The global powder metallurgy market size reached USD 3.4 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 7.1 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.13% during 2025-2033. The expanding automotive industry, increasing product usage in manufacturing inert machine parts, and rising penetration of low-cost products represent some of the key factors driving the market growth.
Powder Metallurgy Market Analysis:
Major Market Drivers: The growing automotive industry, surging demand for cost-effective, efficient, and lightweight materials, rising number of infrastructure projects, etc., are propelling the market growth. Moreover, the increasing usage of powder metallurgy in various electronic devices is escalating the powder metallurgy market demand.
Key Market Trends: Ongoing advancements in material science, growing adoption of additive manufacturing, and increasing preferences towards green manufacturing are some of the factors expected to stimulate the market growth. Moreover, with the rising demand for miniaturized devices, powder metallurgy is advancing to meet these requirements. Techniques like metal injection molding (MIM) and micro powder injection molding (μPIM) enable the production of small, complex parts with tight tolerances and excellent surface finishes, thereby stimulating the industry’s growth.
Competitive Landscape: Some of the leading powder metallurgy market companies are BASF SE, Carpenter Corporation, Catalus Corporation, Comtec Mfg.Inc., Fine Sinter Co. Ltd., Horizon Technology Inc., Melrose Industries PLC, Perry Tool & Research Inc., Phoenix Sintered Metals LLC, Precision Sintered Parts LLC, Sandvik AB, and Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., among many others.
Geographical Trends: According to the report, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share. Some of the factors driving the regional powder metallurgy market included the growing demand for enhanced infrastructures, rising adoption of additive manufacturing in the automotive sector, increasing need for lightweight components with improved performance, etc.
Challenges and Opportunities: High initial investment costs, time-consuming manufacturing process, environmental regulations, and quality control are some of the factors hampering the market growth. However, the rise of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies presents significant powder metallurgy market recent opportunities. AM techniques like selective laser melting (SLM) and metal binder jetting allow for the production of complex, customized parts with minimal material waste, thereby propelling the market growth.
Powder Metallurgy Market Trends:
Rising Demand from the Automotive Industry
With increasing pressure to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, automotive manufacturers are turning to lightweight materials. Powder metallurgy offers lightweight components with high strength and precision, contributing to overall vehicle weight reduction. For instance, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, by 2030, one-fourth of the U.S. vehicular fleet could save over 5 billion gallons of fuel yearly due to advanced materials that enable lightweight components and high-efficiency engines. Powder metallurgy is widely used in the production of gears for engines and transmissions. PM gears offer high strength, wear resistance, and dimensional accuracy, making them suitable for demanding applications. For instance, Amsted Automotive presented cutting-edge innovations that are essential for the development of powertrains in May 2024, at the CTI Symposium. The company's exhibit highlighted the strengths of Means Industries, Burgess-Norton, and Transform Automotive, its three main business divisions. Throughout the event, Burgess-Norton showcased its acclaimed powder metal technology in a number of applications, such as gears, pocket and notch plates, sprockets, cam plates, and more. Powder metallurgy offers cost-effective solutions for automotive parts production. PM processes, including metal injection molding (MIM) and powder bed fusion (PBF) in 3D printing, have significantly lower material waste compared to traditional manufacturing methods. This is because PM processes typically start with fine metal powders, which are precisely shaped into the final part. This minimizes material waste and reduces the overall cost of production. In November 2023, researchers at IIT-Mandi discovered that the extrusion-based metal additive manufacturing process is the most superior and cost-effective way when compared to other approaches to metal 3D printing. Metal additive manufacturing (metal AM) uses thin metal powders to create strong, complicated components using computer-aided design (CAD) software or 3D scanning. These factors are further bolstering the powder metallurgy market revenue.
Growing Adoption of Additive Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), particularly in the form of 3D printing, is a significant driver of growth in the powder metallurgy (PM) market. 3D printing allows for the creation of complex geometries that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. This is particularly advantageous for powder metallurgy, as it enables the production of intricate shapes and internal structures without the need for specialized tooling or assembly. As a result, manufacturers can create highly optimized components with improved performance and functionality. For instance, in February 2024, Volkmann launched the PowTReX basic metal powder reprocessing system, that allows additive manufacturers to recover powder for reuse. It aims to support powder-based metal 3D printer users. Moreover, additive manufacturing allows for the creation of intricate lattice structures within metal parts, providing high strength-to-weight ratios and customized mechanical properties. Powder metallurgy supplies the metal powders used to create these lattice structures, offering opportunities for lightweighting and design optimization. For instance, in February 2024, researchers from RMIT University in Australia created a novel type of metamaterial made additively from Ti-6Al-4V titanium. The unusual lattice structures, with very high strength-to-weight ratios, have the potential to benefit a wide range of applications, including medical implants and aircraft or rocket parts. The researchers designed a hollow tubular lattice structure with a thin band running inside it manufactured using Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion. These factors are positively influencing the powder metallurgy market forecast.
Increasing Utilization in the Aerospace Sector
The escalating demand in the aerospace industry is one of the prominent factors adding to the market growth. Aerospace manufacturers are constantly seeking ways to reduce aircraft weight to improve fuel efficiency and reduce operating costs. Powder metallurgy offers lightweight components with high strength-to-weight ratios, making it ideal for aerospace applications. PM components contribute to the overall weight reduction of aircraft, leading to fuel savings and lower emissions. For instance, in November 2023, ArcelorMittal SA, one of the world's major steel firms, announced the development of an industrial-scale atomizer in Aviles, Spain, to create steel powders for a variety of additive manufacturing technologies, including aerospace, defense, automotive, medical, and energy. Moreover, they formed a new company, ArcelorMittal Powders, to commercialize its metal powders, with a focus on Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), Binder Jetting (BJT), and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) AM technologies. In addition, powder metallurgy allows for the development and production of advanced materials and alloys tailored for aerospace applications. These materials can withstand high temperatures, extreme pressures, and harsh environments encountered in aerospace operations. PM techniques enable the incorporation of elements like titanium, nickel, and aluminum into alloys, creating materials with exceptional properties required for aerospace components. For instance, according to the article published by the National Library of Medicine in 2023, powder metallurgy is a versatile and commonly utilized method of creating composite materials. Cu-TiO2 composites gained significance in recent years due to its prospective uses in a variety of areas, including aerospace, electrical, and biomedicine. The key benefits of employing this process to prepare Cu-TiO2 (titanium dioxide) composites include the ability to control the composite's microstructure, low cost, and high efficiency. In the aircraft industry, composite materials can be utilized to make components like turbine blades, which require high strength and wear resistance. These factors are further contributing to the powder metallurgy market share.
Powder Metallurgy Industry Segmentation:
IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the global powder metallurgy market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on type, material, manufacturing process, and application.
Breakup by Type:
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