Jan 27 2009
There is little doubt that composite materials are seeing widespread usage within many industries, from aerospace to wind energy. As demand for more composites applications increases in the coming years, composite materials price movements will experience wide fluctuations as the supply and demand cycles evolve. This evolution will produce advantages for those that have greater insights into price movements and place those that do not at a disadvantage according to, "Composites Materials Price Trend, Forecasts and Analysis" a new research report from Lucintel.
With oil reaching greater than $147 per barrel in July of 2008 and recently below $40 a barrel in 2009, prices for resins and reinforcements have seen extremely volatile movements throughout the year. Some materials that doubled in price over the first six months of 2008 have fallen by an even greater amount as commodities and the global economy weakened appreciably. In some cases this has led to composites materials that are more competitive than traditional materials relative to price per strength.
A short overview of the report reveals the following:
- Current market price and lead time analysis for four resins (polyester resin, vinyl ester, epoxy, and polyurethane), three reinforcements (glass fiber, carbon fiber – aerospace 12K and industrial grade 24K), and four competing materials (aluminum, steel, wood and thermoplastic).
- Additionally, a great emphasis is placed upon the drivers behind the movement in price.
Additionally, many companies in the composites marketplace were focused upon to discern the most effective means for manufacturers and distributors ability to cope with price changes. Our contacts voiced concerns with structured pricing arrangements, competition from major players domestically and in China, and the ability to leverage their competitive space in the marketplace.
This report was compiled by Lucintel’s market analyst of pricing trends, Ryan Lee, after extensive research, surveys, analysis and validation. “Because of the sensitive nature of the market, any data - especially pricing – is both very difficult and very instrumental” stated Ryan. “It is important to understand the reasons for the movement, and the factors (supply, demand, capacity utilization, purchase volume, etc) that will affect future price trends and bargaining power”.
For composites industry professionals that monitor price movements, Lucintel's Price Report will become an indispensable and trusted source for current data and trends.