Aircraft Wheel Scanning System Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By System (Laser 3D Scanner, Structured light 3D Scanner, and Other), By Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), By Aircraft Type (Fixed-wing Aircraft (Commercial Aircraft, Business Aircraft, Military Aircraft, General Aviation Aircraft) and Rotary-wing Aircraft (Commercial Helicopter and Military Helicopter) and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028

The global aircraft wheel scanning system market size was USD 650.0 million in 2020 are is projected to grow from USD 533.0 million in 2021 to USD 817.0 million in 2028 at a CAGR of 6.3% in the 2021-2028 period. North America dominated the aircraft wheel scanning system market with a market share of 33.57% in 2020.

The global impact of COVID-19 has been unmatched and staggering, with aircraft wheel scanning systems witnessing a negative impact on demand across all the globe amid the pandemic. Based on our analysis, the global market exhibited a negative growth of 30.85% in 2020 compared to the average year-on-year growth during 2017-2019. 

Aircraft wheel scanning systems play a crucial role in the quality control of landing gear components. Robust, regular maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aircraft wheels and brakes are important as they undergo extreme wear and friction while landing and take-off. These systems are widely used by aircraft manufacturers to identify early defects and ensure safe aircraft take-off and landing. According to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, an aircraft is not allowed to be operated unless it has undergone an annual inspection or an air-worthiness certificate inspection within the last 12 months. This growing focus on aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services and quality control is expected to boost the aircraft wheel-scanning systems' demand during the forecast years.

Global Aircraft Wheel Scanning System Market Overview

Market Size:

• 2020 Value: USD 650.0 million
• 2021 Value: USD 533.0 million
• 2028 Forecast Value: USD 817.0 million, with a CAGR of 6.3% from 2021–2028

Market Share:

• North America held the highest share at 33.57% in 2020
• Narrow-body segment is expected to hold a 60% market share in 2025
• Europe is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period

Key Country Highlights:

• Japan: Aircraft wheel scanning system market expected to reach USD 27.93 million by 2025
• China: Projected to witness a strong CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period
• North America: Led the market in 2020, valued at USD 218.2 million

Aviation Industry Has Faced Unprecedented Challenges amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to lockdowns in major countries such as the U.S., France, Germany, China, India, and Japan, there has been a huge impact on the aviation industry, resulting in production halts and delayed aircraft deliveries. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there was a huge decline of 90% in revenue per passenger kilometer year-on-year in April 2020 due to the reduced passenger air transport. Furthermore, as a result of COVID-19, there were disruptions in supply chain management. However, as most aircraft were grounded, there was an increase in the demand for aircraft MRO services, such as rigorous and avid scanning and aircraft parts inspection. This factor is expected to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on the market.

LATEST TRENDS

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Development of Hybrid Scanning Systems to Enhance Operational Efficiency is a Vital Trend

Nowadays, aircraft MRO providers primarily focus on introducing innovative solutions to reduce maintenance costs and time. Their technological advancements have led to an increase in automated eddy current testing 3D scanning solutions for aircraft components. This advanced system offers accurate inspection of an aircraft component, which has a complex design structure. For instance, TecScan Systems Inc. has introduced its next-generation eddy current inspection system with 3D scanning capabilities to achieve high performance and quality control. This newly developed solution provides upgraded software tools for creating scanning trajectories, importing 3D CAD drawings of the part, implementation of motion-controlled inspection scans, and part programming. The ECIS-CC-20 is a fully digital multi-frequency eddy current instrument with computer control capabilities. It has been designed for a wide range of applications, including aerospace, industrial, manufacturing, and laboratory testing.

DRIVING FACTORS

Rising Demand for Light Aircraft to Boost Market Growth

An increase in the demand for lightweight aircraft across the world is expected to boost the demand for new, lightweight aircraft components such as wheels, brakes, airframes, landing gear, and other aircraft parts. This factor results in an increase in the demand for aircraft wheel-scanning systems for quality control, inspection, and reverse engineering. Scanning technology is mostly used in the design and development by reverse engineering current products.

