Industrial Dryers Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast Segmented By Product (Direct, Indirect and Specialty), By Type (Rotary, Fluidized Bed and Spray), By Type (Food, Pharmaceutical, Fertilizer, Chemicals, Cement and Others), By Region, By Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 6.25 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	4.95%
Fastest Growing Segment	Pharmaceutical
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 8.35 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Industrial Dryers Market will grow from USD 6.25 Billion in 2025 to USD 8.35 Billion by 2031 at a 4.95% CAGR. Industrial dryers are specialized thermal processing systems utilized to remove moisture from substances such as food products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and minerals to achieve precise humidity content for preservation or further manufacturing. The market is primarily propelled by the expanding global demand for processed food and the rapid industrialization of developing economies which necessitates efficient dehydration technologies. This growth is evidenced by robust sector activity; according to the VDMA, in 2024, German exports of food processing and packaging machinery—a primary sector employing industrial drying technology—rose by 6% to reach 10.6 billion euros.

Despite this positive trajectory, the market faces a significant challenge regarding energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Industrial drying operations are inherently energy-intensive, often accounting for a substantial portion of total plant energy usage. Consequently, manufacturers must navigate increasingly stringent government regulations concerning carbon emissions and rising fuel costs, which threaten to impede broader market expansion for conventional drying systems.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of the global food processing and preservation industry serves as a primary catalyst for the industrial dryers market. As consumer demand shifts towards convenience and longer shelf-life products, manufacturers are heavily investing in thermal processing machinery to ensure product stability and quality. This trend is particularly evident in the alternative protein and ingredients sectors, where precise moisture control is critical for production standards. Reflecting this surge in sector-specific demand, according to GEA Group, March 2024, in the 'Annual Report 2023', the company's New Food customer industry recorded double-digit year-on-year growth in order intake, highlighting the robust capacity expansion among food processors necessitating advanced drying solutions.

Concurrently, increasing production in the chemical and petrochemical industries is significantly bolstering market revenue. Industrial dryers are indispensable in these sectors for processing polymers, resins, and inorganic chemicals, where capital allocation for new processing lines directly translates to equipment procurement. Validating this investment momentum, according to the American Chemistry Council, December 2024, in the '2024 Year-End Situation & Outlook', capital spending on projects in the U.S. chemical industry increased by 4.1% to reach $34 billion in 2024. While manufacturers face economic headwinds, the broader appetite for industrial processing technologies remains resilient; for instance, according to Andritz, October 2024, in the 'Financial Report Q3 2024', the group's total order intake for the third quarter of 2024 increased by 5.5% to 1.9 billion euros, underscoring sustained demand for large-scale industrial separation and thermal solutions despite global uncertainties.

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Key Market Challenges

The stringent requirements for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability serve as a substantial impediment to the expansion of the Global Industrial Dryers Market. Industrial drying is an inherently energy-intensive process, often representing a major portion of a facility's total energy consumption. As manufacturers face rising fuel costs and increasingly rigorous carbon emission regulations, the operational expense of running conventional thermal processing systems escalates. This economic burden forces end-users to delay capital expenditures on new equipment, as the high ongoing costs of energy and compliance diminish the financial viability of expanding production capacities or upgrading legacy systems.

This hesitation in capital investment is directly reflected in recent sector performance data. According to the VDMA, in 2024, incoming orders for food processing machinery fell by 12% in real terms during the first four months of the year compared to the same period in the previous year. This decline in orders within a primary end-use sector demonstrates how the pressure of high operational costs and regulatory uncertainty is actively curbing demand for new processing technologies, thereby stalling the broader growth of the industrial dryers market.

Key Market Trends

Widespread adoption of industrial heat pump technology is fundamentally reshaping the market as manufacturers aggressively decarbonize thermal generation infrastructure to meet net-zero targets. This shift involves replacing conventional fossil-fuel-based boilers with high-efficiency electrical heat pumps that utilize latent heat recovery, significantly reducing the carbon intensity of drying processes in the food and chemical sectors. The transition is not merely regulatory compliance but a strategic operational overhaul to mitigate volatility in fossil fuel prices. This momentum towards sustainable thermal processing is quantifiable; according to Andritz, March 2025, in the 'Annual Report 2024', the company’s Environment & Energy business area recorded an 8% increase in order intake, underscoring the accelerating capital allocation by industrial players towards green energy and carbon-neutral production technologies.

