Worldwide LFRT Competitive Analysis and Leadership Study 2008 Publication date:
January 2009, Total 136 pages, 60 figures/charts and 10 tables.
Long fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (LFRTs) are one of the most dynamic
and fastest growing materials in the plastics industry today. Although the materials
have been around for several decades, advances in technology and increased acceptance
in the automotive market have been the major driving forces for their rapid growth.
LFRT competes with a wide range of materials, including short fiber reinforced engineering
plastic, glass mat thermoplastic (GMT), sheet molding compound/ bulk molding compound
(SMC/BMC), D-LFT and metals. This broad competitive arena will result in new applications
and markets fueling continued growth.
Low cost producers will win most of the volume growth. This is inevitable with production
overcapacity, high growth rates, automotive volume influence and savvy negotiations
by buyers with knowledge of the benefits of LFT. Niche suppliers will seek margins
in product differentiation. Not surprisingly, this current environment has attracted
considerable attention from the investment community as well as potential customers
interested in alternative materials. The
LFT market is shifting from a seller “push” to a buyer
“pull” situation. LFT is no longer an emerging technology, but neither is it mature.
It is showing some elements of commoditization, however. Automotive end users, as
well as Tier 1 suppliers are well aware of the benefits of LFT. Materials suppliers
are repositioning their companies by developing innovative product marketing strategies.
LFT suppliers are opening up manufacturing plants in high growth markets – China,
Korea. For example, Ticona and RTP recently started domestic productions of LFT
materials in China and SABIC opened up a plant in Korea.
The world's leading LFRT producers are also closely monitoring competitive activities
in an attempt to navigate the landscape more adeptly and to capture as much share
as possible. In virtually every respect, these producers are seeking to establish
a tangible competitive advantage in the marketplace through the implementation of
innovative strategies and creative product development capabilities.
Lucintel's Leadership Quadrant considers a variety of critical factors - from management
effectiveness to product range to market strength to financial strength - and then
ranks each firm accordingly on the grid for quick comparison. This report answers
following key questions:
- What are the market shares of LFRT suppliers in automotive, industrial goods and
consumer goods market?
- Who are the market leaders in various regions and what are their market shares?
- Which companies are more aligned with market opportunities and which companies have
more ability to gain market share?
- What are the key differentiators for major LFRT suppliers?
- Which company has the widest product range and how the product mapping looks among
various players?
- Which companies will gain market share and who will lose market shares in future?
The dynamics of the LFRT industry extends beyond routine macro-economic elements
of supply and demand. It is the relationship between buyer's needs and seller's
capabilities as well as the macroeconomic forces at work that affect the market.
It is how well and how efficiently the sellers meet the needs of the buyers that
determine long-term success.
In Lucintel's newest competitive research study on the world's leading LFRT producers,
“Worldwide LFRT Competitive Analysis and Leadership Study 2008”,
we thoroughly profile the following seven companies with detailed competitive assessments
of the following organizations:
- SABIC Europe BV
- SABIC IP
- Ticona
- RTP
- TechnoCompound
- FACT
- Chisso
The detailed analysis of each company offers a critical view into key strategic
areas, including:
- LFRT producer target markets
- Key differentiators, strengths, competitors
- Product line overview, positioning, and mapping
- Market position in global LFRT business
- Revenue breakdown by market segments and regions
- Global manufacturing operations
- Innovation and market leadership
- Marketing, sales, and organizational capabilities
- Management commitment and track record
- Financial strength
Collected from a series of primary vendor interviews and secondary sources, Lucintel
also provides its own scorecard for determining which of these companies is better
aligned with future market opportunities and which has the ability to gain additional
market share.
Using its proprietary research methodology, Lucintel developed a comparative analysis
named the Lucintel Leadership Quadrant which identifies leaders and challengers
in the LFRT industry. Leadership closely examined and rated each LFRT maker on two
primary criteria as shown below:
- Alignment with market opportunity
- Ability to gain market share
Over the past 12 months, the level of demand for carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced
composites has steadily increased in striking parallel with the number of industrial
applications using composite materials. From aerospace, to sporting goods, to wind
energy, carbon fiber is rapidly gaining acceptance as an alternative material to
metals, wood and plastics and is becoming more widely recognized for its high-performance
characteristics.
Yet, for those firms that produce carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced composites,
many of these companies are approaching market opportunities with starkly different
strategies. In a major new research report,
Worldwide Carbon Fiber Competitive Analysis and Leadership Study 2007,
Lucintel's analysts examine and profile seven of the world's leading carbon fiber
producers – a full competitive analysis from target markets, to product mapping,
to selling strategy, to production capabilities. Leadership closely examined and
rated each carbon fiber maker on two primary criteria as shown below:
- Alignment with market opportunity
- Ability to gain market share
Ability to gain market share was analyzed using following parameters:
- Product portfolio
- Financial strength
- Asset position
- Execution skill
- Customer experience
Alignment with market opportunity was analyzed using following parameters:
- Target growth markets
- New product development
- Corporate and functional strategy
- Presence within the industry
In addition to the Lucintel Leadership Quadrant, this comprehensive research report
also offers for consumers of LFRT as well as the investment community content-rich
comparative analyses detailing which producers have the production capacity, service
capabilities and vision to deliver fully on its promises.
To get table of contents, pricing, other information & buy option on the report,
please click on
LFT Market Leadership Reports or call Tel.: +1-972-636-5056
in USA.