Reverse engineering by 3D scanning makes it easier to maintain, repair, and overhaul the aircraft wheel, for which CAD data is not available. These scanning systems help in the design and development of aircraft wheels, which are predicted to support the growth of the market. Furthermore, advancements in scanning technologies for accurate measurement of the object are expected to propel market growth. For instance, the leading players in the market of aircraft wheel scanning systems, such as Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmBH and Hexagon AB, have designed and developed advanced scanners to determine micron-level defects.

Increasing Demand for Air Travel in Emerging Economies to Foster Growth

According to the IATA, the total number of air passengers is expected to double to 8.2 billion by the end of 2037. Improving economic conditions in emerging Asian economies, such as China and India, have led to an increased air travel demand. This surging demand for air travel has resulted in an increase in the flight hours of an aircraft. The landing gear system and its components, such as brakes and wheels, experience a tremendous amount of force while taking off and landing.

A slight mishap in the extension or retraction of the landing gear can lead to major aircraft disasters. Thus, the frequency of aircraft wheel inspection is increased due to the amplified stress on wheels, which is anticipated to fuel the aircraft wheel scanning system market growth during the projected period. In addition to this, the regular maintenance of aircraft components is also needed to enhance aircraft-quality control and safety and reduce risk.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Cost of Aircraft Scanning Systems to Impede Market Growth

The aircraft component quality control solutions based on advanced technologies, such as 3D scanning, have a higher cost than traditional aircraft inspection solutions. For instance, Creaform HandySCAN 3D 300 is majorly used for aircraft part inspection and is valued at around USD 21,500. The regular inspection of aircraft parts requires rigorous maintenance of the scanning system. This is expected to add additional cost to the aircraft MRO services. Moreover, the aviation sector is very cost-sensitive, and therefore, this factor is hindering the market growth. However, the high accuracy and speed features associated with 3D scanning technology are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities in the near future.

SEGMENTATION

By System Analysis

Structured Light 3D Scanner Segment to Show Significant Growth in Market

The market is segmented into laser 3D scanners, structured light 3D scanners, and others, based on systems. The laser 3D scanner segment was estimated to be the largest segment in 2020, owing to the rapid technological advancements, such as constructing prototypes. Moreover, the widening adoption of handheld 3D laser scanners of aircraft wheel scanning systems, due to their advantage of fitting into confined spaces, is further expected to expand market size.

The structured light 3D scanner segment is predicted to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecasted period. This growth is attributable to the rising demand for blue-structured light 3D scanners for aircraft wheel inspection. These scanners provide high accuracy and fast scanning time compared to other scanners and save maintenance time and cost.

The others segment includes photogrammetry, contact-based 3D scanning, and LASER pulse-based 3D scanning systems that are utilized for aircraft component inspection.

By Component Analysis

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Hardware Segment Held the Highest Share in 2020 Backed by Increasing Demand for Structured Light Scanners

Based on components, the market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. The hardware segment held the highest market share in 2020. The increasing demand for structured light scanners to enhance inspection capabilities is driving the growth of this segment.

The software segment is estimated to showcase a significant growth rate during 2021-2028. The growth is attributed to the increasing demand for real-time analyzing and processing of 3D scan data. These data help in analyzing the early component defects and support in designing 3D models of an aircraft component.

The services segment is anticipated to witness moderate growth in this market during the forecast period owing to the rising demand for aircraft-quality control services.

By Aircraft Type Analysis

Fixed Wing Aircraft Type Segment to Hold the Largest Market Share till 2028

The market for aircraft wheel scanning system is bifurcated into fixed-wing aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft, on the basis of the aircraft type. The fixed-wing aircraft segment is further subdivided into military aircraft, business aircraft, commercial aircraft, and general aviation aircraft. On the other hand, the rotary-wing segment is also further segmented into commercial helicopters and military helicopters.

The fixed-wing segment registered the largest market share in 2020. This share is attributed to the increased commercial aircraft deliveries, supported by the rising demand for low-cost carriers.

The rotary-wing segment is anticipated to grow with the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is owing to the increasing procurement of military helicopters by defense authorities of developing economies such as India and China. For instance, in February 2020, the Indian government signed a contract with the U.S. to procure 6 Apache attack helicopters and 24 MH-60 Sikorsky Romeo multi-role helicopters. The deal is valued at around USD 3.67 billion. The narrow-body segment is expected to hold a 60% share in 2025.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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The global market is segmented based on region into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world.

