Closed Molding Composites Market

• In May 2020, Huntsman Advanced Materials completed the acquisition of US-based CVC Thermoset Specialties which deals with industrial composites.

• Arris is a leader in manufacturing technology with its headquarters in Berkeley, California was founded in 2017 by industry veterans Ethan Escowitz, Riley Reese, and Erick Davidson. For mass-market applications such as aerospace, automotive, and consumer goods, Arris Composites is the industry leader in next-generation composites.

In this report, the Closed Molding Composites Market has been segmented by Manufacturing Process, Fiber Type, Process, Application and Geography.

Closed Molding Composites Market, Segmentation By Manufacturing Process

The Closed Molding Composites Market is segmented by Manufacturing Process into Continuous Lamination, Reaction Injection Mulding, Resin Transfer Mulding (RTM), Vacuum Infusion & Bagging, Light RTM, Injection Mulding, Centrifugal Casting, Compression and Others.

Continuous Lamination

With nearly 15% share, continuous lamination is widely chosen for producing uniform composite panels and sheets. Its cost efficiency and ability to deliver consistent quality make it a preferred method in construction and transportation markets.

Reaction Injection Molding (RIM)

At around 12% of the market, RIM is known for producing lightweight yet durable composite structures. Its flexibility in design and faster production cycles make it vital for the automotive and aerospace industries.

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

RTM holds close to 20% share, recognized for its ability to create precise, high-performance composite parts. Its role in reducing material waste and ensuring structural accuracy is boosting adoption in wind energy and defense applications.

Vacuum Infusion & Bagging

Accounting for about 10% share, vacuum infusion & bagging delivers excellent resin distribution and improved strength-to-weight ratios. It is increasingly utilized in marine and aerospace industries to achieve superior durability.

Light RTM

Light RTM contributes nearly 8%, offering a low-cost alternative for part production while maintaining efficiency. Its versatility is visible in automotive interiors, infrastructure projects, and recreational products.

Injection Molding

With an 18% market share, injection molding dominates high-volume production, delivering precise and complex composite components. It remains indispensable in electronics, consumer goods, and automotive sectors.

Centrifugal Casting

Centrifugal casting represents about 6%, specializing in pipes, tubes, and hollow structures. The method is valued for ensuring structural reliability and is heavily applied in oil, gas, and water industries.

Compression

Compression molding makes up nearly 9% share, excelling in the production of durable, high-strength composites. Its prominence is clear in industrial equipment, aerospace, and defense parts manufacturing.

Others

Other processes, at roughly 2% share, cover niche and custom manufacturing needs. These methods support prototype development, specialized applications, and low-volume runs.

Closed Molding Composites Market, Segmentation By Fiber Type

The Closed Molding Composites Market is segmented by Fiber Type into Natural Fiber Composites, Chopped Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber Composites and Other Fiber Composites.

Natural Fiber Composites

With about 14% market share, natural fiber composites are gaining traction as industries focus on eco-friendly and sustainable solutions. Their lightweight and cost-efficient nature supports applications in automotive interiors, construction, and consumer packaging.

Chopped Carbon Fiber

Chopped carbon fiber represents nearly 22% of the market, recognized for its superior mechanical strength and lightweight performance. Its role in automotive, aerospace, and defense applications continues to expand as industries seek advanced materials.

Glass Fiber Composites

Holding the largest share at around 54%, glass fiber composites remain the backbone of the market. Known for their affordability, toughness, and adaptability, they are widely used across wind energy, marine, construction, and industrial goods sectors.

Other Fiber Composites

Other fiber composites, accounting for close to 10%, include aramid and hybrid fibers. These are preferred in defense, aerospace, and high-performance industrial uses thanks to their resilience against impact, heat, and demanding operating conditions.

Closed Molding Composites Market, Segmentation By Process

The Closed Molding Composites Market is segmented by Process into Vacuum Infusion & Bagging, Resin Transfer Molding, Compression Molding, Pultrusion, Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding, Centrifugal Casting, Continuous Lamination and Others.

