Oct 13 2010
Research and Markets has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "South African Market for Automotive Plastics" to their offering.
This service covers the South African automotive plastics market, examining drivers, restraints and challenges affecting growth. Following from these, the market growth for each segment is forecasted. The base year is 2009 with forecasts running to 2016. The market is further divided according to end-user application and opportunities in these segments have been listed. Detailed profiles have been supplied of the key market participants. Best practices have been identified by these key participants and have been analysed. An application overview has been included, as well as the supply chain structure for automotive plastics.
This Frost & Sullivan research service titled South African Market for Automotive Plastics provides a detailed analysis of the South African market for automotive plastics along with strategic recommendations and conclusions. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following plastic types: polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU), polyamides (PA), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and polycarbonate (PC). The end-user applications covered in this research include body panels, smart materials, safety features, electronics, and interiors.
Market Overview
Replacing Metal and Glass with Plastics that Offer Greater Benefits in Automobile Applications Drives the South African Market for Automotive Plastics
Plastics are lightweight, inexpensive and can be blended and moulded for most automobile applications, making them far superior to metal and glass. The integration of plastics has been instrumental in the automotive industry's ability to develop high performance vehicles with improved safety features and fuel economy. The most significant driver for automotive plastics is the cost-reduction implication as a result of using plastics instead of its more expensive metal and glass counterparts, notes the analyst of this research. Since consumer buying power is still low with the global economy emerging from the financial crisis, low-cost vehicles will ensure increased vehicle sales.
Structural reinforcements combine the functionalities of metal with the weight reductions of plastics application, resulting in weight shedding of up to 50 per cent. Other safety features such as seat belts, air bags and air bag containers have also been developed. Safety features will continue to drive innovation in plastics applications, providing a sustained impetus for the inclusion of engineering plastics in the production of automotive vehicles.
Use of Plastics in Vehicles Helps Reduce Vehicle Manufacturing Costs
As a result of the economic crisis, production has dropped significantly in the automotive sector. Despite the economy gradually stabilising, consumer buying power remains low, resulting in sluggish growth in the automotive sector and a consequent low demand for automotive plastics. Although the automobile industry is expected to suffer low demand as a result of decreased purchasing power the short-term, the automobile production and innovation processes will drive demand through the long-term, notes the analyst.
Greater use of plastics in vehicles to substitute metals and glass is vital to reduce the manufacturing costs and subsequently the cost of the vehicle. The market allows for easy entry with low capital costs. Manufacturers who keep abreast of the latest technological advancements and applications will be the suppliers of choice.
Market Sectors
Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:
By Plastic Type:
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyurethane (PU)
- Polyamides (PA)
- Acrylonitrite (ABS)
- Polycarbonate (PC)
By End-user Application:
- Body panels
- Smart materials
- Safety features
- Electronics
- Interiors
Key Topics Covered:
- Executive Summary
- Industry Challenges and Market Forces
- Automotive Plastics Market
- Polypropylene (PP) Market
- Polyamides (PA) Market
- Automotive Plastics End-user Application Analysis
- List of Figures
- List of Charts