Market Overview
According to fortune business insights, The global Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) market size was valued at USD 409.58 million in 2025. The market is projected to grow from USD 435.08 million in 2026 to USD 735.63 million by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. North America dominated the Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) market with a revenue of USD 146.40 million in 2025.
Fortune Business Insights™ has deep-dived into these insights in its latest research report, titled “Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Market, 2026-2034.”
The analysis shows that the market is witnessing structurally driven growth as aircraft OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers expand composite-intensive programs across aerospace, automotive, and wind energy applications. For example, in March 2025, Electroimpact continued deliveries of large-format gantry-based AFP systems for primary aerostructure manufacturing programs, while MTorres expanded the use of its AFP platforms. This trend indicates a strong demand for high-rate, automation-intensive composite manufacturing infrastructure worldwide.
Major Players Profiled in the Market Report:
• Fives Group (France)
• Ingersoll Machine Tools, Inc. (U.S.)
• Electroimpact, Inc. (U.S.)
• Trelleborg Group (Sweden)
• Broetje-Automation GmbH (Germany)
• M. Torres Industrial Designs (Spain)
• Coriolis Composites (France)
• Automated Dynamics, Corp. (U.S.)
• MIKROSAM (Macedonia)
• Accudyne Systems, Inc. (U.S.)
Segments
Gantry-Based AFP Machines Dominate Market Share Due to Primary Structure Manufacturing Requirements
Based on machine architecture, the market is segmented into gantry-based AFP machines, robotic arm-based AFP machines, and hybrid motion AFP machines. The gantry-based AFP machines account for the highest market share as they remain the preferred solution for manufacturing large, load-bearing composite structures such as wings, fuselage sections, and space launch components requiring superior positional accuracy and stable deposition over large surface areas.
Carbon Fiber Dominates Market Share Due to Structural Performance and Certification Requirements
Based on fiber type, the market is segmented into carbon fiber, glass fiber, and aramid fiber. The carbon fiber segment holds the largest share of the market due to its widespread use in primary and secondary aerospace, defense, and space structures where high strength-to-weight ratio, fatigue resistance, and stiffness are critical.
Aerospace & Defense Dominates Market Share Due to High Composite Intensity and Certification-Driven Automation
Based on end-use industry, the market is segmented into aerospace & defense, automotive, wind energy, energy & industrial equipment, marine, and research & technology centers. The aerospace & defense segment accounts for the largest market share, driven by the extensive use of AFP systems in manufacturing primary and secondary composite structures that require precise fiber placement, repeatability, and certification-compliant processes.
Geographically, the market is studied across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa.
Report Coverage
The report offers:
• Major growth drivers, restraining factors, opportunities, and potential challenges for the market.
• Comprehensive insights into regional developments.
• List of major industry players.
• Key strategies adopted by the market players.
• The latest industry developments include product launches, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions.
Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/automated-fiber-placement-afp-market-115693
Drivers & Restraints
Expansion of Integrated Composite Manufacturing Portfolios Enabling End-to-End AFP Deployment
Strategic portfolio expansion by leading AFP equipment manufacturers is driving market growth. Aerospace OEMs and composite Tier-1 suppliers increasingly favor vendors capable of delivering integrated solutions spanning fiber placement, tooling interfaces, inspection, and material handling. This shift reduces system integration complexity, improves production reliability, and supports investments in both greenfield composite facilities and phased upgrades at existing manufacturing sites.
However, high capital intensity and program-specific qualification requirements may hamper market growth. Variations in component geometry, fiber architecture, and certification standards across aerospace and defense platforms often necessitate customized AFP configurations. This increases system costs, limits redeployability, and can delay adoption for manufacturers operating with uncertain production rates or short program lifecycles.
Regional Insights
Large Installed Base of Composite Manufacturing Propels Market Growth in North America
North America holds the dominant Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) market share and is projected to experience steady growth during the forecast period. The region’s growth is attributed to its large installed base of composite manufacturing facilities and a strong concentration of aerospace, defense, and space production programs that sustain continuous demand for gantry-based and robotic AFP systems.
Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the market. The growth is driven by increasing localization of aircraft structures, indigenous aerospace and space programs, and rising investments in advanced composite production infrastructure across countries like China, Japan, South Korea, and India.
Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) Market Future Growth:
The Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) market is experiencing robust growth, fueled by the expansion of composite-intensive programs and a strong shift toward digitally enabled manufacturing environments. Today's manufacturers are increasingly transitioning away from fixed, program-specific installations toward modular and reconfigurable robotic and hybrid architectures. This allows facilities to manage fluctuating production rates and multi-program manufacturing with scalable tow capacities. Additionally, there's a growing opportunity for Tier-2 suppliers and regional manufacturers to adopt compact, cost-optimized AFP solutions. The rising use of thermoplastic processing and the demand for lightweight composite structures in electric vehicles are also key growth drivers. While North America and Europe continue to dominate high-value aerospace applications, the Asia Pacific region is seeing a surge in demand as manufacturers upgrade from manual layup to advanced robotic AFP systems.
Competitive Landscape
Focus on Integrated Composite Automation Solutions and Program-Level Capability Intensifies Market Competition
The market features prominent players like Fives Group, Ingersoll Machine Tools, Electroimpact, and MTorres. These leading companies are accelerating growth through strategic initiatives such as expanding their capabilities to deliver application-specific, turnkey composite manufacturing cells. Their proactive approach to shifting focus toward program-level integration, modular AFP platforms, thermoplastic processing compatibility, and digital manufacturing software continues to fuel the market’s momentum and support multi-program production.
Key Industry Development
• October 2024: Rocket Lab installed a large Electroimpact robotic AFP system for its Neutron rocket composite structures, automating high-volume carbon fiber component production and reducing manual labor.
• September 2024: MTorres announced advancements in its AFP technology portfolio, emphasizing enhanced gantry-based systems and integrated composite manufacturing solutions designed to support higher-rate aircraft production.
• July 2024: Coriolis Composites showcased upgrades to its robotic AFP platforms, focusing on modular cell configurations, improved process monitoring software, and expanded thermoplastic composite placement capabilities.
• June 2024: Fives Group strengthened its composite automation offering by advancing integration between AFP systems and downstream inspection and material handling solutions.