Vacuum Infusion & Bagging

Widely adopted for large, complex parts, vacuum infusion delivers consistent fiber wet-out and can cut void content by 25–40% versus open molding. OEMs value its low emissions profile, with styrene release reduced by 60–80%. It typically improves material yield by 10–20% and enables thickness uniformity gains of 15–25% for wind, marine, and infrastructure applications.

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

RTM supports medium-to-high volumes with net-shape precision, helping automakers achieve cycle-time reductions of 20–35%. Closed tools and controlled injection can lower scrap rates by 15–25% while boosting surface-finish acceptance by 30–45%. With optimized gates, RTM enables fiber-volume fractions up to 55–60% for structural parts.

Compression Molding

Ideal for SMC/BMC parts, compression molding offers rapid takt times and can deliver per-part cost savings of 10–18% at scale. High press tonnage drives dimensional repeatability improvements of 20–30%, supporting Class-A panels. The process often achieves scrap reductions of 12–20% with robust charge control and tool venting.

Pultrusion

Pultrusion excels in continuous profiles for construction and utilities, delivering line-speed gains of 25–50% with stable curing. Profiles typically reach glass content of 60–70%, enabling high stiffness-to-weight. The method reduces lifecycle maintenance costs by 20–30% where corrosion resistance is critical and supports waste minimization of 15–25% through near-net output.

Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding (R-RIM)

R-RIM pairs low-viscosity systems with short cycles, achieving weight reductions of 20–30% versus metal for exterior panels. Closed-mold mixing and rapid gel times can cut tool-to-tool time by 25–40%. With tailored fillers, it delivers impact-strength improvements of 15–25% while maintaining paint-ready surface yields up to 90–95%.

Centrifugal Casting

For tubular and rotationally symmetric parts, centrifugal casting enhances resin distribution, improving wall-thickness consistency by 20–35%. The process can lower voids by 30–50% via radial compaction and improves burst-pressure performance by 15–25%. It also enables material utilization gains of 10–15% for pipes and liners.

Continuous Lamination

Continuous lamination targets high-throughput sheets and panels, delivering throughput increases of 35–60% versus batch methods. Inline curing and film control can lift surface-grade acceptance by 20–30% and reduce rework by 10–18%. Producers often report energy-per-unit cuts of 12–20% through steady-state operation.

Others

This category includes closed-mold hybrids and niche routes tuned for specialty resins or inserts, typically addressing short-run customization up by 15–25%. Flex tooling can trim prototype lead times by 20–40%, while process intensification yields defect-rate reductions of 10–15%. These methods help capture premium margins of 8–12% in specialized applications.

Closed Molding Composites Market, Segmentation By Application

The Closed Molding Composites Market is segmented by Application into Aerospace & Defence, Civil Engineering, Electrical & Electronics, Marine, Industrial, Transportation, Housing, Construction, Wind Energy, Sporting Goods and Others.

Aerospace & Defence

Closed molding supports lightweight airframe structures and interior panels with weight savings of 20–35% versus metals while meeting tight void thresholds (<1–2%). Programs increasingly target out-of-autoclave cycles, driving cycle-time reductions of 15–25% for secondary structures. Suppliers report scrap cuts of 10–18% through controlled resin flow and repeatable tooling.

Civil Engineering

In bridges, rebar, and utility covers, closed molding enables corrosion-proof composites that extend service life by 25–40%. Prefab elements achieve installation time savings of 15–30% and maintenance cost reductions of 20–35%. Adoption rises where weight reduction of 30–50% helps avoid costly structural retrofits.

Electrical & Electronics

For enclosures, busbars, and insulators, closed molding blends flame-retardant systems with precision, lifting dielectric reliability by 10–15%. Process control lowers reject rates by 12–20% and supports IP-rated sealing gains of 15–25%. OEMs cite form-factor miniaturization of 8–12% without compromising creepage/clearance.

Marine

Hull, deck, and topside components see resin emission cuts of 60–80% versus open molding, with osmosis resistance up by 15–20%. Weight-optimized layups deliver fuel-burn reductions of 5–10% on small craft and repair frequency drops of 12–18%. Surface quality acceptance improves by 20–30% for gelcoat-heavy parts.

