Medical Seals Market Size, Share, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2021-2026

Market Insights

Medical seals are applied between mating surfaces of the medical equipment to prevent leakage and ingress of any external agents along with insulation and temperature & pressure retention in medical equipment. The selection of material, design, and technologies remain a crucial point for the production of seals as they are required to withstand reacting chemicals, high temperature & pressure. These seals are mainly made up of different types of elastomers, thermoplastics, and metals among which elastomers are majorly used due to their suitability in medical applications.

The medical industry witnessed a setback in its rapid growth due to the outbreak of the pandemic. The havoc of the pandemic compelled a multitude of patients to postpone their elective procedures. Concurrently, hospitals’ infrastructure seemed to collapse in managing chronic diseases during that trying time. The supply of raw materials for seals production was also get affected in the wake of the ban and restricted movement with global lockdowns.

Medical seals, a sizeable market, could not escape from such trends and witnessed a sluggish growth of 1.9% in the year 2020, which was around 8% lower than the growth rate of the previous year. However, the market is gradually regaining its growth momentum in 2021 with the increasing spending towards healthcare. Furthermore, the growing medical devices market coupled with increased concern towards individual health and increasing demand for wearable medical devices are likely to give an additional impetus to the demand for seals in the near future. On account of these drivers, the medical seals market is likely to grow at a propitious CAGR of 6.3% in the long run to reach US$ 1.9 Billion in 2026.

The global business environment is experiencing rapid change, owing to changing dynamics in economic, social, political, and technological arenas. This demands the players in the medical seals market to quickly adapt to the changing business environment and build market strategies to improve growth and mitigate risks.

Stringent regulations/certifications by the medical OEMs to medical processing seals manufacturers are compelling them to increasingly incorporate cleanroom production to prevent contamination with the purpose to improve the performance and durability of the seals. The regulation not only enforces cleanliness but also forces the medical seals' manufacturers to develop a reliable, cost-effective, high-performance sealing solution with capabilities to withstand high operating pressure and temperature cycles.

Segment Analysis

Based on the application type, the medical seals market is segmented into analytical instruments, medical devices, and surgical tools. Among application segments, analytical instruments are expected to remain the biggest demand generators for seals during the forecast period. Increasing research and development, the establishment of new research laboratories, growing diagnostic facilities, etc. are expected to propel the market with an increased demand for seals in the analytical instrument segment.

Elastomeric seals are the clear winners in the medical seals market. The life science industry is moving towards sustainable growth with the greater adoption of advanced materials. Thermoplastic materials offer higher mechanical properties at a relatively low weight and have a well-proven track record in the industry. Thermoplastic seals are also extensively used in the industry, owing to their desired properties, such as high chemical resistance, low friction, and biocompatibility.

Based on the product type, the medical seals market is segmented as O-rings, gaskets, lip seals, and others. O-rings are expected to remain the largest and the fastest-growing segment of the market during the forecast period. O-rings are widely used in various important applications including respiratory equipment, drug delivery devices, pumps, fluid transfer devices, etc. O-rings are cost-effective, customizable, extremely durable, and comes in all sizes & hardness.

Based on the end-user type, the market is segmented as hospitals, private clinics, and research laboratories. The private clinics segment is expected to remain fastest growing during the forecast period. Growing concerns toward individual health along with regular check-ups, increasing requirement of medical devices & analytical instruments in private clinics are expected to drive the growth of the market over the next five years.

Based on the certification type, the market is segmented as USP Class VI, FDA or ISO 13485, and others. Among segments, FDA or ISO 13485 is expected to remain the largest segment of the market during the forecast period. It is a must for all organizations that manufacture and re-packs medical equipment in the USA to register themselves with FDA. The USA is the biggest producer of medical equipment in the world which attributes to the dominance of the segment in the market.

In terms of regions, North America is projected to remain the dominant market for medical seals over the next five years owing to the presence of a large number of medical equipment manufacturers in the USA. However, Asia-Pacific, led by India and China, is expected to offer the highest growth opportunity to the market stakeholders in the near future. This growth will be attributed to the emergence of new medical device manufacturing plants in the region along with rising demand for seals.

Key Players

Major manufacturers of medical seals are performing mergers & acquisitions to enhance their offerings to customers. For an instance, Saint-Gobain acquired HTMS in the year 2020, a Belgium-based manufacturer engaged in the business of medical seals. The following are the key players in the medical seals market.

• Trelleborg AB
• Parker-Hannifin Corporation
• Saint-Gobain SA
• Greene Tweed & Co
• Bal Seal Engineering, Inc
• IDEX Corporation
• Technetics Group
• Apple Rubber Products, Inc
• Ceetak Ltd

Research Methodology

This strategic assessment report, from the publisher, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today’s medical seals market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period of 2021 to 2026. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most detailed manner in order to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of the low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as to formulate the growth strategies to expedite their growth process.

This report offers high-quality insights and is the outcome of a detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders, and validation and triangulation with the publisher’s internal database and statistical tools. More than 1000 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact books, press releases, journals, investor presentations, white papers, patents, and articles, have been leveraged to gather the data. We conducted more than 15 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and industry experts to obtain both qualitative and quantitative insights.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market.

The following are the key features of the report:

• Market Structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis
• Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter’s five forces analysis, SWOT analysis
• Market trend and forecast analysis
• Market segment trend and forecast
• Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, Product portfolio, New Product Launches, etc
• Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities
• Emerging trends
• Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players
• Key success factors

The medical seals market is segmented into the following categories:

Medical Seals Market, by Application Type

• Analytical Instruments (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Medical Devices (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Surgical Tools (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Medical Seals Market, by Product Type

• O-rings (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Gaskets (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Lip Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Medical Seals Market, by Material Type

• Elastomer Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Thermoplastic Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Metallic Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Medical Seals Market, by Motion Type

• Static Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Linear Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Rotary Seals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Medical Seals Market, by End-User Type

• Hospitals (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Private Clinics (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Research Laboratories (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Medical Seals Market, by Certification Type

• USP Class VI (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• FDA or ISO 13485 (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)
• Others (Regional Analysis: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW)

Medical Seals Market, by Region

• North America (Country Analysis: USA, Canada, and Mexico)
• Europe (Country Analysis: Germany, France, the UK, Russia, and Rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: India, China, Japan, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)
• Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Others)