Global Polymer Bearing Market is Segmented By Material(Phenolics, Nylon, Teflon, Acetal, Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Others), By End-User(Food ProcessingTextile, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Packaging, Elevators, Automobiles, Office Products, Chemicals, Photography, Others), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023-2030
Polymer Bearing Market Report Overview
The global polymer-bearing market report analyses the size, shares, recent trends, competitive intelligence, and future market outlook. Polymer-bearing usage in automobiles and textiles is on the rise. Demand from the food and beverage industry in Asia-Pacific is booming. The competitive rivalry intensifies with AB SKF, NSK Ltd, JTEKT Corporation, and others active in the market.
Polymer Bearing Market Scope and Summary
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Metrics |
Details |
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Market CAGR |
High |
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Segments Covered |
By Material, By End-User, and By Region |
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Report Insights Covered |
Competitive Landscape Analysis, Company Profile Analysis, Market Size, Share, Growth, Demand, Recent Developments, Mergers and acquisitions, New Product Launches, Growth Strategies, Revenue Analysis, and Other key insights. |
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Fastest Growing Region |
Asia Pacific |
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Largest Market Share |
North America |
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A bearing is a machine element designed to restrict motion in a particular way and reduce friction between moving machinery parts. The bearing design provides linear movement of the moving part or free rotation around a fixed axis. The design may prevent a motion by controlling the vectors of forces on the moving parts. Bearings facilitate the required motion by minimizing friction between the moving parts. Bearings are classified according to the type of operation, the type of motion, or the directions of the forces applied to the moving parts. Based on the operating principles, the most common bearings are plain, roller element, jewel, magnetic, fluid, and flexure.
Metals and non-metals are the two main types of materials used for making bearings. Bearings made from polymer and other non-metals have nearly similar design characteristics to the bearings made from metal, with some limitations. Nylon, acetal, polyphenylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are the leading plastics used to produce bearings.
Polymer bearings exhibit low friction and require no lubrication. Polymer bearings are also lightweight compared to metal ones, ensuring significant weight savings. The bearings also have high abrasion resistance, allowing them to be applied in various heavy-duty applications. Ease of molding and casting, close tolerances, and chemical resistance are other desirable properties of polymer bearings.
Lower load-bearing capacity than metal bearings and low thermal resistance are some of the undesirable properties of polymer bearings. Polymer bearings have a wide range of commercial and industrial applications across various sectors such as food processing, textiles, medical and pharmaceutical industries, packaging, elevators, automobiles, office products, chemicals, and photography.
Polymer Bearing Market Dynamics and Trends
The increasing growth of the food and beverage industry mainly drives the demand for polymer bearing. The operational drawbacks of polymer bearings are a key factor in limiting the growth of this market.
Increasing growth in the global food and beverage industry
Rapid industrialization and urbanization occur globally, especially in emerging markets such as the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Strong economic growth has led to better socio-economic indicators and rising disposable incomes among the broader population. It has led to the emergence of a large middle class leading to increasing demand for good quality mass-market products.
Rising disposable incomes have led to a surge in the food and beverage industry sales, especially in emerging markets. People could now purchase food products for enjoyment and indulgence instead of mere subsistence. The major food and beverage manufacturers use various strategies to garner market share and continue growth, such as new premium product launches, higher quality ingredients, and local flavor profiles.
Polymer bearings are preferred for food and beverage industry applications. Polymer bearings do not require lubrication. Hence it eliminates the risk of food contamination with lubricating oil or grease. Polymer bearings' very high abrasion resistance also eliminates particle contamination in food, a problem with metal bearings. Chemical resistance is another desirable property of polymer bearings. The growth of the global food and beverage industry is a key driver for the global polymer bearings market.
Operational drawbacks of polymer bearings
Polymer bearings have numerous desirable properties, such as high abrasion resistance, no lubrication requirements, and chemical resistance, making them ideal for many industrial and commercial applications. However, certain operational drawbacks for polymer bearings limit their usage.
Polymer bearings have, on average, lower load-bearing capacity than metal bearings. It makes them unsuitable for heavy industrial applications such as mining conveyors, wind turbines, and industrial machinery gearboxes. Polymer bearings also have far lower melting points than metal bearings, rendering them unsuitable for any application with temperatures exceeding 300° F (148 ℃) since they will melt the polymer. Food bakeries, kiln trucks, and industrial furnaces are some of the applications that cannot use polymer bearings. The operational drawbacks of polymer bearings prevent their wider adoption and are a key challenge to the growth of the market.
