The Flexible Heater Market is Segmented By Type (Silicone Rubber-Based, Polyester-Based, Mica-Based, Others By End-User (Electronics & Semiconductor, Aerospace & Defense, Medical, Automotive, Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas and Mining, Others, By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2024-2031
Flexible Heater Market Overview
The report on flexible global heaters analyses the market shares, size, recent trends, future market outlook, and competitive intelligence. Flexible heater usage in electronics is on the rise. Demand for electronics and semiconductors in ‘The Asia Pacific’ is booming. The competitive rivalry intensifies with NIBE Industrier AB, Honeywell International Inc., and others active in the market. A flexible heater is a heater that is chemically etched, screen printed,, or wire-wound that can be bent or flexed to fit the surface curves that need to be heated. Kapton film heaters, silicon rubber heaters, carbon printed heaters, and transparent heaters are common types of flexible heaters. Flexible heaters can be customized in terms of size, shape, and thickness and add components to increase the performance of any application.
Flexible Heater Market Scope
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Metrics |
Details |
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Market CAGR |
8.1% |
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Segments Covered |
By Type, 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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Flexible heaters have robust construction along with good moisture and chemical resistance. The heaters can be easily bonded or attached to any type and substrate, including being actively flexed in an application. Flexible heaters are thin and light and they can withstand temperatures of up to 500°F/260°C intermittently and up to 392°F/200°C continuously. Flexible heaters are also ideal for hostile environments and vacuum applications.
Flexible Heater Market Trends
The demand for flexible heaters is mainly driven by the increasing global demand for electronics and semiconductors. The operational drawbacks of flexible heaters are a key factor in limiting the growth of this market.
Increasing global demand for electronics and semiconductors
The world has experienced rapid and strong economic growth over the last two decades. Much of the growth has been concentrated in the world's developing regions, such as the Asia-Pacific. It has led to a large global middle class with disposable income. The middle class fuels the demand for consumer goods and services such as electronics, automobiles, and digital services.
Innovation and large-scale production have made consumer electronics such as smartphones, laptops, televisions, desktops, and tablets much cheaper and accessible to the common masses. Modern lifestyles and the integration of digitization in every aspect of life have made smartphones a necessity rather than a luxury. Various consumer electronics use flexible heaters as a key component for powering displays.
The growing technological innovation in various industrial verticals has led to automation and digital integration. Smart connectivity and extensive use of IoT are defining features of modern automobiles and home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines. It has necessitated the use of semiconductors for powering almost all modern tech features. Flexible heaters are a key part of the semiconductor fabrication process. The growing global demand for electronics and semiconductors is a key driver for growth in the global flexible heaters market.
Operational and design drawbacks of flexible heaters
Flexible heaters are a marvel of modern electronic engineering innovation and their use has proliferated into various industrial verticals. However, various operational drawbacks exist to using flexible heaters in various applications. With rising technological innovation, the form factor of various consumer electronics has reduced in recent years. Consumers pay greater attention to more compact and slim construction. Flexible heaters have reached a saturation point concerning design. Flexible heaters' form factor and thickness cannot be reduced further without significant performance degradation. Designing the next generation of flexible heaters for future electronic and semiconductor applications is a major challenge.
The extremely thin construction of a flexible heater also presents several challenges. Residual heat generated by the operation of electronic devices can severely affect the accuracy of the flexible heater. Self-heating is another major problem with flexible heaters, particularly those used in applications with extreme temperature differences. The temperature sensor used in the flexible heater degrades with age, degrading its performance and accuracy. The operational and design drawbacks of flexible heaters limit their adoption and present key challenges to the growth of the global flexible heater market.
COVID-19's's impact on the Flexible Heater Market
The global flexible heater market experienced a decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 epidemic started in 2020 and caused massive economic shocks globally. Manufacturing activities were affected due to lockdowns and movement restrictions put in place by governments to curb the spread of the pandemic. The lockdowns have affected the production of flexible heaters and their components.
The flexible heater market is an advanced technology industry where growth is derived from value generation through innovation. Companies manufacturing flexible heaters utilize revenue from sales to fund research and development activities to introduce new products and generate growth. The pandemic has significantly reduced the demand and production of flexible heaters. It has affected the research and development of new technologies. Furthermore, lockdowns and movement restrictions have prevented field testing and prototyping of new products.
