Tray Former Machines Market Report Scope & Overview:

The Tray Former Machines Market size was valued at USD 1.55 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 2.31 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.10% over the forecast period of 2025-2032.

The tray former machines market is complemented by growing demand for automated, efficient packaging solutions in myriad industries, mainly food & beverage, personal care, and pharmaceuticals. Tray forming equipment plays an important role in producing stable and uniform trays from paperboard, corrugated board, or plastic that protect products from damage, are easy to display on the shelf, and are convenient to transport. Tray former machines market trends highlight the inclination of organizations towards fully automatic and high-speed tray former machines, thereby eliminating human dependence for packing and ultimately increasing production. But rising consumer preference for convenience and visually appealing convenience items is driving manufacturers to rely on complex, high-speed tray forming technology capable of accommodating more than one tray design, faster size changeover, and minimal downtime.

Additionally, the trend towards eco-friendly packaging is pushing the industry towards developing machines that could work with sustainable materials. This technological integration is also helping the tray former machines industry, especially smart monitoring and predictive maintenance systems integrated with machines, which enhance their operational efficiency with minimized costs. The global tray former machines market is projected to witness healthy growth over the forecast period due to the automation of manufacturing processes. The steady demand for flexible, scalable, and high-accuracy tray forming systems to meet evolving industrial packaging needs is expected to drive significant tray former market growth.

In June 2025, MG America launched the GTF60 Flexi, a modular tray-forming and loading machine capable of producing up to 240 trays per minute. Built for flexibility, it supports quick size changeovers and can operate as a standalone or multi-module system. Featuring B&R’s ACOPOStrak indexing and various robotic loading options, it caters to pharmaceutical, FMCG, and confectionery industries with high precision and efficiency.

In April 2025, EndFlex introduced its advanced Vassoyo tray forming machine for corrugated beverage trays, designed with a durable tubular steel frame and easy changeover for 1-up and 2-up formats. It features a user-friendly touchscreen interface with step-by-step servicing guidance. The machine supports various tray sizes and offers custom configurations, making it ideal for high-efficiency beverage packaging lines.

Tray Former Machines Market Dynamics:

Drivers

• Technological Advancements Revolutionizing Tray Former Machines for Smarter, Faster, and Flexible Packaging Solutions

Tray former machines are now a bit more advanced than their predecessors with the incorporation of servo drives,  artificial intelligence (AI), IoT-enabled systems, and quick format changeover technologies. Such innovations are designed to boost the versatility, speed, and accuracy of the machines and allow them to adapt to different sizes of trays quickly, minimizing downtime. The integration of IoT enables monitoring performance, system diagnostics, and preliminary assessments, which help smooth the pace of operations and avoid any sudden breakdowns. Utilising systems driven by AI, tray forming can be optimized by production requirements, minimizing material wastage as well as maximising efficiency. For example, tool-less changeovers and data-driven changes on advanced models such as EndFlex’s Vassoyo tray former help streamline packaging lines. Such technological advancements lend themselves to fulfilling ever-increasing demands for high-throughput, customized, high-performance packaging solutions across food, beverage, and industrial markets.

In February 2025, Pack-Smart introduced an advanced Tray Forming and Filling System with six modular stations, supporting high-speed operation up to 3,500 products/hour and 95% uptime. It features dual touchscreens, tool-less recipe changeovers, and integrated vision systems for quality control. Designed for food, cosmetics, and electronics, the system emphasizes precision, flexibility, and energy efficiency.

Restraint

• High Capital Costs Limit SME Adoption of Advanced Tray Former Machines

High-end tray former machines need considerable upfront investment, often ranging from USD 80,000 to USD 250,000, depending on the automation and customisation levels. Though these devices pay for themselves in the long run, the up-front cost is a major barrier for many SMEs working with slim margins. This financial setback can delay the adoption of automation, leaving SME sectors with no option but semi-automatic or manual alternatives that constrain productivity. Installation, maintenance, and operator training also continue creating unnecessary costs and revenue strain on limited resources. Most smaller businesses find it hard to justify the investment without financing or leasing options, slowing the adoption cycle across this segment. This cost barrier represents a further widening of the chasm between large manufacturers and their SME competitors.

