Market Highlights
Seals are used in multiple areas of an aircraft in order to serve a wide array of functions including aerodynamics, fire resistance, conduction, insulation, and air and fluid handling. Aerodynamic seals are the most widely used seals in an aircraft and account for almost half of the total aircraft seals market. These seals are statics seals that are used to control airflow between fixed portions of the airframe such as the fuselage and wings. The selection of material is dependent on several parameters including temperature resistance, pressure resistance, lightweight, flexibility, durability, strength, etc. Elastomer, thermoplastic, and metal are the three major materials used by aerodynamic seals manufacturers. Elastomer is gaining traction in the market driven by their enormous advantages over others.
Seals have witnessed a remarkable transition in the aircraft industry over the eons concerning materials, designs, processes, certifications, and many other factors. Today, manufacturing seals for the aircraft industry for many functions including aerodynamics is a convoluted job, a key factor limiting the number of companies active in the aircraft seals market.
Post recording a hefty decline in 2020 owing to the highly perturbed condition of the aerospace industry, the aircraft aerodynamic seals market headed to the road of recovery, marking a healthy growth in 2021-2022, ultimately reaching the value of US$ 389.0 million in 2022. The market is estimated to touch its pre-COVID levels by 2024 with a promising growth of >8.0% during 2023-2028.
Recent Product Developments: Lightweight, low friction, a high operating temperature range, and durability and thermal stability are the indispensable focus areas of the leading players while product developments.
- Major players are offering lightweight seals with continuous upgrades in raw materials for the production of fuel-efficient, lightweight aircraft.
- In April 2017, Parker Hannifin developed a fully cured, urethane-filled gasket that offers a high-operating temperature range and efficient sealing characteristics by eliminating leakage.
- In 2019, Freudenberg launched a new Omegat OMS-CS cap seal, for use in dynamic reciprocating applications where low friction is required.
Recent Market JVs and Acquisitions: Leading players are acquiring other players in the market in order to gain a competitive advantage in terms of product offering and geographical coverage.
- 2016: Trelleborg acquired CoorsTek
- 2018: Trasdigm acquired Kirkhill
- 2019: Transdigm acquired Esterline and Saint-Gobain acquired American Seal & Engineering Co.
- 2020: Saint-Gobain acquired High Tech Metal Seals or HTMS
- 2022: Parker acquired Meggitt
Segments Analysis
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Segmentations
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List of Sub-Segments
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Dominant and Fastest-Growing Segments
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Platform-Type Analysis
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Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and General Aviation
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In terms of platform types, commercial aircraft remained at the forefront.
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Material-Type Analysis
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Elastomer Seals, Thermoplastic Seals, and Metal Seals
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In terms of materials, elastomers held a clear dominance in the market.
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Application-Type Analysis
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Airframe, Landing Gear, Wheels, & Brakes, and Others
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In terms of applications, airframe was the biggest demand-generator for aerodynamic seals.
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Motion-Type Analysis
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Static Seals and Dynamic Seals
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In terms of motion, both types held a fair share of the market.
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Regional Analysis
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North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World
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Coming to regional dynamics, North America remained the largest market for aerodynamic seals.
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Based on the aircraft type, the aircraft aerodynamic seals market is segmented into commercial aircraft, regional aircraft, helicopter, military aircraft, and general aviation. Commercial aircraft is expected to remain the largest as well as the fastest-growing segment of the market during the forecast period. Increasing demand for lightweight yet durable components and parts, market entry of new players, such as COMAC, rebounding aircraft deliveries, and rising aircraft fleet size are some of the key factors that propel the demand for aerodynamic seals in the commercial aircraft segment.
Based on the application type, the market is segmented into airframe, landing gear wheels & brakes, and others. Airframe is expected to remain the most dominant and fastest-growing application type during the forecast period. The large surface area of the airframe coupled with a greater need for better aerodynamics in order to improve fuel efficiency is the major factor behind its dominance in the market. Lightweight, low friction, durability, and resistance to hydraulic fluids are key requirements for airframe aerodynamic seals.