Various end-users, including many manufacturing industries, had to scale down or suspend production due to reduced demand or lockdown restrictions. It reduced demand for flexible heaters, which impacted the revenue of many leading companies operating in the sector. The demand for flexible heaters is not expected to recover before early 2022 fully.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous short-term challenges for the global flexible heater market. However, due to technological innovation and the increasing usage of electronics and semiconductors in various industry verticals, new opportunities have emerged for the flexible heater market in the medium and long term. The flexible heater market will continue to grow significantly in the coming years.
Flexible Heater Market Segmentation Analysis
The global flexible heater market is segmented into type, end-user, and region. The flexible heater market is segmented into electronics and semiconductors, aerospace and defense, medical, automotive, food and beverages, oil and gas, mining, and others. Electronics and semiconductors are predicted to have the biggest market share among various industries.
Flexible heaters are extensively used in the production process of semiconductors and electronics. Various production processes such as LCD screen preheating, IC testing, scanners, and test modules utilize flexible heaters. Flexible heaters are also extensively utilized in domestic appliances such as refrigeration equipment and kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens, toasters, and coffee makers. The demand for consumer electronics is expected to drive the flexible heaters market.
Flexible Heater Market Geographical Share
Asia-Pacific is the leading region for the global flexible heater market. The largest market share globally is primarily accounted for due to the region's large concentration of manufacturing industries. China is a major manufacturing powerhouse in the region. India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam also have significant manufacturing industries. The vast majority of global manufacturing occurs in Asia-Pacific.
Taiwan, South Korea, and China are globally leading manufacturers of semiconductors and electronics. China is a major consumer electronics manufacturer such as smartphones, laptops, television, and desktops. Semiconductor fabrication is a time-consuming process that necessitates high-quality semiconductor heating equipment. Heating semiconductor wafers is essential throughout both the manufacturing and testing phases. Various consumer electronics such as smartphones, laptops, and desktops use flexible heaters to maintain optimum working temperatures.
The automotive industry is another major utilizer of flexible heaters. Flexible heaters are used in various automotive systems such as batteries and electronics. China is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, with nearly 26 million passenger and commercial vehicles produced in 2021. India, Japan, and South Korea also have well-developed automotive industries.
Various automotive component manufacturers incorporating flexible heaters are also located in the region. The chemical industry uses flexible heaters to maintain the optimum viscosity of chemicals to ensure their free flow. China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, and Japan are major chemical producers. With strong economic growth and ever-growing industrialization, Asia-Pacific is expected to maintain a leading position in the flexible heater market in the coming years.
Flexible Heater Companies and Competitive Landscape
The global flexible heater market is competitive due to various flexible heaters and solutions catering to different industrial and commercial requirements. Some of the major players contributing to the growth in the segment are NIBE Industrier AB, Honeywell International Inc., Omega Engineering Inc., Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company, Smiths Group plc, Chromalox, Rogers Corporation, Minco, Zoppas Industries, and All Flex Flexible Circuits & Heaters. The major players in the flexible heater market adopt several growth strategies such as joint ventures, the launch of new products and collaborations, and mergers and acquisitions, thereby contributing to global growth in the industry.
NIBE Industrier AB
Overview: NIBE Industrier AB is an engineering company that designs and manufactures energy solutions for cooling and heating systems. The company mainly provides solutions for the electronics, construction, and infrastructure industries. The company is currently focused on expanding into new ventures such as energy consulting and climate solutions. The company was founded in 1949 by Swedish engineer Nils Bernerup, whose first initials make up the company name. NIBE Industrier AB is headquartered in Markaryd, Sweden.
Product Portfolio
• NIBE Element is the company's brand name for a wide range of flexible heaters designed for commercial and industrial applications. The company also manufactures customized heaters based on specific client requirements.
Key Developments:
• In 2021, NIBE Industrier AB acquired UK-based Go Geothermal, a maker of industrial heater elements. With this acquisition, the company hopes to strengthen its technical know-how in the flexible heater market.
