JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #79 - March 2013 - 32

europe

processes.
Outsourcing of production to India (e.g. for SMC
parts) or purchasing components manufactured in
China (e.g. for wind turbine
rotor blades) is affecting all
European countries. Double
digit growth rates are predicted for both countries
over the coming years.
The development of the
world economy, including
Europe’s falling share of
global value creation in the
medium and long term,
will also leave its mark on
GRP production. Currently,
Europe as a region (including countries not considered in this report) accounts
for around one quarter of
total global production of
all composites (including
all reinforcing fibres and
thermoplastic materials).
The remainder is essentially
distributed between North
America and Asia, with
the latter having the larger
share.
European countries will
have opportunities to thrive
if they can exploit their own
specific strengths and gain
advantages through innovation, quality and highly trained employees. It is to be
expected that the production of standard products
with a minimum standard of
quality that can be achieved quickly by all suppliers
and competition primarily
through price (= commoditisation) will continue to be
relocated to non-European
locations.
For the first time, this re-

port also considers Turkey,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
Iran. According to information provided by the Turkish Composites Association (TCMA), this market
has now reached a size of
nearly 200 kT. It is therefore
larger than any other European market considered
here and is enjoying aboveaverage growth – with Turkish production expected to
expand by approximately 15
kT in 2012. The main areas
of application and primary
manufacturing methods,
however, differ significantly
from those in other European countries: nearly three
quarters of the total volume
is used in the construction
sector and of that again
nearly three quarters in the
construction of pipes and
tanks. Transport is the second largest sector with one
quarter of products being
manufactured for marine
applications. Consequently,
the centrifugal casting and
filament winding processes
account for almost one half
and hand lay-up and RTM
processes for approximately
one third of production.
The applications in Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Iran and
Middle Eastern countries
in general are similar. The
construction of waste
water treatment facilities
and sewers, water tanks,
offshore oil and gas facilities and other completely
different construction
applications (e.g. sanitation,
roofs, masts, footpaths and
plant construction) offers
potential for the future.
Integrated production
technology is becoming an

32 jec composites magazine / No79 March 2013

absolute must for highwage European countries
and material and energy
efficiency are assuming
ever greater importance.
The interaction between
business and research – and
also investment in academic
science – is a key factor in
the success and innovative
power of the GRP industry.
New developments offer
great potential for gaining a
competitive advantage, e.g.
in lightweight construction
solutions and particularly
in the area of multi-material
systems (e.g. composites
and metals). Many European countries (especially
Germany) and companies
are well-placed international leaders in the above
areas with good chances of
defending their positions in
the global market.

Outlook
Overall, the composites
market is highly dynamic,
especially in the area of
GRP manufacturing, which
is dominated by small- and
medium-sized companies. These companies
are seeking out new areas
of application for their
products, diversifying their
ranges and even the smallest
companies are increasingly
internationalising both the
purchasing and sales sides
of their businesses. The
winners of the future will
firstly be those companies
which manage to gain an
advantage in the production of commodity goods
through continued industrialisation of processes and
secondly those that open up
new applications (including

combinations with other
materials) or serve niche
markets. If the potential of
automation can be tapped
(not just for commodities),
the volume of composite
production as a whole will
enjoy even higher rates of
growth than in recent years.
On the marketing side, an
analysis of the sustainability
of various materials could
reveal many advantages for
composites compared to
«traditional» materials.
A consideration of the
ecological, economic and
social effects of production
over the complete life cycle
of the product suggests that
the ecological advantages
of GRP may well be the
driving force that leads to
the substitution of other
materials.
It is clear that companies
are currently using every
opportunity to exchange
information and experience
with other players in the
market, and even in other
sectors, as well as giving
their employees the best
possible training. Advantages in training and expertise will be critical factors
in the success of innovative
and competitive composite
materials and these must
be improved together with
every company along the
value chain. n
Source: AVK - Industrievereinigung Verstärkte
Kunststoffe e.V. (the German
Federation of Reinforced
Plastics)
More information:
www.avk-tv.de

http://www.avk-tv.de

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #79 - March 2013

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