Tray Former Machines Market Segmentation Analysis:

By Machine Type

The fully automatic segment dominated the market and accounted for 58% of the tray former machines market share. Their widespread adoption is attributed to the capability of performing packaging tasks with minimal human involvement, and they are suitable for rapid production environments. This ensures consistent quality of each tray, minimizes downtime, and optimizes the total output. Fully automatic systems are essential to satisfy the increasing demand and strict packaging requirements in some sectors such as food & beverage, logistics, and fast-moving consumer goods. In addition, the drive to automation has also been accelerated by labour shortages and rising labour costs. They are also capable of integrating with robotic case packers and conveyors which improves their value by making them the operator’s choice in large-scale industrial setups.

Semi-automatic tray former machines are the fastest-growing segment in the market due to their affordability, flexibility, and ease of use. The ideal application for SMEs that wish to automate parts of their packaging process without significant capital investment costs. Emerging economies are showing especially strong development as manufacturers within these markets want inexpensive means to strengthen productivity with automation. Semi-automatic machines provide operational control with manual controls for adjustments, and are ideal for low- to moderate-production output. These are typically used in industries with fluctuating tray widths and small production runs, such as specialty food, cosmetics,  and local distribution units. The former factors, along with their reduced space and design​​ ​requirement needs​​​, make them attractive aspects for businesses with smaller production space.

By Type 

Corrugated trays led the tray former machines market in 2024 with a 57% share, driven by their superior durability, protective strength, and stacking ability. They are ideal for packaging lightweight and heavy products. Such trays are extensively used for packaging heavy or sensitive products across industries like food and beverage, agriculture, electronics, etc. And their nature ensures they can endure the rigours of the elements, compression, and external stresses, making them perfect for long-haul shipping and bulk storage. When it comes to size and printability, you are also free to customize it, which can help with branding initiatives. Additionally, their ability to be recycled meets sustainability targets and makes them appealing to environment-minded firms. Coupled with the e-commerce boom, where speedy and efficient secondary packaging is essential, IPW Corrugated tray forming systems–used primarily in high-volume distribution centers–are an important driver of the growth.

Paperboard trays are the fastest-growing tray type in the market due to increasing demand for sustainable, lightweight, and recyclable packaging materials. As companies are shifting to environmentally conscious alternatives, these trays are in high demand across the food service, cosmetics, and retail sectors. With printable surfaces and overall cleanliness, they lend themselves well to attractive branding and thus are best suited for shelf-ready packaging. An increase in preference for sustainable paper and composite paperboard trays and legislation mandating biodegradable packaging have led to an increased usage of paperboard in the production of trays. They are not suitable for packing products as sturdy as the corrugated tray, but are economical for packing low-weight products and consumer products. As grocery chains and food delivery services introduced more plant-based and ready-to-eat food types, new paperboard tray former options have found adoption in the FMCG sector.

By End Use

The food and beverage industry dominated the tray former machines market in 2024, holding a 62% share. The dominance can be attributed to the mounting requirement of the industry to deliver and preserve packaging for ready-to-eat meals, bakery, fresh produce, and beverages effectively and hygienically. Tray formers play an essential role in fast-moving food lines where consistency, hygiene, and appeal are fundamental to the function of the production line. Retail and wholesale are two main areas where goods can be packed and displayed on the shelves by using paperboard and corrugated trays for transportation. This demand continues its strength, backed by increasing world consumption, urbanization, and the trend toward packaged food. The ever-increasing demand for automation in food packaging and reduced manual handling, along with stringent safety standards in the packaging industry, are some of the major factors influencing the high adoption of tray forming machines in food manufacturers.

