1. HOME
2. Research Insight
3. Optical Sorter Companies - TOMRA (Norway) and Bühler (Switzerland) are the Leading Key Players

The optical sorter market is expected to grow from USD 2.6 billion in 2022 to USD 4.1 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period. Growing focus on automation to increase productivity in various industries is expected to drive the optical sorter market. Automated sorting is becoming a necessary component of many food processing operations, and the demand for this technology is increasing to provide consistent product quality and traceability of all foreign materials.

Increasing adoption in the food industry for food processing activities and for reducing process and delivery time are also are facilitating the growth of optical sorter market. Hence, the demand for optical sorters is increasing in food applications for increasing productivity and reducing costs. Rapid development of blockchain technology in retail & supply chain management applications. Also, Increase in wages of the manual workforce in various countries is one of the main drivers for the optical sorter market.

Although the optical sorter market is growing at a steady pace, it is moderately competitive owing to the presence of several players such as OMRA (Norway), Bühler (Switzerland), Hefei Meyer Optoelectronic Technology (China), Satake (Japan), and Allgaier Werke (Germany) venturing into continuous R&D in the optical sorter market.

Key strategies adopted by these players to enhance their product portfolios, increase their market share, and expand their presence in the market mainly include product launches, deals (acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, and contracts), and others (expansions) were the major growth strategies adopted by the players in the optical sorter market. These strategies enabled them to efficiently cater to the growing demand for optical sorter and expand their global footprint by offering their products globally.

Major Optical Sorter companies include: 

• TOMRA (Norway)
• Bühler (Switzerland)
• Hefei Meyer Optoelectronic Technology (China)
• Satake (Japan)
• Allgaier Werke (Germany)
• Key Technology (US)
• Binder+Co (Austria)
• Hefei Taihe Intelligent Technology Group (China)
• STEINERT (Germany)
• AWETA (Netherlands)

To know about the assumptions considered for the study download the pdf brochure

For instance, in October 2021, TOMRA (Norway) demonstrated the companys current food processing solutions - TOMRA 3A. The TOMRA 3A optical sorter is the companys most robust, reliable, and cost-effective field optical sorter. It has a high throughput of up to 100 tons per hour and provides superior sorting quality while significantly reducing labor costs. In October 2021, Key Technology (US) unveiled its VERYX digital sorters for pet food. VERYX detects and removes foreign material (FM) and defective products to improve product quality and eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination.

Apart from this, players have also adopted acquisition, partnership and expansion strategies to enhance their product portfolio and geographical reach. For instance, in November 2021, TOMRA (Norway) partnered with and IVAR IKS (Norway) and demonstrated that mixed waste sorting prior to disposal is a better solution than separate collection. IVAR recognized the need to improve its waste management methods and decided to partner up with TOMRA on a test analysis. According to test results, TOMRA’s AUTOSORT machines recovered 90% of the mid-sized (60-150 mm) and large (150-320 mm) plastic fractions from the household waste. Further TOMRA (Norway) also did one expansion in 2021.

In December 2021, TOMRA (Norway) opened a new regional headquarters to enhance its support of food processors and packers across Latin America. The new purpose-built base in Santiago (Chile) illustrates TOMRA Food’s and its two sister companies, Compac and BBC Technologies, having a strong presence in the region, which contributes significantly to the global supply of fruits, nuts, vegetables, potato products, grains and seeds, dried fruits, meat, and seafood.

TOMRA

The company operates through three business segments: TOMRA Food, TOMRA Recycling Mining, and TOMRA Collection Solutions. TOMRA Food is a provider of advanced optical sorting systems to the food industry. TOMRA Food is a global leader in optical sorting and processing technology for the fresh and processed food industries. TOMRA Sortings food business, which has approximately 11,000 sorting installations worldwide, plays an important role in optimizing the worlds food utilization, safety, and quality. TOMRA Recycling Mining is a provider of advanced optical sorting systems to the recycling and mining industries. TOMRA Recycling is a global leader in its field, having pioneered waste sorting automation. Its versatile sorting systems can prepare and sort various types of metals and waste for either material recycling or energy recovery.

TOMRA Recycling currently has an installed base of nearly 6,460 units across more than 40 markets. In October 2021, TOMRA showcased advanced solutions for the food processing industry at Agroprodmash Exhibition, held in Moscow, Expocentre Fairgrounds. The TOMRA Food team demonstrated the companys current food processing solutions - TOMRA 3A. The TOMRA 3A optical sorter is the companys most robust, reliable, and cost-effective field optical sorter. It has a high throughput of up to 100 tons per hour and provides superior sorting quality while significantly reducing labor costs. In December 2021, TOMRA Food opened a new regional headquarters to enhance its support of food processors and packers across Latin America. The new purpose-built base in Santiago (Chile) illustrates TOMRA Food’s and its two sister companies, Compac and BBC Technologies, having a strong presence in the region, which contributes significantly to the global supply of fruits, nuts, vegetables, potato products, grains and seeds, dried fruits, meat, and seafood.

Bühler

Bühler is a global solutions provider for industrial manufacturing of food and advanced materials. The company operates mainly in three business segments: Grains & Food, Consumer Foods, and Advanced Materials. Bühler provides optical sorters in all three of its segments. Under the Grains and Food segment, Bühler offers optical sorters for sorting agricultural seeds, grain sorting, coffee sorting, oil seed sorting, pulse sorting, rice sorting, spice sorting, dried fruits and vegetable sorting, nut sorting, aniseed sorting, and few other types of grains. Under the Consumers Foods segment, the company provides optical sorters mainly for foods items such as pasta and soups, frozen fruits and vegetables, pet foods, confectionery sorting, and various other types of consumer foods. Through the Advanced Materials segment, Bühler offers optical sorting machines for sorting plastics.

In May 2021, Bühler announced a significant step toward a digitally connected rice mill. The first rollout of integrated rice mills involves the initial setup of sorter, whitener, and sensors, which is expected to change rice milling practices. AI and machine learning technology combine separate machines into a smart integrated system that reduces waste, saves energy, and consistently provides the best product quality. The DS-C Optical Sorter from Bühler is one of the most advanced pieces of equipment in this entire processing line. It provides real-time product quality alerts that aid in optimizing rice yield and adjusting downstream processing machine settings. In January 2021, with the acquisition of Design Corrugating Companies, Bühler North America (subsidiary of Bühler) expanded and strengthened its service network and offerings in North America. Bühler now has seven service centers in the US, serving grain, oilseed, feed, pet food, and chocolate processors, as well as brewers and distillers, inks, and coatings.

Related Reports:

Optical Sorter Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis, by Type (Cameras, NIR, Lasers, Hyperspectral Cameras & Combined Sorters, Other types), Platform (Freefall, Belt, Lane, and Hybrid), Application and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027

Contact:
Mr. Aashish Mehra
MarketsandMarkets™ INC.
630 Dundee Road
Suite 430
Northbrook, IL 60062
USA : 1-888-600-6441
[email protected]