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Increasing industrial demands leads protech market


http://www.wtin.com/article/2015/august/1082015/increasing-industrial-demands-leads-protech-market/


Increasing industrial demands leads protech market

By Fiona Haran 10 August 2015

Last month WTiN reported that protech will play an increasingly bigger role in the growth of the smart textiles market, as industries such as the military aim for greater protection out in the field.

A new report from Markets and Markets has elaborated on this particular sector, tipping the protective clothing market to reach over US$9 billion by 2020, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% between 2015 and 2020.

According to the research, the market is mainly being driven by increasing demand from the oil and gas and construction and manufacturing industries. This is due to the growth in thermal, mechanical and chemical applications which use protecting clothing.

The key factors restraining this market include higher pricing of specialised apparel and increased automation in end-use industries. High pricing is one of the major setbacks that affect the growth of this particular market. Protective clothing involves high cost of manufacturing owing to the use of high-performing fabrics as well as multiple test methods and standards.

In addition, the growth of the protective clothing market is said to be reliant on the growth of the employment trend in various industries. The slowdown in the European market, for example, adversely affects the demand of various end-user industries, such as the chemical, manufacturing, and mining sectors, which in turn affects the growth of the protective clothing market in Europe.

Thermal is the major application of protective clothing, followed by visibility and mechanical. Thermal comprises the largest application in the protective clothing market and accounts for more than one-quarter share. The North America region dominated the market for thermal application of protective clothing, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. The market for biological/radiation application is projected to witness the highest CAGR of 12.0% between 2015 and 2020.

Driving forces

The leading players in the protective clothing market include Ansell Limited (US) Lakeland Industries (US), Teijin Limited (Japan), Kimberly Clark (US), Sioen Industries (Belgium), DU Pont (US), Honeywell International (US) and 3M Company (US).

Ansell, for example, recently launched a new range of ultra-light safety gloves, manufactured from Dyneema fabric, aimed at workers in the automotive, aerospace, electronics and white goods industries. While Teijin opened a new technology development centre in Matsuyama, Japan, featuring a burn evaluation system for protective clothing.

Sioen Industries achieved sales of €326.5 million in 2014; a large share of which was obtained from its protective clothing for the petrochemicals and forestry sectors. According to the company, its experience of safety standards across Europe, as well as its sophisticated test equipment puts its Apparel division in a strong competitive position.

DuPont Protection Technologies has made waves with its range of water-resistant ballistic solutions featuring Kevlar fibre in armour applications. While, most recently, 3M completed its acquisition of Capital Safety from KKR for US$2.5 billion. The aim is to boost its portfolio of respiratory and hearing protection solutions that help improve the safety and security of workers. The business also supplies products in other safety categories such as reflective materials for high-visibility materials and protective clothing and eyewear.