Optical Sorter Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

The optical sorter market will register a CAGR of 10% over the forecast period. Optical sorting is the automated method of classifying solid products using either one or both cameras and sensors. Depending on the type of sensors used and the efficiency of the image processing system, optical sorters can identify an object's color, size, shape, structural characteristics, and chemical composition.

Key Highlights

• COVID-19 severely affected the optical sorter market; from a regional point of view, the outbreak caused a significant setback to countries with the export-oriented shutdown of manufacturing plants.
• According to recognized or stated criteria, optical sorting systems identify and eliminate defective items from manufacturing lines and remove foreign objects from the production line. Additionally, they are utilized to separate goods made from various grades or kinds of materials. When optical sorting systems are used, product quality, throughput, and yields are increased, and labor expenses are decreased.
• Pharmaceutical production, tobacco processing, nutraceutical production, mining, garbage recycling, and other industries use optical sorting technology. These methods continue to be widely used in processing harvested goods such as potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. They offer non-destructive inspection, which is advantageous in these end-user sectors where maintaining good quality is crucial.
• Another critical factor fueling market demand is the increased desire to reduce delivery and processing times. Optical sorting helps enhance product quality, maximize throughput, and increase yields while lowering labor costs compared to human sorting, which is arbitrary and unpredictable.
• The difficulty for the food processing facilities using sorting systems is that the feedstock is frequently not uniform. Deploying AI-enabled systems that can continuously enhance sorting algorithms has become necessary.

Optical Sorter Market Trends

Food Industry is Expected to Gain Demand Momentum Owing to Evolving Regulations

• The biggest application of optical sorters is anticipated in the food processing industry. Agricultural seeds, grains, nuts, coffee, confectionary goods, fruit, meat, and seafood are all sorted using an automated technique called optical sorting. As more sorting systems are created for particular purposes, it is anticipated that the use of optical sorters in the food business will increase.
• The necessity to significantly cut delivery and processing times to boost production capacity has increased the need for optical sorters in the food industry. Additionally, governments in many places are becoming more concerned about food safety.
• Optical sorters with sensors can reliably find and eliminate foreign objects, undesirable rot, greening flaws, blemishes, and damage. This guarantees increased yields and the delivery to customers of a safer finished product of higher quality. The use of optical sorters in the food business is accelerated by these technologies' contributions to higher food quality and safety.
• Additionally, AI-enabled systems that are able to continuously enhance sorting processes, such as AI systems, incorporate cameras, near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy, x-rays, and lasers and speed up the analysis of every characteristic of any vegetable or fruit as it passes along. The sorting of meals is done using machine learning algorithms, ensuring the best possible use of the technology.

North America to Hold a Major Share

• Some major players in the optical sorter industry, including National Recovery Technologies, Llc, Cimbria A/S, and many more, are based in the area. They are constantly investing in expanding and improving their infrastructure to keep up with the latest technological developments and stringent regulations. Over the forecast period, this is anticipated to increase the utilization of optical sorters.
• The primary factors influencing the growth of this market are the increasing emphasis on automation to boost productivity, the growing demand for the food industry to reduce process and delivery times, the rising cost of labor, and the emergence of strict government regulations regarding food safety.
• During the projection period, the optical sorter market for freefall platforms is anticipated to have the most significant share. Applications involving food (such as nuts and berries, frozen and dried fruits, vegetables, potato strips, and seafood) and garbage recycling are most suited for freefall-based platforms. The benefits of a freefall sorter over a belt sorter are its lower cost, smaller size (takes up less space), and lack of moving elements like the belt, making it easier to maintain.
• Automated sorting is a crucial technology for many food processing operations in North America, and stringent laws governing food safety are another reason fueling the market's expansion.
• Many industrialized nations, like the United States, have recently adopted explicit recycling and environmental performance targets to encourage individuals to recycle waste. Optical sorters classify recyclable resources by separating them from the garbage stream and from items that can be used as raw materials for new products.

Optical Sorter Market Competitor Analysis

The competitive rivalry in the optical sorter market is high owing to the presence of some key players such as Bühler Holding AG, and Key Technology Inc(A Duravant Company), amongst others. The market's players have innovated their products through research and development, giving them a competitive advantage over rivals. These players have engaged in strategic alliances, mergers, and acquisitions that have helped them establish a larger market presence.

In July 2022, Bühler Holding AG announced the newly added three SORTEX H SpectraVision optical sorters to its oat mills following an initial investment in one machine at the start of the year. In contrast, the SORTEX H offers three key benefits to customers: unmatched ease of use, high performance, and enhanced connectivity, all of which contribute to increased sustainability.

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