Buhler Sortex

What Buhler Sortex does

Bühler Sortex is the optical sorting division of Swiss industrial group Bühler, headquartered in Uzwil, Switzerland. It designs and manufactures camera-based vision sorting machines that detect and remove defects, foreign materials, and discolored products from food and industrial commodities including rice, grains, nuts, seeds, coffee, pulses, spices, dried fruits and vegetables, confectionery, frozen vegetables, pasta, pet food, and plastic recyclables. The division serves enterprise food processors globally, with documented deployments at Andean Valley Corporation (quinoa), Blåtand Sweden (wild berries), and DeRuosi Walnuts (walnut processing at 25,000 tonnes scale).

The product portfolio spans six primary machines: the SORTEX R500 (autonomous rice sorter), SORTEX AI700 (AI-powered food sorter), SORTEX H and J SpectraVision (full-color camera systems with remodeled lighting), SORTEX A ColorVision (ATEX-compliant industrial sorter with throughputs up to 40 t/h), and SPARK Pro (entry-level zero-spillage sorter). Underlying technology combines camera-based computer vision with multi-wavelength spectroscopic imaging (SpectraVision) and BioVision for nut applications, achieving defect detection down to 0.5mm. The portfolio leverages 75 years of SORTEX-specific expertise layered on Bühler Group's 160-year engineering heritage, with combined Swiss and British engineering inputs.

Revenue is generated through three streams: capital equipment sales (industrial optical sorters), managed services via the Total Care Program (breakdown cover, scheduled maintenance, spare parts, remote assistance), and recurring digital services (OPC-Connect data integration and SORTEX Monitoring System remote monitoring). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales through Bühler Group's global direct sales organization and channel partner network, with quote-based pricing reflecting configuration and throughput requirements.

Name

Buhler Sortex

Legal name

Bühler Group

Website

https://buhlersortex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1860

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bühler Sortex is the optical sorting division of Swiss industrial group Bühler, designing camera-based vision sorting machines that detect defects and foreign materials in rice, grains, nuts, seeds, coffee, pulses, and other food and industrial commodities for global processing customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Optical Sorting Equipment

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Sorting, Grading & Optical Inspection Systems (Size/Color Sorters) (AFAAAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics) (BPALADAH), Plastics Sorting & Reprocessing (PET, HDPE, Film) (BPALADAE), Inspection, Checkweighing & Detection Systems (Vision, Metal, X-ray) (IMALAOAH)

Keywords

• Optical sorting machines
• Food processing equipment
• Defect detection technology
• Industrial sorting solutions
• Computer vision sorting

Headquarters

HQ city

Uzwil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Optical Sorting Machines: Sale of industrial optical sorting equipment including SORTEX R500, AI700, H SpectraVision, J SpectraVision, SPARK Pro, and A ColorVision models. Machines are sold directly to food processing companies with pricing based on capacity, features, and application requirements.
2. Service and Maintenance: Total Care service packages providing breakdown cover, scheduled maintenance, spare parts supply, and remote technical assistance for installed optical sorting equipment.
3. Digital Services: Software services including OPC-Connect for data integration and SORTEX Monitoring System for real-time operational monitoring of sorting equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bühler Sortex manufactures and sells industrial optical sorting machines that use camera-based vision systems and AI-powered defect detection to identify and remove unwanted materials, color defects, and foreign objects from food and industrial products. The SORTEX portfolio covers rice, grains, nuts, seeds, coffee, pulses, spices, dried fruits, vegetables, confectionery, pet food, and plastics. The company also offers service packages, digital monitoring, and integration software to support installed equipment.