COVID-19 impact on Polymer Bearing Market Growth
The global polymer-bearing market experienced severe impacts on value chains in production and sales in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Industrial applications saw steep declines since government-imposed lockdowns and restrictions brought a prolonged halt to manufacturing globally. The medical and healthcare sectors saw a slight increase in usage due to the pandemic.
China, one of the largest markets for polymer bearings, emerged from the lockdown relatively early, in May 2020 and demand recovered slightly towards the end of 2020. However, Europe and North America were hit by the second wave of the pandemic, thereby depressing demand. The global demand is expected to recover by early 2021. Many small and medium-scale companies in the supply chain were facing bankruptcy due to a collapse in demand. Global demand is expected to recover by the end of 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been relatively severe for the polymer-bearing market. Major customers have cut operating expenses and capital expenditures due to the pandemic. The pandemic will have an insignificant impact on the medium to the long-term growth of the global polymer bearing market since companies are expected to gradually increase production and demand for polymer bearings will improve as economic activity returns to pre-pandemic levels. The demand for polymer bearings remains strong and is expected to grow gradually in the coming years.
Polymer Bearing Market Segment and Shares
The global polymer-bearing market is segmented into material, end-user, and region. The polymer-bearing market is segmented into automobile, textile, medical and pharmaceutical, packaging, elevators, food processing, office products, chemicals, photography, and others.
Food processing is leading in this segmentation since polymer bearings are exclusively used in the industry. Polymer bearings do not require lubrication; hence it eliminates the risk of food contamination with lubricating oil or grease. Polymer bearings' very high abrasion resistance also eliminates particle contamination in food, a problem with metal bearings.
Polymer Bearing Market Geographical Analysis
Asia-Pacific is leading in the global polymer-bearing market. The region accounts for the largest market share, primarily due to major emerging markets like China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia and developed markets like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. Some of the largest polymer-bearing producers and users are located in this region.
China is also one of the largest markets for polymer bearings globally. Polymer bearings are widely used in industrial machinery. China is a global manufacturing powerhouse, with more than US$ 1 trillion worth of manufactured goods produced in 2020 across various industrial verticals. China is also the largest automobile producer globally, with more than 20 million passenger vehicles and 5 million commercial vehicles produced in 2021. India, South Korea, and Japan also have well-developed automotive industries which use polymer bearings. Polymer bearings are also being adopted for use in various automotive components.
China, South Korea, Japan, and India are some of the world's largest medical device manufacturing countries. Various medical devices such as syringes, valves, and stents are made from injected plastic. Asia-Pacific is the most populous region globally, with more than 4.3 billion people. It generates significant demand for processed foods and beverages. China, India, and Japan have some of the largest food processing industries in the world. Medical, pharmaceutical, and food processing machinery utilize polymer bearings to prevent metal contamination. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to retain the largest share of the global polymer-bearing market in the coming years.
Polymer Bearing Companies and Competitive Landscape
The global polymer bearing market is competitive due to the wide variety of bearings that cater to different types of end-use applications. Some of the major market players contributing to the growth in the segment are AB SKF, NSK Ltd, JTEKT Corporation, Saint Gobain S.A., Oiles Corporation, Kashima Bearings, Inc., KMS Bearings Inc., BNL Bearings, Dotmar Engineering Plastics, Altra Industrial Motion Corp. The major market players adopt several growth strategies such as new product launches, updation, and collaborations, contributing to global growth in the industry.
AB SKF
Overview: AB SKF is an engineering company with primary interests in bearings, lubricants and lubrication systems, mechatronics and power transmission systems, and maintenance equipment. SKF stands for Svenska Kullagerfabriken, meaning ‘Swedish Ball Bearing Factory’ in Swedish. The company employs 44,000 people and operates 108 manufacturing units globally. The company's products are sold in more than 130 countries globally through nearly 17,000 distributors. AB SKF was founded by Swedish engineer Sven Wingqvist in 1907 and is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Product Portfolio
- 623/HR11TN is the company's polymer single-row ball bearing. It has a static load-bearing capacity of 30N and a dynamic load-bearing capacity of 45N. Polyacetyal and polypropylene are the company's standard materials used for polymer bearings. The bearing can work in environments with temperatures up to 100 °C (210 °F).
Key Developments:
- In January 2020, AB SKF unveiled a new line of polymer roller bearings for electric vehicle powertrains. The bearings are mainly intended for electric motors. The bearing has a lower weight than equivalent metal bearings ensuring significant weight savings. The new bearing range will be rolled out in the coming months in consultation with electric vehicle and component manufacturers.