Based on the material type, the market is segmented into elastomer seals, thermoplastic seals, and metal seals. Elastomer seals are expected to remain the dominant as well as the fastest-growing material type in the market over the next five years. Key elastomer types are NBR, FKM, EPDM, HNBR, FVMQ, FFKM, and Silicone Rubber (Q); among which, silicone rubber is the most widely used elastomeric material for aerodynamic seals. Elastomers are gaining traction in the aircraft industry due to their lightweight, temperature resistance, and better flexibility.
Based on the motion type, the market is segmented into static seals and dynamic seals. The static seals segment is expected to remain dominant, whereas dynamic seals to be the faster-growing segment of the market during the forecast period. Larger applications of static seals and their frequent replacement due to shorter life compared to dynamic seals are the major factors upscaling static seals market in the coming years.
In terms of regions, North America is expected to remain the largest market for aircraft aerodynamic seals during the forecast period. The USA is the growth engine of the region’s market with the presence of major aircraft OEMs, tier players, raw material suppliers, and part fabricators. Most of the aerodynamic seals suppliers have their presence in the region to address the emergent needs of OEMs.
Asia-Pacific is likely to grow at the fastest rate during the same period. The highest growth of Asia-Pacific is mainly attributable to the increasing aircraft fleet to support rising passenger traffic; the opening of assembly plants of Boeing and Airbus for multiple aircraft programs; increasing procurement of military aircraft, owing to the rising defense budget; and upcoming indigenous aircraft, C919.
Key Players
The market is fairly consolidated with the presence of some large-sized players. Most of the major players compete in some of the governing factors including price, product offerings, regional presence, etc. The following are the key players in the aerodynamic seals market:
- Meggitt PLC
- Hutchinson SA
- Trelleborg AB
- TransDigm Group
- Freudenberg Group
Research Methodology
This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today’s aircraft aerodynamic seals market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most detailed manner in order to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of the low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as to formulate the growth strategies to expedite their growth process.
This report offers high-quality insights and is the outcome of a detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders, and validation and triangulation with Stratview Research’s internal database and statistical tools. More than 1,000 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact books, press releases, journals, investor presentations, white papers, patents, and articles, have been leveraged to gather the data. We conducted more than 15 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and industry experts to obtain both qualitative and quantitative insights.
Report Features
This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision-making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:
- Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.
- Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter’s five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.
- Market trend and forecast analysis.
- Market segment trend and forecast.
- Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, Product portfolio, New Product Launches, etc.
- COVID-19 impact and its recovery curve
- Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.
- Emerging trends.
- Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.
- Key success factors.
The aircraft aerodynamic seals market is segmented into the following categories.
Aircraft Aerodynamic Seals Market, by Aircraft Type
- Commercial Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Helicopter (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Military Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- General Aviation (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
Aircraft Aerodynamic Seals Market, by Application Type
- Airframe (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Landing Gear, Wheels, & Brakes (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
Aircraft Aerodynamic Seals Market, by Material Type
- Elastomer Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Thermoplastic Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Metal Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
Aircraft Aerodynamic Seals Market, by Motion Type
- Static Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
- Dynamic Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
Aircraft Aerodynamic Seals Market, by Region
- North America (Country Analysis: The USA, Canada, and Mexico)
- Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, the UK, Russia, and Rest of Europe)
- Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan, China, India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)
- Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Others)
Report Customization Options
With this detailed report, Stratview Research offers one of the following free customization options to our respectable clients:
Company Profiling
- Detailed profiling of additional market players (up to three players)
- SWOT analysis of key players (up to three players)
Competitive Benchmarking
- Benchmarking of key players on the following parameters: Product portfolio, geographical reach, regional presence, and strategic alliances
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