Industrial

Closed-mold housings, tanks, and process equipment realize dimensional repeatability gains of 20–30% and downtime reductions of 10–15%. Chemical-resistant grades cut lifecycle costs by 18–25% compared to coated steel. At scale, takt-time tuning enables throughput increases of 15–22% with stable cure profiles.

Transportation

For rail, trucks, and buses, closed molding supports mass reduction of 12–20%, improving energy efficiency by 4–8%. High surface fidelity boosts paint-ready yield by 25–35%, while modular tooling trims model-changeover time by 20–30%. Crash-relevant panels achieve impact absorption gains of 10–15%.

Housing

Doors, windows, and façade panels benefit from thermal-bridge reductions of 10–18% and air-leakage cuts of 12–20%. Factory-finished skins raise installation productivity by 15–25% and deliver warranty claim reductions of 8–12%. Moisture-resistant formulations extend exterior durability by 20–30%.

Construction

Precast cladding, formwork, and FRP gratings enable site labor savings of 15–28% and crane-time cuts of 10–20% due to lighter lifts. Weather-agnostic cure windows improve schedule reliability by 12–18%. Compared with traditional materials, corrosion immunity drives O&M savings of 20–35%.

Wind Energy

Blade shells and spars manufactured via closed molding achieve fiber-volume fractions of 55–60% and defect-rate reductions of 15–25%. Longer blades realize energy yield gains of 6–10% through better stiffness-to-weight. Inline quality checks cut rework by 12–20%, supporting higher uptime for OEM lines.

Sporting Goods

For bikes, boards, and protective gear, closed molding delivers strength-to-weight improvements of 15–25% with tight thickness tolerance (<±2–3%). Premium finishes raise first-pass yield by 20–30%, while optimized layups reduce vibration by 8–15% for better user feel. Brand refresh cycles shorten by 10–18% via modular tooling.

Others

Medical, energy storage, and niche mobility devices leverage closed molding for customization rate increases of 15–25% and prototype lead-time cuts of 20–35%. Sealed tools improve cleanroom compatibility by 10–15%. Across specialties, premium SKUs capture margin uplifts of 6–12% through differentiated performance and finish.

Closed Molding Composites Market, Segmentation By Geography

In this report, the Closed Molding Composites Market has been segmented by Geography into five regions; North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America.

Closed Molding Composites Market Share (%), By Geographical Region

North America

Led by aerospace, wind, and transportation programs, North America accounts for 28–32% of closed molding composites demand. OEM standardization around low-emission processes is lifting replacement rates, with marine and housing contributing an additional 6–8% to volume. Regulatory alignment and reshoring tailwinds support a stable growth contribution of 20–25% to global incremental additions.

Europe

Europe holds an estimated 24–28% share, underpinned by automotive lightweighting and wind energy blades. Tight VOC rules are driving a shift to closed-mold routes, helping premium surface-finish parts gain 10–15% more acceptance in transportation interiors. Infrastructure retrofits and marine refits add a steady 5–7% of regional demand.

Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is the growth engine with a 30–35% share, propelled by construction & housing, marine, and fast-ramping electrical components. Localized blade and mobility programs contribute 40–45% of the region’s incremental volume. Process automation in China and ASEAN improves first-pass yield by 12–18%, reinforcing scale advantages.

Middle East & Africa

Middle East & Africa represents 5–8% of demand, anchored by corrosion-resistant industrial and water-infrastructure parts. Utility and oil & gas applications account for 45–50% of regional consumption, while building façades and gratings add 10–14%. Emerging wind and transport projects support a 8–12% share of global growth additions.

Latin America

Latin America captures 6–9% of the market, with marine, construction, and electrical enclosures leading adoption. Local content policies in transportation add 12–16% to regional closed-mold volumes, and wind components contribute another 8–11%. Ongoing formalization of manufacturing boosts compliant closed-mold penetration by 10–15% across key countries.