rate over the forecast period on account of a rise in demand from the automobile manufacturing industries that are aiming to procure materials for weight reduction. Moreover, switching trends for EVs are likely to incorporate the utilization of lightweight components, thus are likely to have a positive impact on the market.
Automobile production in China, India, and Japan accounted for the largest share in the APAC region. Companies, such as Honda Motor Company, Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corp., Hyundai Motor Company, and Tata Motors, are operating large production facilities and are incorporating lightweight technology for vehicles; thus, are estimated to upscale the utilization of UD tapes in automobile manufacturing.
The market is primarily consolidated in the U.S. and various European countries including Germany, U.K., Belgium, and the Netherlands. The market is moderately competitive owing to the presence of a limited set of players majorly concentrated in the U.K. and Germany.
Continuous research & development in the designing and manufacturing of composite materials is expected to shape the fine production of UD tapes in the market. Various companies are expanding their manufacturing capabilities to gain a competitive advantage in the market. For instance, in May 2021, Toray Advanced Composites announced to expand its thermoplastic composite material capabilities to advance its ‘Cetex’ brand of reinforced thermoplastic composite laminates and UD tapes. Some prominent players in the global unidirectional tapes market include:
Evonik Industries AG
SABIC
Solvay, S.A.
Hexcel Corp.
Toray Industries, Inc.
SGL Group
Teijin Ltd.
BASF SE
Celanese Corp.
Victrex plc.
Cristex Composite Materials
Eurocarbon B.V.
Plastic Reinforcement Fabrics Ltd.
TCR Composites, Inc.
Barrday, Inc.
Report Attribute |
Details |
Market size value in 2021 |
USD 167.7 million |
Revenue forecast in 2028 |
USD 502.9 million |
Growth rate |
CAGR of 15.9% from 2021 to 2028 |
Base year for estimation |
2020 |
Historical data |
2017 - 2019 |
Forecast period |
2021 - 2028 |
Quantitative units |
Volume in million meters and revenue in USD million/billion, and CAGR from 2021 to 2028 |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, volume forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
Segments covered |
Resin type, fiber, end-use, region |
Regional scope |
North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Central & South America; Middle East & Africa |
Country scope |
U.S.; Canada; Mexico; Germany; U.K.; France; Italy; Spain; China; India; Japan; South Korea; Brazil; Argentina |
Key companies profiled |
Evonik Industries AG; SABIC; Solvay, S.A.; Hexcel Corp.; Toray Industries, Inc.; SGL Group; Teijin Ltd.; BASF SE; Celanese Corp.; Victrex plc; Cristex Composite Materials; Eurocarbon B.V.; Plastic Reinforcement Fabrics Ltd.; TCR Composites, Inc.; Barrday, Inc. |
Customization scope |
Free report customization (equivalent to up to 8 analysts working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope. |
Pricing and purchase options |
Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options |
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 unidirectional tapes market report on the basis of resin type, fibers, end-use, and region:
Resin Type Outlook (Volume, Million Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Thermoset
Thermoplastic
Fiber Outlook (Volume, Million Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Glass Fiber
Carbon Fiber
Other Fiber
End-use Outlook (Volume, Million Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
Aerospace & Defense
Automotive
Sports & Leisure
Others
Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)
North America
U.S.
Canada
Mexico
Europe
Germany
U.K.
France
Italy
Spain
Asia Pacific
China
India
Japan
South Korea
Central & South America
Brazil
Argentina
Middle East & Africa
b. The unidirectional tapes market size was estimated at USD 154.3 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 167.7 million in 2021.
b. The unidirectional tapes market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.9% from 2021 to 2028 to reach USD 502.9 million by 2028.
b. Thermoplastic resin unidirectional tapes dominated the market with a share of 74.7% in 2020. This is attributed to superior characteristics including the strength and durability of the product.
b. Some of the key players operating in the unidirectional tapes market include Evonik Industries AG, SABIC, Solvay, S.A., Hexcel Corporation, Toray Industries, Inc., SGL Group, Teijin Ltd., BASF SE, Celanese Corporation, Victrex plc., Cristex Composite Materials, Eurocarbon B.V., Plastic Reinforcement Fabrics Ltd., TCR Composites, Inc., Barrday Inc.
b. The key factors that are driving the unidirectional tapes market include growing emphasis by aerospace companies towards the production of lightweight aircraft and a rise in demand for products in automotive manufacturing.
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