3D PA Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

3D PA Market Overview

3D PA (polyamide) market size is forecast to reach US$230.2 million by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 27.1% during 2022-2027. 3D PA has been developed using 3D printer technology and helps to obtain specific particle sizes with excellent long-term stability with the nylon plastic material. 3D PA are resistant to most chemicals and can be made watertight by impregnation. The 3D PA thermoplastic material is widely used in transportation, electric and electronics, energy, and others owing to superior thermal properties and excellent process ability in selective laser sintering machines. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), 90.2% of all light commercial vehicles registered in the European Union ran on diesel, while petrol vans accounted for 3.8% of the market. Electrically-chargeable vehicles made up 3.0% of van registrations compared to 2.0% in 2020, while hybrid vans accounted for 1.6%, up from 0.9% in the year 2021. Therefore, the growing automotive sector will boost the demand for the 3D PA market during the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a major challenge for the 3D PA market owing to directly affecting the manufacturer's supply chain across the globe and shutting down the production facilities to minimize the risk of virus spread. The 3D PA market saw a considerable amount of growth due to the increase in the need and use of degradable plastic for medical products and equipment owing to the increase in the number of hospitals & patients around the globe. The major sectors such as automotive, energy, and others have been highly impacted. According to the United States Department of Transportation, the unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 5.4% in February 2022 compared to 8.9% in February 2021 and remains above the pre-pandemic rate of 3.8% in February 2020. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19. Although the demand from many key-use industries decreased, the demand from the medical industry boosted the sales of 3D PA during the year 2020. The 3D PA market is also estimated to gradually increase during the forecast period.

Report Coverage

The report: “3D PA Market Report– Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the 3D PA industry.

By Type: Polyamide 11, Polyamide 12, and Others
By Technology: Extrusion, Extrusion blow-molding, Injection molding, Rotomolding, and Others
By End-Use Industry: Transportation (Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Marine, Railways), Optical Industry (Display Assembly, Fiber Optics, LED Assembly, Photonics, Camera Module, and Others), Energy & Power, Electric & Electronic, Health Care, Energy, Oil & Gas, Wire & Cable, Consumer goods and Others
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zeeland, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of APAC), and Rest of the World: The Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Rest of the Middle East) and Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Rest of Africa)

Key Takeaways

• The Asia Pacific is expected to register a CAGR of 31.2% during the forecast period (2022-2027). The increasing demand from end-use industries such as automotive, aerospace, energy, and others in Asian countries such as China, India, Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea is driving the market demand for 3D PA.
• Rising demand for 3D nylon polyamide products from various end-use industries using selective laser sintering technology is driving the 3D polyamide market.
• Robust demand from the aerospace industry owing to product development process using 3D printing polyamide products to obtain specific dimension of an aerospace component.

Figure: Asia Pacific 3D PA Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Million)

3D PA Market Segment Analysis – By Type

The polyamide 12 segments accounted for around 35% of the market share in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Polyamide 12 is a thermoplastic material that has excellent impact strength and is less sensitive to stress cracking. Polyamide 12 has a much lower density, melting point & moisture absorption than other polyamide types. Polyamide 12 is widely used in automotive and electrical industries for interior and exterior designs on automobiles, electrical housings, conveyor belts, paint spray hoses, and others. According to the Electronic component Industry Association, the electronic component market based on revenue of the United States has been increased by 24% in the third quarter of 2021 as compared to the second quarter of 2021 with a value exceeding US$6.6 billion. Therefore, the growing electronic and automotive sector will drive the polyamide 12 segments and in turn, will drive the 3D PA market during the forecast period.

3D PA Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry

The transportation industry accounted for approximately 28% of the market share in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The increase in demand for the customized and prototype products of nylon polyamide using 3D printing selective laser sintering technology from automotive, aerospace, marine, and others across the globe is driving the demand for the 3D PA market owing to strong, versatile, and flexible material. For an Instance, Airbus has delivered 611 commercial aircraft in 2021 as compared to 566 in 2020 with an annual growth of 25%. This will eventually drive the need and demand for 3D PA in the aerospace industry as it is widely used as proto-type products and customized spare parts for various aerospace components during the forecast period.

3D PA Market Segment Analysis - By Geography

Asia Pacific region held the largest share in the 3D PA market in 2021 up to 36%, owing to the growing optical, electric & electronics, automotive in developing countries like China, India, Indonesia, and others will boost the demand for 3D polyamide products. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), 242.2 thousand and 181.3 thousand cars were produced in January & February 2022. According to International Trade Administration, the semiconductor market size of Japan is around 1.3% in 2020, 19.5% in 2021, and is expected to be around 9.3% in 2022. The growth in the semiconductor market will boost the demand from various sectors like energy & power, electric & electronic, health care, energy, and others. Therefore, the growing automotive & semiconductors are boosting the demand for the 3D PA market during the forecast period.

3D PA Market Drivers:

The growing demand for 3D PA in the Optical sector

The growing demand for 3D PA from the optical industry owing to the highly flexible and thin nature of fiber optic material, used in several types of products like display assembly, fiber optics, led assembly, photonics, camera module, and others in the area of both medicines as well as research. According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation, the Indian medical device market is around US$11 billion in 2020 and is expected to increase at a CAGR of 35.4% from 2020 to 2025, reaching US$50 billion. The growing use of optical products for medical treatments that include surgeries, biomedical research, and microscopy in the medical and another sector can be attributed to boosting the optical sector, which in turn will drive the 3D PA market during the forecast period.

Increasing application in the fashion and jewelry

3D polyamide market is widely used in fashion and jewelry products owing to its flexible material, durability, and strong fabric. 3D printing is being used to produce high detail, custom jewelry through investment casting and direct metal printing. Many jewelers use selective laser sintering technology. Polyamide fabric is one of the most popular and widely used synthetic fabrics next to polyester. According to UK Fashion and Textile Association, US$26.31 billion is contributed by the fashion and textile industry to the UK economy, and online retail sales for textiles, clothing and footwear increased to an all-time high of 31% in 2020. The growing demand for fashion & jewelry will increase the demand for 3D polyamide across the globe which in turn, will boost the demand for the 3D PA market during the forecast period.

3D PA Market Challenges:

Environment Concerns during the Production of Polyamide

The production of polyamide involves the releasing of various VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) into the surroundings which will cause pollution such as air pollution, water pollution, etc. Synthetic fabrics like polyamide have raised huge negative impacts on the environment and human health. During the production of polyamide, many workers when exposed to dust and fumes face irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. This has attracted various regulations from Government bodies across the globe for the safety standard to the environment and people. Therefore, environmental concerns and stringent regulations by the government can hamper the market.

3D PA Market Outlook

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the 3D PA market.

Global 3D PA top 10 companies include:

1. 3D Systems
2. BASF SE
3. Evonik Industries AG
4. Arkema S.A.
5. Stratasys, Ltd.
6. Ultimaker
7. CRP Group
8. Prodways Group
9. DuPont
10. Polymaker Group
11. EOS GmbH

Recent Development

• In February 2022, RadiciGroup, one of the world’s leading producers of a wide range of polyamide polymers, launched Radilon Adline, a new line of filaments for 3D printing based on the Radilon PA6 polymers.
• In January 2022, BASF SE is planning to expand its polyamide 6.6 production in Freiburg, Germany starting in 2022 and is expected to start production by 2024.
• In June 2021, Arkema has acquired a 10% in French start-up Erpro 3D Factory, a company specialized in large-series additive manufacturing with its strategy to develop its specialty materials in applications that address major sustainable development challenges and seek to explore the potential of additive manufacturing technology for its materials.

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