The pharmaceutical segment is witnessing the fastest growth in the tray former machines market due to increased healthcare requirements and stringent regulations regarding the packaging of medical products. Tray formers play an essential role in the packaging of sensitive items, including ampoules, syringes, blister packs, and diagnostic kits, ensuring precision and tamper-evidence in packaging. This is key for product stability and quality as these machines improve traceability and keep the packaging organized and free from contamination. As the world's demand for medicines, vaccines, and home-use medical devices is increasing, the need for high-quality automated packaging solutions is also rising. Pharmaceutical end-users are also investing in manufacturing scalable and flexible tray forming equipment with both large-scale production and specialty packaging capabilities.

Tray Former Machines Market Regional Outlook:

Asia Pacific held the largest share of the tray former machines market in 2024, accounting for approximately 38% due to a wide range of food and beverage sectors across the region, rapid industrialization, and high demand for packaging automation in countries such as China, India, and Japan. Besides, increased e-commerce, growing exports, and establishing new manufacturing units across the region are surging the requirement for tray forming machines that are efficient and have a high speed. The third factor, which has been identified as one of the major drivers for the growth of industrial automation and packaging modernization in Asia Pacific, is the strong government support.

China dominates the tray former machines market in the Asia Pacific region due to its massive manufacturing base, strong food and beverage sector, and rapid adoption of automation technologies. Demand is further fueled by the booming e-commerce industry in the country, as well as its massive export packaging requirements. The government initiatives in China promoting industrial automation and smart manufacturing also fortify the country’s standing across the region.

North America is the fastest-growing region in the tray former machines market, due to a high rise in investments and working activities in innovation and modernity of packaging infrastructure, mainly in the U.S. and Canadian regions. The growing demand for sustainable and efficient packaging from the food and beverage, healthcare, and consumer goods industries is promoting the growth of the advanced tray former market. Furthermore, the dominance of prominent packaging machinery manufacturers as well as the adoption of smart manufacturing are also contributing to the growth of the market. Moreover, increasing consumer proclivity towards packaged, ready-to-eat foods and fast-paced technological innovations continues to drive the growth of the region.

The U.S. tray former machine market is projected to grow from USD 0.26 billion in 2024 to USD 0.40 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 5.52%. This growth is driven by the increasing trend of automation in the packaging industry and high demand among end-user sectors such as food and beverages. Increasing adoption of smart packaging technologies and updates, such as efficient upgrades, is also accelerating market growth. North America is the leading region in tray forming equipment revenue, with the U.S. having the highest sales.

Europe maintains a significant share of the tray former machines market, supported by strong demand from the food processing and pharmaceuticals industries in countries such as Germany, France, and Italy. This is advantageous for the region thanks to strict packaging regulations, an industrial base, and a high level of industrial process automation. The demand for advanced tray forming solutions has also been driven by rising trends for sustainable packaging and the use of recyclable materials trays. Although the growth is going almost steady compared to North America, Europe would remain a core market thanks to decades of innovation and focus on sustainable methods of doing business.

Key Players in the Tray Former Machines Market are:

Tray Former Machines Companies are Wayne Automation, Wexxar Packaging, Inc., AFA Systems Inc., ADCO Manufacturing, Combi Packaging Systems, LLC, Paxiom, DS Smith, Boix Maquinaria, S.L., Sacmi, Econcorp

Recent Development:

• In February 2025, Combi Packaging announced Dave Wasserman as its new Director of Wrapping Solutions. Bringing over 30 years of experience in packaging automation, Wasserman will spearhead growth in both semi- and fully-automatic stretch-wrapping systems. His hire underlines Combi's commitment to strengthening its load-containment product offerings in response to market demand.

• In December 2024, Paxiom introduced advanced automated cannabis packaging solutions featuring robotic pick-and-place systems and fully integrated lines for weighing, filling, and sealing. These innovations enhance efficiency, accuracy, and regulatory compliance in cannabis product handling and packaging.