JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #118 - January/February 2018 - 22

BUSlNESS report
Tab. 2: GRP production volumes in Europe - and Turkey - itemized by country/
group of countries

Fig. 2: GRP production in Europe by
application industry (year: 2017)

manufacturing
processes,
the proportions of GRP used
by the major application
industries in Europe remain
the same as last year. The
transport and construction
sectors each consume one
third of total production.
Other application industries
include the electro/electronics sector and the sports and
leisure segment (see Fig. 2).

Short glass-fibre rein-forced thermoplastics
At approximately 1.36 million metric tons, the 2016
European market for thermoplastic, glass-fibre reinforced
compounds was somewhat
larger than the GRP market
observed for thermosetting
materials plus GMT/LFT
during the same period
(Source: AMAC).
With growth at 5% in 2016,
the trend slowed slightly
compared to 2015, but still
outperformed the overall
GRP market.

22

2014
kt

2015
kt

2016
kt

2017
kt

UK/Ireland

146

150

152

153

Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg

43

44

45

46

Finland/Norway/Sweden/Denmark

42

39

40

40

Spain/Portugal

154

156

158

161

Italy

148

150

154

158

France

108

108

110

112

Germany

200

212

220

226

Austria/Switzerland

18

18

18

19

Eastern Europe*

184

192

199

203

Sum

1.043

1.069

1.096

1.118

Turkey**

245

245

265

280

(Kt = metric kilotons; 2017 = estimated; Eastern Europe* = Poland, Czech
Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Slovakia and Slovenia; Turkey** = Source: TCMA)

GRP production
in 2017 by country
Growth was recorded in all
the European countries/regions included in this report.
Growth is relatively similar
in most of these countries, at
approximately 1-3%. Germany remains the largest GRP/
composite market in Europe,
producing a total volume of
226,000 MT and recording
slightly above-average growth
of 3%. Market data have been
available for Turkey since
2011 and are stated separately.
The strong growth reported
last year continues. The sector
is expected to grow by over
5% to a total of 280,000 MT
in 2017, according to the
Turkish composites association TCMA.

Other composite
materials
Although current media
reports and presentations at
many conventions and trade
fairs may create a different

impression, GRP continues
by far to be the largest material group in the composite
industry. Glass fibres are
used for reinforcement in
over 95% of the total volume
of composites (short and
long fibres, rovings, woven
fabrics, mats, etc.). Of the
over 10 million metric tons
of composites manufactured
globally in 2016 (Source: JEC
Composites), 2.8 million MT
were glass-fibre reinforced
plastics produced in Europe.
Of these, the GRP products
studied in detail in this
report accounted for 1.096
million MT and short-fibre
reinforced thermoplastics for
1.36 million MT in 2016.

Outlook
Composites are often classified as futuristic lightweight
materials used primarily in
the automotive and aerospace
industries, so applications
for them in existing markets - some of them used

jec composites magazine / N°118 January - February 2018

for decades - are frequently
overlooked. These already
include many applications
in large-scale (automotive)
series production. Moreover,
lightweight design is not
the only advantage that
composites enjoy over other
construction materials. Fibre-reinforced plastics have
many other useful properties
that make them ideal in many
specific applications.
Composites are much more
than "simply" lightweight
materials. In some cases, this
potential has already been
identified. However, many
decision-makers are still unfamiliar with these products.
Improving this situation is
one of the most important
challenges facing the industry. Thus, the continuing
automation and optimization
of industrial processes, along
with the associated challenges
of Industry 4.0, continue to
be important themes.
As well as the difficulties of
establishing composites in the
construction/infrastructure
sector, changing requirements
and developments in mobility
present many questions to
which the industry must find
answers quickly.
The industry must accept
and overcome the many
challenges it faces and work
on perceived weaknesses.
If it does so, the composite
industry will continue along
the successful path it has been
following for many years.
Companies in the sector can
certainly look to the future
with a sense of optimism.
More information:
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