Sorting Equipment Market Report

Global Sorting Equipment Market Size

The global sorting equipment market size was valued at USD 4.35 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to reach a valuation of USD 4.59 billion in 2026 and USD 7.04 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period from 2026 to 2034.

Sorting equipment is the industrial machinery used for separating goods, systematically arranging them, and grouping them. These systems are designed to simplify classification applications by separating them in an automated manner according to structural properties, color, weight, size, chemical composition, shape, and other parameters. This is why sorting systems are so popular in industries such as food and beverage, chemicals, plastics, and packaging.

The growing pharmaceutical industry around the world is benefiting the market as capsules and tablets are used to classify capsules and tablets by weight, size, and shape to maintain the quality and accuracy of production. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various end-use industries such as mining, tobacco processing, and plastics were shut down, impacting product demand. However, the food and pharmaceutical industries were still operating during the blockade, and during the pandemic, product demand from these industries increased to reduce labour needs and speed up production processes.

MARKET DRIVERS

The growing importance of various end-use industries for automation to reduce risk and increase capacity is a key factor in accelerating the growth of the sorter market.

Automation allows enterprises to improve performance by reducing the number of errors and improving efficiency. Various industries, such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, are shifting their focus to automation to improve productivity while maintaining product quality. This approach speeds up the manufacturing process, reduces manual labour, and improves product safety.

In addition, rising labor costs and increased enforcement of strict rules and regulations by governments of all countries on food safety and security are expected to provide tremendous growth opportunities for the sorter market.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

One of the main factors limiting the demand for sorting equipment is the enormous cost of these machines. In addition, the additional cost of the number of additional parts, high installation and maintenance costs, and the reduced acceptance of these devices by SMEs further limit the sale of sorting equipment in the global market.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

By Product Insights

The optical sorter product segment led the market in 2022 with a revenue share of over 56%. Optical sorters are widely used in the food processing industry around the world, with the increasing penetration of processing of harvested foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and potatoes, with 100% in-line non-destructive inspection at full production. It is also used in a variety of industries, including dietary supplements, tobacco processing, waste recycling, and pharmaceuticals. In the waste recycling industry, it is applied to identify and dispose of manufacturing waste such as paperboard, metal, drywall, and various plastics.

The weight/gravity sorter segment is estimated to exhibit the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028. Widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare R&D, and manufacturing sectors. These sorters are used to accurately weigh individual tablets and capsules and quickly inspect a large number of products, saving manufacturing time. Other segments include tilt trays, push trays, and case sorters. The tilt tray sorter allows you to unload and steer objects in two dimensions on either side of the sorter. As the products are placed within the bin and the demand increases over the forecast period, it provides a secure transfer method for automatic sorting.

By End Use Insights

The food and beverage industry led the market in 2020 with a revenue share of over 41%. Food producers, processors, and packers use these machines to classify a variety of fresh and processed foods, minimizing waste and maximizing production. The coffee industry has seen a significant increase in product demand due to its ability to identify and eliminate underdeveloped coffee beans. In the plastic industry, products reject different types of plastic by distinguishing between different types of resin. The resin sorter can identify different types of resin, such as PVC, PE, HDPE, and PLA. Wasted materials are also stored in bottles, which is useful for recycling. These factors actively drive market growth.

The pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This is because these machines for weighing tablets and capsules help with quality control. Used by various pharmaceutical companies to improve both product quality and productivity. These machines are used in the mining industry to sort out industrial minerals and precious metals. It is also used in a variety of other industries such as tobacco processing, dietary supplements, agriculture, and logistics. In agriculture, it is used to classify different grains by size and color.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

Europe led the global market in 2022 with the largest revenue share of over 33%. Health awareness and health are important to consumers in the region, which leads to increased demand for processed nutritious foods and value-added products. The growing food and dietary supplement industry is beneficial to market growth as sorters are widely used in these industries to reduce process and delivery times. Germany is expected to show favorable growth in the regional market during the forecast period due to the presence of major manufacturers such as Allgaier Werke, Sesotec, and STEINERT. In Germany, the growing demand for high-quality foods with shorter delivery cycles should drive market growth.

The Asia Pacific region is said to be the fastest-growing regional market during the forecast period as the industry focuses on automation to improve productivity and quality. Therefore, rapid automation in the end-use areas of the market is expected to generate high product demand. Governments in various countries in North America are focusing on recycling waste from several industries to minimize pollution and keep the environment safe. Sorters are often used to identify and dispose of production waste that is useful for recycling. This, in turn, is expected to boost North American market growth over the forecast period.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS

Major Key Players in the Global Sorting Equipment Market are

• TOMRA
• Barco Vision
• Daewon GSE
• BT-Wolfgang Binder
• Bühler Sortex
• Sesotec
• Raytec Vision
• Concept Engineers
• Key Technology

and others.

RECENT MARKET NEWS

• ASM Advanced Sorting Machines SRL, a subsidiary of Sesotec, has been sold. The German Sesotec GmbH owned the Italian company ASM Advanced Sorting Machines. ASM, a seed optical sorting machine manufacturer, has been acquired by ELICA GROUP, a leading Bulgarian manufacturer of sunflower seed hulling, grain cleaning, seed treatment, and bulk material processing equipment.
• Meyer and COFCO Grains have signed a strategic cooperation agreement - Meyer and China National Cereals, Oils, and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement for Key Equipment Suppliers on September 29th at the COFCO Headquarters. Meyer leader Xiang Sheng spoke as a representative of the rice color sorter supplier.

MARKET SEGMENTATION

This research report on the global sorting equipment market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on product type, end-user, and regio.n

By Product Type

• Freefall Sorter
• Channel Sorter
• Automated Defect Removal (ADR)
• Belt Sorters
• Optical Sorter

By End Use

• Chemical Industry
• Food Industry
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Plastic Industry
• Wood Industry
• Agriculture Industry
• Packaging Industry
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East and Africa