Global Double-Sided Tapes

Report Overview

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This study analyzes the global double-sided tape market.

Double-sided tapes typically include three components – backing, pressure sensitive adhesive, and one or more release coatings. Among backing materials used are:

• polypropylene
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• other plastic (e.g., cellulose acetate, fluoropolymer, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, polyimide)
• paper
• other materials such as cloth, rubber, glass fabric, foam, foil, and nonwovens

Markets evaluated in the study include:

• manufacturing, such as:
  • appliance production
  • electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing
  • medical device assembly
  • motor vehicles and other transportation equipment
  • packaging and printing production
  • personal care product manufacturing
• building and construction
• healthcare and medical
• other markets (e.g., automotive aftermarket, consumer and office, event setup, law enforcement, libraries, museums, packaging and shipping, picture framing, schools, signs and graphics, warehouses, movie sets and theater/concert venues)

For markets, a given tape is included in the application in which it is used. For example, manufacturing tapes include double-sided tapes that are used in joining, sealing, protecting, and mounting various components. When this product is packaged for sale (such as an appliance being placed in a box), this is considered to be the packaging and shipping market.

Historical data are provided for 2010, 2015, and 2020, with forecasts for 2025 and 2030. The term “demand” refers to “apparent consumption” and is defined as production (also referred to variously as “shipments”, “output”, or “supply”) from a country’s domestic manufacturing facilities plus imports, minus exports. “Demand” is used interchangeably with the terms “market”, “sales”, and “consumption”. Data are presented in metric tons and US dollars.

Demand by Region

Demand for double-sided tape on a global basis is expected to grow at a 5.0% annual pace though 2025 to 2.6 billion square meters, a rate faster than that of pressure sensitive tape overall. Unlike more mature tape product types, double-sided tapes continue to be adopted in both the manufacturing and construction sectors, where they are replacing alternative bonding technologies.

In higher-income regions such as North America and Western Europe, demand will be driven by a rebound in manufacturing through 2025 and rising building construction activity. These regions tend to feature more developed construction industries, which already frequently use double-sided tape for joining purposes. As a result, demand in this market tends to track the underlying construction industry.

In lower-income countries, demand will continue to be driven by manufacturing activity, as these countries are often export-oriented suppliers of products such as appliances and electronics, where double-sided tapes are already commonly used. Additionally, market advances will be supported by replacement of mechanical fasteners with double-sided tape by some construction professionals.

The Asia/Pacific region is expected to see the fastest growth, due in large part to gains in the leading Chinese market, which will account for 35% of all volume demand growth through 2025:

• The suitability of double-sided tape in low-cost manual application or automated assembly operations will continue to boost demand in the Asia/Pacific region in manufacturing applications.
• The ability of double-sided tape to join a broad range of materials – including fabric, pain, wood, metals, plastics, ceramics, glass, cork, and concrete – will support demand, as manufacturers will need fewer tape types.

Backing Material Trends

Double-sided tapes are made with a diverse array of materials, including paper, foam, cloth, and a wide range of plastic resins. Resins include polypropylene and PVC, which are both widely used as tape backing materials, as well as acrylic, polyester, and a number of specialized resins.

PVC’s share of the double-sided tape market is expected to decline somewhat through the forecast period – with demand advancing at a below average rate – but the product mix will remain largely unchanged. Both polypropylene-backed and paper-backed double-sided tape will provide good opportunities due to their competitive pricing and functional properties.

Pricing Trends

The primary determinant of pricing trends for double-sided tapes is raw material cost, which in turn may experience volatility due to changes in crude oil and natural gas prices.

The global average double-sided tape price was $2.84 per square meter in 2020. Prices vary considerably among different regions. For example, in 2020 the lowest price for double-sided tape was just over $2 in Central and South America, while it was $3.32 in Western Europe.

Through 2025, the global average price for double-sided tape is forecast to rise nearly 1.0% annually to $2.97 per square meter, supported by more stable economic growth worldwide. Growth in plastic resin prices will boost prices for double-sided tapes backed with polypropylene, PVC, and other plastics. Paper prices are also expected to rise, following a tightening of the global pulp market as a result of production issues following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare & Medical

One of the primary healthcare applications of double-sided tape is to attach devices or sensors directly to the skin. Other uses include:

• securing surgical drapes
• wound care applications

Demand for double-sided tape in healthcare and medical applications is forecast to grow 5.4% per year to 148 million square meters. Demand will be supported by rising healthcare spending, as well as an increase in elective medical procedures following a decline in 2020.

Global demand for double-sided tape is expected to grow 5.0% per year through 2025 to 2.6 billion square meters. Gains will be driven by:

• continuing switches to tapes at the expense of other bonding technologies such as mechanical fasteners or liquid adhesives in both manufacturing and construction industries, especially in developing areas
• a rebound in manufacturing activity and an acceleration in building construction in higher-income regions such as North America and Western Europe, where tapes are already used in a wide variety of applications
• increases in healthcare spending worldwide, as double-sided tape is used for the attachment of devices and sensors to patients as well as for wound care

Although the global double-sided tape market was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, growth in some manufacturing applications such as electronics and the use of double-sided tape in patient care prevented more significant losses.

Manufacturing Will Remain Largest Market; Construction to See Fastest Rate of Growth

Manufacturing applications will remain the largest market for double-sided tape, accounting for 61% of demand in 2025, based on widespread demand from motor vehicle and appliance producers. Despite this dominance, manufacturing applications will continue to offer new opportunities for ongoing adoption of double-sided tape in manufacturing, most notably in low-income countries where market penetration is more limited. Gains in manufacturing activity and development of more sustainable and better performing tapes will also benefit demand.

Demand for double-sided tape in construction applications is expected to see the fastest gains through 2025, rebounding from losses experienced during the pandemic, when many construction sectors were weakened. Growth will be driven by an acceleration in global construction activity and boosted by adoption of double-sided tape by the construction industry, most notably in countries with less technologically-advanced construction techniques.

The Asia/Pacific Region – Led by China – to Offer the Best Opportunities

Nearly 60% of the global demand increases for double-sided tape through 2025 will be in the Asia/Pacific region, already the largest regional market due the presence of China, which alone will be responsible for 35% of global demand gains. Advances in the region will be buoyed by the adoption of double-sided tape by appliance, electronics, and transportation equipment producers in the region. The healthcare and medical market will also see healthy gains, driven by rising living standards and increased urbanization, as denser populations increase the number of people living within easy distance of modern healthcare facilities.