North America dominated the aircraft wheel scanning system market share in 2020, with a market size of USD 218.2 million. The growth is attributable to the presence of key aircraft MRO service providers and aircraft OEMs in the region, such as the Boeing Company, Textron Aviation Inc., General Dynamics Corporation, and Bombardier Inc.

Europe held the second-largest market share in the base year. This large share is due to the increased air travel of tourists in France, the U.K., Italy, and Spain. Therefore, regular aircraft wheel scanning is needed to accomplish safe landing and take-off. Europe is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.

In Asia Pacific, the market for aircraft wheel scanning systems is anticipated to witness remarkable growth during the forecast period. The growth is due to increasing investments in the aviation sector in countries such as India, China, Australia, Japan, and others. For instance, in May 2020, the Indian government announced that they plan to increase the aircraft component repairs and airframe maintenance investment from USD 105.4 million to USD 263.4 million in the next three years. Furthermore, the increasing demand for air travel in developing economies further drives the growth of the regional market.

• The aircraft wheel scanning system market in Japan is expected to reach USD 27.93 million by 2025.
• China is projected to witness a strong CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period.

The rising focus on improving aircraft safety in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa is anticipated to drive the growth of this market during 2021-2028.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Key Players to Focus on Product Innovation to Reduce Regular Maintenance Time and Save Costs

Key companies in the market are majorly focused on developing a technologically advanced scanning system for commercial and military aviation applications. These advanced systems are used to enhance the quality of aircraft components and reduce the scanning time. For instance, Creaform’s damage assessment software SmartDENT 3D, paired with the HandySCAN 3D Scanner, offers a safe, cost-effective, and time-saving solution for airlines and MRO operations. In addition to this, Creaform’s MetraSCAN 3D performs efficient quality control tests for aircraft landing gear components. Moreover, investments in R&D activities and long-term contracts with aircraft manufacturers and airlines are strategies adopted by the key players to sustain their market position.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Aeroscan (The U.S.)
• Artec Europe, S.a.r.l. (Luxembourg)
• Autodesk Inc. (The U.S.)
• Capture 3D, Inc. (California)
• Carl Zeiss Optotechnik GmBH (Germany)
• Creaform Inc. (Canada)
• FARO Technologies, Inc. (The U.S.)
• Fuel3D Technologies Limited (The U.K.)
• Hexagon AB (Sweden)
• Nikon Metrology NV (Belgium)
• Shenzhen HOLON Technology Co., Ltd (China)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• September 2020 – Hutchinson Aerospace GmbH, an aviation system supplier, uses 3D Scanner for tool inspection. Hutchinson has been utilizing the portable 3D Scanner MetraSCAN 3D system from Creaform, together with PolyWorks software from Innovmetric, for some time at its Nobitz site to improve quality control. The new aircraft component will be scanned with a new 3D Scanner.
• March 2020 – TP Aerospace Holding A/S opened its first wheel and brake MRO in Moscow to enhance aircraft-quality control.
• November 2019 –  Creaform Inc. introduced its novel HandySCAN AEROPACK, a 3D scanning solution suite that identifies specific aircraft-quality control challenges. The HandySCAN AEROPACK can also be used for reverse engineering, maintenance & repair operations, and design hard-to-acquire spare parts. It includes three software – SmartDENT 3DTM, VXinspectTM, and VXmodelTM.
• November 2019 - The DAES Group announced that the company has established a turnkey wheels and brakes facility for first-class aviation services in Riyadh. The newly developed facility has been equipped with the best-in-class machinery to support each of the steps of the service. The provided services were considered to increase automation, improve precision, save maintenance time, and reduce manual labor.
• May 2019 - Creaform Inc. announced that its HandySCAN 3D metrology-grade 3D laser scanner was selected by The Boeing Company. Now, HandySCAN 3D will be used by Boeing for recording physical attributes of aircraft dents and blends on all models of Boeing’s commercial airplanes.

REPORT COVERAGE

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The aircraft wheel scanning system market research report provides a detailed analysis of the market and focuses on key aspects, such as scanning system types, key players, aircraft types, and aircraft safety. Moreover, the report offers insights on market trends, competitive landscape, product pricing, market status, and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the factors mentioned above, the report encompasses several direct and indirect factors that have contributed to the sizing of the global market over recent years.

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