Roll-to-roll printing provides flexibility to manufacture advanced electronic products. This technology transforms manufacturing process and enables high volume production of technology products. The increased demand for flexible electronic devices such as printed circuit, smart labels (RFID tags & antennas), printed sensors, and OLED lighting will fuel the industry growth. Capabilities to resist high-defect density, high economical production processes, and booming consumer sector are key factors that may positively impact the roll-to-roll printing market.
Continued demand for flexible devices in the electronics industry and increased application areas owing to improved technical features may spur the roll-to-roll printing market size. The increased demand from flexible devices, such as sensors, electronics, medical, optoelectronics, and photovoltaic, may enhance industry growth. The increased penetration of small-sized, durable, portable, and wearable products may catalyze the demand.
The roll-to-roll printing market offers benefits such as high line speed, low manufacturing cost, and continuity in the process. Increased application areas owing to improved technical features offer emerging opportunities for the business growth. R2R printing in contrast with conventional systems offers flexible, cost-effective, light, and efficient solutions.
Important factors for high adoption rates include high volume and economical process, expanding consumer sector, flexible transparent sensor in industrial sectors, multimodal-based sensors in the healthcare area, and usage of flexible sensors in wearable medical devices.
Failure risks and mass production needs are restraints that may hinder roll-to-roll printing market size. Huge R&D investments, challenges associated with manufacturing techniques, and flexible electronics performance may limit the growth. The absence of standardized infrastructure, much lower resolutions, and identification of materials for roll printing are key challenges for this industry.
Flexible devices, material and technology are key segmentation. Flexible devices consist of substrate selections, film depositions, curing, assembling & cutting, and testing & packaging. Technology includes gravure, offset lithography, flexography, inkjet and screen printing. Material includes substrate & inks. Gravure, Offset, and flexography are frequently used that have an advantage of high-speed processing to achieve medium resolutions and high productivity. Inkjet is expected to dominate the segment owing to benefits such as non-contact printing.
Key applications are fuel cells, battery products & technology, flexible electronics, photovoltaics, and membrane. End users are consumer electronics, commercial, industrial, medical, aerospace, defense, and automotive. Flexible electronics accounted for majority of revenue in 2015 owing to huge demand from commercial and industrial sector.
U.S. roll-to-roll printing market share is expected to dominate due to advancements in technologies and improved infrastructure. Europe may also observe a considerable growth over the timeline due to the presence of important players.
Asia Pacific may witness considerable growth over the analysis period owing to the inflow of foreign funds and improved industrialization in countries such as Taiwan, Korea, China, and Malaysia. Central & South America and the Middle East & Africa are among emerging nations.
