Printed Electronics and Biomedics Applications to Spur Growth of Industrial and Decorative Printing
12 April 2010
Leatherhead UK, 12 April 2010. Laminate worksurfaces, photovoltaics and display screens are the top three markets with the most potential for industrial and decorative printing, according to a new study by Pira International. Amongst the market sectors, printed electronics and biomedical applications are expected to witness huge growth in future, with household items and miscellaneous products also showing steady growth.
Based on primary research and expert analysis, The Future of Industrial and Decorative Printing - A Market Opportunity Assessment to 2014 analyses the key opportunities and future trends shaping the industrial and decorative printing industry. Offering a detailed insight into the print processes used in decoration, the study provides strategic market assessment scorecards for printers and suppliers in each major market sector and application, with five year forecasts to 2014. The study also examines the competitive landscape and profiles the leading players in industrial decoration, consisting of general print manufacturers, diversified printing companies, specialist new industrial/decoration companies and equipment and consumable suppliers.
Industrial and decorative printing generally cover items that use printing processes as part of the manufacturing process, and not the products of document printing and packaging. Seven major market sectors are analysed in the study: textiles, lifestyle environments, household items, electronics, 3-D printing, biomedics and other miscellaneous sectors. According to Pira, the growth rates and technical innovations in each sector will differ as they evolve over time.
Pira International uses a unique scoring system throughout the study: combining the evaluation of the potential market size of a sector over the next ten years, technical issues to be overcome, route to the market and established players, as well as the strength of the current technology. A score in the range of 0 to 10 is then developed, with 10 representing the highest potential for print manufacturers and equipment and consumables suppliers. The resulting rankings and technology roadmaps for the major applications are presented in the study.
Printing or decoration of a product is often carried out in-house by the manufacturer. When bought from a third-party supplier, the print is often a small proportion of the component and a small part of the finished item. Most man-made items incorporate some form of print, from textiles for fabrics, clothes and upholstery to automotive manufacturing, household materials such as surfaces and ceramics, artificial wood and stone, discrete manufactured components and wires, 3D fabricated objects, sensors, electronic devices such as PCBs, switches and displays to miscellaneous promotional and sundry objects. There is a very large, but highly fragmented market for the specialist print equipment and integration services, inks and varnishes. Fundamental research in the new electronic and biomedical sectors is also opening up potentially huge market opportunities.
According to Pira the key trends in industrial and decorative printing are:
- Increasing functionality of decorative materials, not just for decoration
- Building of electronic capability for some products
- Increasing environmental awareness
- Lower runs, more designs boosting the involvement of digital inkjet
- Simplification of the whole process, with more direct printing.
Specialist manufacturers and printers use print to decorate materials in buildings, cars and transport systems. Along with the materials used to make buildings and surfaces, many household items are also decorated using various forms of print. Over the next few years, Pira expects an increased incidence of direct printing and personalisation of designs, as a greater number of household item components use print in the manufacturing process. Another significant and rapidly growing usage area for print and decoration is electronically functional devices made by printing specialist conductive or optically active fluids, rather than printing inks.
According to Pira, printed electronics is a key, rapidly growing market for industrial and decorative printing. Poised to become a major manufacturing route, potential applications of industrial and decorative printing in printed electronics could be specialist materials, clean printing, sheet and roll-to-roll, with inkjet deposition growth with gravure well positioned for future large-scale production.
Biomedical and life science applications are also growing in importance, as the aging, wealthy population becomes more health conscious. Sector developments here include novel applications such as life-science bio-sensors, drug delivery and DNA, with even cell replication being considered. There are also miscellaneous decorative biomedical items, from prosthetic limbs with skin colour and textures printed on the surface of artificial hands, to decorated crutches, wheelchairs and sticks, anti-bacterial textiles for hospital bedding and uniforms, and many other technical devices used in healthcare.
Pira International predicts that the ability to deposit accurate amounts of reactors will be a key core competence for decorators in sterile, clean areas with associated packaging. Outside these applications, there are also many miscellaneous, niche items that involve printing in their manufacturing process. In future, these items are expected to lead the growth of short run and one-off digital applications for industrial and decorative printing.
The Future of Industrial and Decorative Printing - A Market Opportunity Assessment to 2014 is available now. For more information, please contact Stephen Hill at +44 (0) 1372 802025, or via e-mail on stephen.hill@pira-international.com
Press contact: For editorial queries, details of the study or an expanded article please contact: Rebecca Leigh +44(0)1372 802207 rebecca.leigh@pira-international.com
Pira International
Pira International - the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains
Established in 1930, Pira provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance.