AUTOMATED FIBER PLACEMENTS AND AUTOMATED TAPE LAYING MACHINES MARKET ANALYSIS

Automated fiber placement is a composites manufacturing process of heating and compacting synthetic resin pre-impregnated non-metallic fibers on typically complex tooling mandrels. ATL machines are designed for high speed tape laying of aircraft structural components. AFP- ATL technology aids in better precision and increased deposition rates. The rising automation in the aerospace industry is expected to drive the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market growth. The demand for AFP- ATL machines is rapidly growing owing to increasing need for revolutionizing the composite manufacturing process.

The global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period (2021–2028) due rising automation in the aerospace industry. Automation provides many benefits within the aerospace industry. Automation increases efficiency and productivity of business processes and offers quality control. Aerospace manufacturing is a specialized and complex process. Automated fiber placement and tape laying (AFP/ATL) are the technologies that have revolutionized the production of composite structures for the aviation and space industry. Complex composite structures that have been built manually (using hand lay-up) are automatically produced using AFP/ATL technologies, resulting in higher throughput, improved composite structure quality, reduced scrap material, reduced labor costs, reduced manufacturing time, accuracy, and repeatability of the production process.The comprehensive software solutions in automated fiber placement and tape laying (AFP/ATL) machines allow complex shapes to be programmed quickly. For instance, Mikrosam offers Special AFP solution – multi-robotic work cell, which provides maximum production flexibility for the applications in aerospace industry.

The major factor restraining growth of the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market is high capital cost of AFP-ATL machines. The automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines are expensive and need high capital investment. This is one of the primary restraining factors for growth of the automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market. Also, the automated fiber placements and automated tape laying AFP-ATL machines are very complex and need skilled laborers to operate it. The high cost of automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP-ATL) machines along with the need for highly skilled technicians are key factors that limit its usage in the highly cost-sensitive markets such as automotive and building & construction. For instance, in 2013, National Composites Centre (NCC) invested US$ 4 million in composite manufacturing equipment- automated fiber placement (AFP) machine in Bristol, England

Global Automated Fiber Placements and Automated Tape Laying (AFP- ATL) Machines Market - Impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic

COVID-19 has significantly disrupted almost all the industries including, aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, wind energy, and others. To combat COVID-19 pandemic, most of the countries have implemented lockdown and are now easing it phase-wise and industry wise. This has significantly impacted manufacturing sector as the facilities across the globe were temporarily shut down.

COVID-19 has turned into a global crisis and it has a significant impact on the supply-side as well as the demand side of the AFP and ATL machines market. Companies need to evaluate impacts on three fronts: supply chain, market demand, and workforce.

The coronavirus pandemic has reduced commercial air travel significantly. The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted entire tier structure of the aerospace supply chain. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to flight cancellations, travel bans and massive slow down in the supply chain activity.

North America held dominant position in the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market in 2020

Statistics:

North America held dominant position in the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market in 2020, accounting for 32.3% share in terms of value, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific.

Figure 1: Global Automated Fiber Placements and Automated Tape Laying (AFP- ATL) Machines Market Share (%), By Region, 2020

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North America is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. This is owing to rapidly growing aviation and space exploration sector in the U.S. Space exploration companies and government organizations such as The Boeing Company, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (commonly known as NASA), and others are heavily investing in research and development for automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP-ATL) machines, which will help them to reduce end-product cost drastically. Furthermore, according to a report published in August 2015, NASA is using composite material for its future space vehicles, which is developed in the composites Technology Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. According to NASA, the newly developed composite.

Structure is made using fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP-ATL) machines which offers higher strength and reduced overall production cost.  Thus, the increasing demand by space exploration companies for composite materials will positively impact the North America Automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP-ATL) machines market during the forecast period.

OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) segment is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period

Among end user, the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) segment is expected to hold dominant position in the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market during the forecast period. The OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) segment has witnessed steady growth during the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for lightweight, sturdy components made using composite materials. For instance, according to CMI analysis, airplane manufacturing companies such as The Boeing Company and Airbus SE are planning to increase the use of AFP-ATL machines for Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft. By 2021, the companies are planning to increase their manufacturing capacity for these aircraft by around 80-100 per month; which is expected to facilitate the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP-ATL) machines market growth.

Figure 2: Global Automated Fiber Placements and Automated Tape Laying (AFP- ATL) Machines Market Value (US$ Mn) Analysis and Forecast, 2017 - 2028

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The global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market was valued at US$ 244.7 Mn in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 439.6 Mn by 2028 at a CAGR of 8.0% between 2021 and 2028.

Major players operating in the global automated fiber placements and automated tape laying (AFP- ATL) machines market include Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc., Automated Dynamics, M.Torres Industrial Designs, SAU, Electroimpact Inc., MIKROSAM, Accudyne Systems, Inc., Fives, Coriolis Composites