Doctor Blade Market Analysis Report By Application, By Type, By Region And Segment Forecasts From 2019 To 2024

Industry Insights

The global doctor blade market size was USD 163.89 million in 2018. The market is projected to register 2.3% CAGR over the forecast duration. Increasing demand for coatings and paints, flexographic and rotogravure is driving the growth of the market. Further, the advent of nanotechnology has resulted in the manufacturing of enhanced doctor blade, which, in turn, drives the market growth. Doctor blades are designed for applications where high precision is required.

These blades are used to remove excess ink from non-engraved and smooth areas during the printing process. Manufacturing of product is based in Europe. In addition, plasticity and low quality of steel have resulted in limited production in Emerging countries.

Among various applications, in 2018, the flexography category accounted for 57.2% of the share in the market. On the other hand, Gravure occupies the second place in terms of market share owing to rising use in paper publishing. Offset is an economical and conventional way of printing a magazine, books, pamphlet and newspaper.

A thin piece of plastic, rubber, composite material and metal are used in the manufacturing of doctor blade. These blades are preferred in place of composite blades and metals as these are light and smooth, thereby, easy and safer to use.

Publishing, promotional printings and packaging are among major end-use of the doctor blade. Of them, the packaging is highly used seconded by publishing. The market is characterized by the presence of various small to large manufacturers.

Type Insights

Some of the most used materials in the manufacturing of doctor blades are plastics, composite materials and metals. Of them, metal accounts for the highest share in the doctor blade market. On the other hand, polyacetal, polyester and polyethylene are projected to register the significant growth over the forecast duration. Growing demand for plastic is attributed to their safety and ability to perform operations at high speed.

The doctor blade cross-section is divided into round, lamellar and wedge. The cross-section of wedge-shaped blades is in trapezium shape. While the lamellar cross-section is in the form of a rectangle with one corner cut in the form of concave.

Application Insights

Based on application, flexography accounted for the largest share in the market in 2018. The segment accounted for over 40% of the share in the market. Ever since its invention, many businesses are adopting these materials. While in the printing sector, packaging accounted for the highest demand seconded by publishing and promotion.

In the flexography, the chambered doctor blades system is the latest trend. Two blades are used in a chambered system, in which, one works as a metering instrument to control the flow of ink while the other helps in preventing ink leakage.

Rotogravure is among popular applications and it is widely used in the printing of paper. Despite the enhanced efficiency of gravure printers due to technical advancements, it is facing competition from digital inkjet printers.

Offset printing is the other major application of the doctor blade. This is one of the most common methods to print books, stationaries, pamphlets, newspaper and brochures. This method requires low maintenance and one of the most economical among all.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific is projected to witness a significant growth of 2.8% CAGR 2019 to 2024. Increasing demand for packaging solution from various end-user industries such as transportation, food and beverage and pharmaceutical is driving the market growth in countries such as China, India and Japan.

Europe is one of the leading manufacturers of doctor blades. Countries such as Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy and Switzerland account for the significant production owing to the developed steel industries. Majority of Latin Americans and Southeast Asia countries export products from these European countries.

On the other hand, North America occupied the second position with Canada and the U.S witnessing significant growth owing to the increasing demand from the packaging industry. Flexographic printing occupies the highest share in the North American market.

Impact of COVID-19

COVID-19 has significantly disrupted the doctor blades market growth. One of the major application of the doctor blade is in the printing industry. The outbreak of pandemic has significantly disrupted the supply chain, thereby, adversely affecting the industry growth. In addition, owing to the subsequent lockdowns, businesses are witnessing a major shift in their operations with many of them going online, thereby, considerably reducing the need for printing applications. In addition, offset printing, which is widely used in the printing of paper, magazine and books is witnessing significant decline owing to the weak distribution networks caused due to the corona virus pandemic.

Doctor Blade Market Share Insights

Key players operating in the market are Prime Blade Swedev AB, TRESU Group, FUJI SHOKO CO., LTD and Kadant, Inc. among others. These companies occupy a significant share in the market owing to their robust distribution network, product offering, and a huge customer base. For instance, Prime Blade Sweden AB distribution partners are located in more than 120 countries across the world while Swedev AB is present in over 80 countries.

Companies are emphasizing on expanding their distribution channels, acquisition and merger to consolidate their position in the market. For example, Prime Blade Sweden AB collaborated with Grupo Brasal in 2018 to make its presence in Latin America. The company is aiming to boost its sales in Trinidad & Tobago, Puerto Rico and Panama.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels, and provides an analysis on latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2024. For the purpose of this study, Million Insights has segmented the global doctor blade market report based on type, application, and region:

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2024)
    • Metal Doctor Blade
    • Plastic Doctor Blade
    • Composite Doctor Blade

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2024)
    • Flexographic Printing
    • Rotogravure Printing
    • Offset Printing
    • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2024)
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
    • Latin America
    • Middle East & Africa