Unidirectional Tapes (UD Tapes)

Global unidirectional tapes (UD tapes) will have a crazy inreasing over the next five years. According to the WK-chem Research, “Global Unidirectional Tapes (UD Tapes) Professional Survey Report 2024, Forecast to 2029”, 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.. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the 2024-2029 period is projected to be 11.41% base on WK-chem Research regression analysis model.

Analysts’ Viewpoint:
“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”, said Earl Patel, Senior analyst, in WK-chem Research.

Market insight:
Vehicle weight reduction and increased fuel efficiency are the major factors driving the use of UD tapes in the aerospace & defense industry. The greater strength-to-weight capability of UD tapes allows for more efficient structural and aerodynamic designs. UD tapes offer high fatigue tolerance and improve the strength of structural components, thereby enabling the manufacturing of bigger passenger windows and lower cabin altitude than conventional jetliners. Carbon fiber-based UD tapes are mostly preferred in aircraft due to their high strength and stiffness. Unidirectional tapes can also be silt easily without losing its strength, which is not possible in the case of woven tapes and fabrics. The major applications of UD tapes are fixed wing fuselage, drive shafts, wing spars, wing skins, cargo floor panels, fan blades, tail booms, rib stiffeners, conduit, brackets, and others. There has been a paradigm shift in aircraft design by Boeing and Airbus, with composites now being considered for primary structures of all wide-bodied aircraft. Owing to the increasing use of composites in aircraft manufacturing, the demand for UD tapes is rapidly increasing.
The high cost of UD tapes has posed as a hurdle to its expansion into structural applications of various industries. The real potential of UD tapes has not yet been realized owing to the R&D costs, high manufacturing costs, and increased cycle times. Many new applications of UD tapes have been discovered, but due to high-cost constraints, commercialization in these applications is yet to begin. The high R&D, manufacturing, and processing costs are a major challenge for the key players to manufacture cost-effective products in the market.

Competition Landscape:
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. In January 2020, Hexcel Corporation collaborated with Madshus, a leading innovator in the field of cross-country skiing. The company provides Madshus with three different Hi Tape products based on specific design parameters of various cross-country ski types. Hexcel’s new HiTape dry carbon-based UD tapes improve the performance, manufacturing efficiency, and surface finish of Madshus’ skis. This WK-chem Research market report is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading unidirectional tapes (UD tapes) companies that 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.


Segmentation of Unidirectional Tapes (UD Tapes) Market:
According to the type, the market for unidirectional tapes (UD tapes) is divided into: Glass, Carbon. Glass has the largest market share. Glass fiber segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the UD tapes market during the forecast period. Glass fiber UD tapes are easy to process and manufacture as compared to carbon fiber, which are very difficult to process. Glass fiber-based UD tapes are preferable over carbon fiber UD tapes as they provide a quick and affordable way to build parts & molds and make repairs. Government regulations such as CAFÉ Standards in the US and carbon emission targets in Europe are putting pressure on automotive OEMs to incorporate lightweight materials to reduce the overall vehicle weight. Such factors are the key drivers for the glass fiber UD tapes market.
According to the application, the market for unidirectional tapes (UD tapes) is divided into: Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Sports & Leisure. Aerospace & Defense has the largest market share. Based on end-use industry, the aerospace & defense segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the UD tapes market during the forecast period. UD tapes are used in aircraft seat frames as they help reduce the weight of aircraft seats by 30% in comparison to traditional aluminum frame seats. They are also used in lightweight sandwich panels for ultralight aircraft. This increased aircraft demand includes the demand from the developing markets, such as APAC, South America, and Africa. This will drive the demand for UD tapes in the aerospace & defense industry.

Unidirectional Tapes (UD Tapes) Market: Regional Analysis
In terms of geography, the global unidirectional tapes (UD tapes) market has been segmented into: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. The North America UD tapes market is expected to witness strong growth in the next five years. The demand for lightweight, fuel-efficient aircraft is increasing, which will drive the demand for UD tapes in the aerospace & defense industry. The launch of new aircraft such as Boeing 777x and China’s indigenously build aircraft Comac C919 is also expected to drive the demand for UD tapes in the near future. UD tapes are also used in lightweight sandwich panels for ultralight aircraft. These factors will drive the demand for UD tapes.