The size of optical sorter market was anticipated as $1.5 billion in the year 2017 and is predicted to touch $3 billion till 2024, rising with a CAGR of 9% between the years 2018 to 2024 as per the research done by Global Market Insights, Inc.
Rising improvements in the field of detection technologies will drive the industrial demand. Automated sorting solutions are experiencing a high adoption in several sectors. These optical sorters allow the companies to detect the quality of the products with maximum accuracy and reliability. They help in separating different grades of materials from the waste stream using several sensing methods. The sensing technologies that are widely used in the optical sorter market include inductive metal detectors, high-resolution color cameras, and X-ray fluorescence. These technologies detect the molecular structure and identify the defects present in the products thereby rejecting it from the slot.
NIR sorting machines are witnessing a high growth in the optical sorter industry owing to their rising adoption in the pharmaceutical industry. The technology provides effective detection of the quality of medicines and helps in sorting out the defective ones. It uses infrared radiations to analyze the chemical composition of the products and decides the quality of the drugs that should be provided to the patients. Increased accuracy and efficiency in quality inspection techniques propel the demand for NIR-based machines in the optical sorter market. Rising applications of these machines for polymer separation will drive the industrial growth. Industrial wastes are mixed with several types of polymers, which include HDPE, LDPE, PVC, and PP. NIR technology detects the chemical structure of these materials and separates them from waste materials.
Applications of these machines in waste recycling are expected to drive the optical sorter market. The recycling operations allow the industries to recover the materials and resources that are used in their production. Waste recycling technique involves the collection, separation, and processing operations. Several government authorities are spreading awareness about the waste recycling process thereby driving the market growth. For instance, the U.S. GSA (General Services Administration) works with the regulatory bodies for promoting the waste reduction and recycling operations in the country.
Belt sorting systems are experiencing a high adoption in the optical sorter market owing to the increased efficiency of the machines in performing the separation process. These systems consist of a conveyor belt that guides the defective materials to the detection zones. Applications of these systems for the sorting of fruits, vegetables, and nuts are expected to propel their demand in the optical sorter industry. These systems handle a wide range of the product types, which make them ideal for diversified sorting operations.
The Asia Pacific optical sorter market is expected to witness a high growth owing to the rising demand for the separators in the mining industry. Manufacturers are providing advanced hyperspectral imaging technology that is a highly efficient solution for the detection of the quality of the minerals. Such technologies are helping the companies in reducing the time and efforts spent by the workers in separating the minerals from their ore deposits. The heterogeneity of the deposit of the ore makes it difficult for the industry to sort the minerals from the deposit. Manufacturers in the optical sorter industry are providing intelligent solutions to the mining industry to detect the crystalline structure of the materials and separate them from the ore deposits. For instance, Metso Corporation provides bulk ore sorting technology to improve the profitability and sustainability in the business operations.
Key players operating in the optical sorter market are Binder GmbH, A/S Cimbria, Buhler AG, CP Manufacturing, Key Technology, Inc., Newtec Corporation, Satake Corporation, Steinert GmbH, Tomra Systems ASA, Sesotec GmbH, Raytec Vision S.P.A., Pellenc ST, National Recovery Technologies, Allgaier Werke GmbH, and Greefa. These players are competing based on the demands from various industrial sectors. They are targeting their products in food & mining industries where a high demand for the machines is being witnessed. GLOBAL MARKET INSIGHTS