Product overview

Buhler Sortex offers a comprehensive portfolio of optical sorting machines under the SORTEX brand, featuring 75 years of industry experience. The product lineup includes the SORTEX R500 for autonomous rice sorting, SORTEX AI700 with AI-powered capabilities, SORTEX H and J SpectraVision models with full-color camera technology, the ATEX-compliant SORTEX A ColorVision for industrial applications, and the entry-level SPARK Pro. All sorters utilize camera-based vision technology to detect and remove color defects, foreign materials, and product imperfections across diverse commodities including rice, grains, seeds, nuts, coffee, pulses, spices, dried fruits, vegetables, confectionery, plastics, and pet food. The portfolio spans from premium autonomous systems to affordable solutions, serving food, feed, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SORTEX R500: Latest rice optical sorter for premium rice quality, designed to be autonomous and easy to operate.
• SORTEX AI700
• SORTEX H SpectraVision
• SORTEX J SpectraVision
• SORTEX A ColorVision
• SPARK Pro
• BioVision

Products and services

• SORTEX R500 Autonomous optical sorter designed for premium rice quality, used by rice millers processing paddy, parboiled, and steamed rice. Detects glass, stones, and subtle color defects.
• SORTEX AI700 AI-powered optical sorter for food processing applications, delivering yield improvements and transparency through advanced AI-driven analysis for food processors.
• SORTEX H SpectraVision High-performance optical sorter developed with Swiss and British engineering expertise, featuring SpectraVision technology for various food processing applications including grains, seeds, nuts, and coffee.
• SORTEX J SpectraVision Optical sorter for grains, seeds, and plastics featuring a new user interface, full-color cameras, and remodeled lighting system, building on SORTEX's 75 years of optical sorting experience.
• SORTEX A ColorVision ATEX-compliant optical sorter for multiple color detection, size grading, and foreign material removal in dry products including grains, pulses, seeds, coffee, nuts, and plastics, handling throughputs up to 40 tonnes per hour.
• SPARK Pro Entry-level, most affordable optical sorter with zero spillage design to prevent material waste, offering food safety and quality at an accessible price point backed by 75 years of SORTEX expertise.
• Total Care Program Comprehensive after-sales service package for SORTEX optical sorters including breakdown cover, scheduled maintenance visits, spare parts supply, and remote technical assistance, offered to enterprise customers globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Detection of defects as small as 0.5mm in pulses, exceeding human visual capabilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature11 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cimbria Unigrain (AGCO): Danish grain and seed processing equipment maker with optical color sorters. Direct overlap with SORTEX in grain, seed, and pulse sorting for agricultural processors worldwide.
• Sesotec: German-based manufacturer of optical sorting and metal-detection systems for food and plastics industries. Direct overlap with SORTEX in foreign material detection and food-safety sorting.
• Pellenc ST: French optical sorter specialist focused on waste recycling and plastics. Direct competitor for Sortex's plastics-recycling applications with NIR/optical sorting technology.
• Key Technology (Duravant): US-based optical sorter and conveyor-based inspection systems maker for food processing (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seafood). Direct competitor in digital sorting and defect detection across overlapping food verticals.
• RedWave (BT-Wolfgang Binder): Austrian optical sorting equipment maker for recycling, plastics, and MSW applications. Direct overlap with Sortex's plastics-recycling use case, though with a stronger recycling-segment focus.
• Steinert: German specialist in sensor-based sorting for recycling and mining. Direct competitor in Sortex's plastics-recycling segment (PET, uPVC, WEE/ELV) using NIR and optical technologies.
• Satake Corporation: Japanese optical sorter specialist with deep roots in rice and grain processing. Direct overlap with SORTEX in rice, grain color sorting, and food sorting applications across Asia and global markets.
• TOMRA Sorting Solutions: Division of TOMRA, the global leader in optical sorting for food and recycling. Competes head-to-head with SORTEX across nuts, grains, frozen foods, dried fruit, plastics recycling, and more, with similar camera-based vision technology and AI features.

Broad incumbents

• Bühler Group (broader portfolio): Parent of SORTEX; operates adjacent food-processing equipment lines (milling, extrusion, drying, weighing). Comparable as a broad incumbent spanning the same food-processing customers but across many categories beyond optical sorting.

Emerging players

• ANRITSU Infivis: Japan-headquartered maker of X-ray inspection and metal-detection systems for food and pharma. Partial overlap with SORTEX's detection/food-safety functionality and potential adjacency in quality-inspection integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buhler_group
• YouTubeyoutube.com/buhlergroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/buhlergroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buhler-sortex
• Instagraminstagram.com/buhler_group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Buhler Sortex