Concurrently, the integration of AI and IoT for smart drying operations is revolutionizing how facilities manage moisture control and energy consumption. Operators are moving beyond traditional PID controllers to deploy machine learning algorithms that analyze real-time data from humidity sensors, automatically adjusting drying curves to prevent over-drying and minimize thermal waste. This digital transformation focuses heavily on predictive quality assurance, ensuring consistent product specifications while optimizing throughput. The scale of this technological priority is evident in broader manufacturing strategies; according to Rockwell Automation, June 2025, in the '10th annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report', 50% of manufacturers plan to apply AI and machine learning specifically to support product quality in 2025, a critical competency for maintaining the precise moisture standards required in industrial drying.

Segmental Insights

The pharmaceutical segment is currently the fastest-growing category in the global industrial dryers market, driven by stringent regulatory frameworks that mandate precise moisture control in drug manufacturing. Regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration enforce rigorous standards to ensure the stability and purity of active pharmaceutical ingredients, necessitating the adoption of specialized drying technologies. Additionally, the rising global demand for complex biologics and heat-sensitive formulations has accelerated the investment in spray and fluid bed dryers. This focus on compliance and product efficacy ensures that pharmaceutical manufacturers prioritize upgrading their drying infrastructure to maintain operational efficiency.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific maintains a leading position in the global industrial dryers market, primarily driven by rapid industrialization and urbanization. The region experiences high demand from key end-use sectors, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. Countries such as China and India are central to this growth due to their expanding manufacturing capabilities and infrastructure development. Furthermore, the rising consumption of processed food products necessitates the widespread adoption of industrial drying equipment. This market dominance is supported by the continuous establishment of new production facilities aimed at meeting substantial domestic and export requirements.

Recent Developments

• In October 2024, Valmet confirmed the signing of a major contract to supply a complete pulp mill to Arauco in Brazil, which includes a high-capacity pulp drying line. The delivery for the new mill in Mato Grosso do Sul encompasses the entire production process, featuring advanced pulp drying and baling technologies designed to handle a production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year. This project, expected to be the world’s largest single-phase pulp mill, incorporates Valmet’s latest automation and flow control solutions to ensure high operational performance and sustainability. The investment reflects a significant commitment to advanced industrial drying infrastructure in the South American market.
• In October 2024, GEA Group launched the RAY® Plus series, a new generation of batch freeze dryers developed for the food processing industry. Building on decades of experience, the new series incorporates advanced design features such as vapor traps and optimized airflow, which reduce pressure drop within the cabinet by nearly 50 percent. These improvements allow the dryers to operate at lower temperatures with higher batch loads, significantly enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs. The equipment is designed for high hygiene standards and flexibility, making it suitable for preserving a wide range of products including fruits, vegetables, and sensitive probiotic ingredients.
• In September 2024, GSI announced the launch of a new line of mixed-flow grain dryers designed to maximize efficiency and grain quality for the 2025 harvest season. The new modular dryers feature a screenless operation, which eliminates the need for cleaning screens and reduces maintenance downtime during critical harvest periods. These units utilize a unique ducting system and operate with lower airflow rates, resulting in improved fuel efficiency compared to conventional screen-style dryers. The design also allows for the processing of various commodities without requiring complex changeovers, providing greater flexibility for agricultural operations.
• In March 2024, Andritz entered a strategic partnership with Netzsch-Feinmahltechnik to collaborate on solutions for the alternative protein market. The cooperation integrates Netzsch's fine grinding and classifying technologies with Andritz's expertise in conditioning, extraction, dewatering, and drying processes. This collaboration aims to develop efficient, future-oriented production lines for plant-based proteins, addressing the growing global demand for sustainable food sources. By combining their portfolios, the companies intend to offer comprehensive, tailor-made process solutions that enhance the quality and availability of alternative protein products while optimizing energy efficiency in industrial processing.

Key Market Players

• Andritz Ag
• Bühler AG
• Carrier Vibrating Equipment Inc.
• Comessa S.A.
• Feeco International Inc
• FLSmidth & Co. A/S
• Glatt GmbH
• Metso Corporation
• Mitchell Dryers Ltd.
• ThyssenKrupp AG

By Product	By Type	By Region
Direct Indirect and Specialty	Food Pharmaceutical Fertilizer Chemicals Cement and Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Industrial Dryers Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Industrial Dryers Market, By Product:

• Direct
• Indirect and Specialty

• Industrial Dryers Market, By Type:

• Food
• Pharmaceutical
• Fertilizer
• Chemicals
• Cement and Others

• Industrial Dryers Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE