Cartoning Machinery Market Size - By Type, By Automation, By Capacity, By End Use Industry, By Distribution Channel, Growth Forecast 2025 - 2034

Cartoning Machinery Market Size

The global cartoning machinery market was valued at USD 5 billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow from USD 5.3 billion in 2025 to USD 8.2 billion in 2034, at a CAGR of 5%.
 

Packaging automation is increasingly being used in industries such as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care that require cartoning machinery. These fully automated carton machines are becoming a preferred choice as they enhance productivity and reduce labor costs. Importantly, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that there will be an annual increase of approximately 3.2% within the packaging industry until 2026 showing an increased reliance on efficient cartoning technologies. Moreover, rising demand for packaged foods also fuels market expansion due to urbanization and changing consumer patterns.
 

In addition to this, the implementation of strict regulations related to product safety and traceability especially in food and pharma sectors is the other key factor driving market growth. Regulatory bodies like FDA and EMA mandates secure packaging which cannot be tampered with hence leading to increased adoption of modern cartoning machines. Furthermore, manufacturers can improve their production workflows and optimize machine efficiency through incorporating industry 4.0 tools like IoT and AI technology.
 

Cartoning Machinery Market Trends

• There is an incorporation of IoT and AI in cartoning machines and this is a prominent trend that offers real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. Smart technologies are easing business operations and over 40% of packaging firms have implemented them for process efficiency.
   
• A shift towards sustainable materials and energy-saving techniques is apparent in cartoning systems. The demand for recyclable paperboard has increasing with approximately 75%. of consumers desiring ecofriendly packaging.
   
• Moreover, there is a growing preference for flexible cartoning machines capable of handling different product shapes and sizes. The US e-commerce sales alone were almost $870bn in 2021 thereby necessitating adaptive packaging systems as per the International Trade Administration.
   
• Regulatory compliance, regarding safety requirements and traceability, will lead to wider adoption of advanced cartoning equipment. For example, tamper-evident packing is enforced by FDA at pharmaceutical setting.
   

Cartoning Machinery Market Analysis

Based on type, the market is segmented into horizontal cartoning machines, and vertical cartoning machines. The horizontal cartoning machines segment accounted for revenue of USD 3 billion in the year 2024 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 5.2% from 2025 to 2034
 

• Horizontal cartoning machines are preferred for their adaptability and capacity to process various product shapes and sizes. They are well-suited for high-speed applications in the food & beverage and personal care industries.
   
• These machines are particularly favored by consumer goods companies, F&B industry due to their ability to be easily integrated into both manual as well as automated loading systems
   
• They have been made more accurate and efficient due to improvements such as servo-driven technologies.

Based on automation, the cartoning machinery market is classified into manual machine, semi-automatic machine, fully automatic machine. Fully automatic machine dominated the market in 2024, with share of 72.8%, and is expected to reach USD 6.1 billion by 2034.
 

• The market for fully automatic cartoning machines leads since they possess high-speed capabilities which do not rely heavily on human intervention. They are widely used in industries such as pharmaceuticals as well as food & beverages where precision matters most.
   
• Technological advancements have improved the efficiency of fully automated machines through predictive maintenance and real-time data tracking among others with respect to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).
   
• Some devices support the eco-friendly approach such as solvent free gluing in line with environmental regulations especially in EU regions.
   

Based on end use industry, the market is classified into pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, consumer goods, cosmetics and personal care, others. In 2024, food and beverages segment held 44.1% share of the market and is expected to maintain its position during the forecast period.
 

• The food and beverages sector is a primary user of cartoning machines, influenced by the rising consumption of ready-to-eat and packaged goods.
   
• Companies are increasingly using cutting-edge cartoning technologies to boost production efficiency while fulfilling sustainability demands from consumers.
   
• Innovations like robotic cartoning are enabling faster, more accurate packaging within the F&B industry.

The U.S. plays a significant role in the global cartoning machinery market with a revenue of USD 980 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% in the forecasted years.
 

• Among other sectors including food, pharma and e-commerce, the demand for automated packaging is high in the US market. Technological developments and a skilled labor force facilitate an immediate uptake of intelligent cartoning systems. Environmental regulations that support sustainable development are also pushing for sustainable packaging.
   

The Europe market was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% between 2025 and 2034.
 

• German companies lead Europe in terms of packaging innovations because they embrace both Industry 4.0 and ecological compatibility. German manufacturers adopt precision, energy efficiency, as well as robot integration as strategic directions for business development. Development in this country is driven by leading suppliers of packaging equipment.
   

The Asia Pacific cartoning machinery market was valued at USD 1.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% between 2025 and 2034.
 

• Automation trends, large-scale industrial production and export-based manufacturing are driving China’s market at a rapid pace. Domestic companies are motivated to upgrade their packaging operations by the “Made in China 2025” policy. Food & beverage (F&B), pharmaceuticals and personal care are among its key industries.
   

The MEA market was valued at USD 300 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.7% between 2025 and 2034.
 

• In Saudi Arabia, the demand for cartoning machines is on the upswing due to investments into non-oil sectors like logistics, pharmaceuticals and food processing. Industrial automation has been spurred by Vision 2030 strategies. The country presently relies heavily on imported packing machines.
   

Cartoning Machinery Market Share

• The global cartoning machinery industry is moderately fragmented, with Top 5 players, such as IMA Group, Marchesini Group, Mpac Group, SaintyCo, and ShineBen Machinery held a share of 15-20% in 2024.
   
• IMA Group: With its emphasis on innovation and environmental friendliness, IMA offers modernized cartoning systems which save energy.
   
• Marchesini Group is known for producing customer-centered cartoning machines that are tailored in a highly customized manner to various industries.
   
• Mpac Group, an organization that specializes in cartoning equipment has automated and high-performance machines with latest features.
   
• SaintyCo provides regulatory-compliant machines specifically designed for the pharmaceutical industry.
   
• ShineBen Machinery develops affordable and efficient cartoning systems suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.
   
• The leading packaging companies are adopting more integrated systems, which means merging cartoning with upstream and downstream activities like erecting, robotic loading, vision inspection, palletizing etc., all aimed at improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and lessening manual touchpoints. There are heavy investments on IoT sensors/machine vision/analytics connected to MES/ERP systems, especially crucial for pharma & F&B.
   
• Carton?4.0 lines by Marchesini now include automated recipe changeovers, vision systems, and track-and-trace capabilities for pharmaceutical packaging. Mpac has recently launched horizontal cartoners with modular frames that facilitate quick changeovers as well as IoT integration to enable agile production in FMCG brands.
   

Cartoning Machinery Market Companies

Major players operating in the cartoning machinery industry include:

• ADCO Packaging Solutions
• BW Integrated Systems
• Econocorp 
• Elite Packaging Machinery
• IMA Group
• Infinity Automated Solutions
• Jacob White Packaging
• Marchesini Group
• Mespack
• Mpac Group
• Nichrome 
• Omori Machinery
• SaintyCo 
• Serpa Packaging Solution
• ShineBen Machinery
   

Cartoning Machinery Industry News

• In October 2024, Econocorp’s Spartan M-Pro Cartoner was launched at Pack Expo International (Booth S-1502), occurring between November 3rd – 6th of the same year. It is a machine that evolved from long-established models such as Spartan and Sega with a history of about four decades.
   
• In February 2024, IMA Group announced the launch of two AI-based solutions, aimed to improve the efficiency of services. IMA Sandbox is a platform for secure collaborative development of complex algorithms in a dynamic cloud environment.
   
• In November 2023, ELITER Packaging Machinery presented an updated GRAN SONATA end-load cartoner made of stainless steel and equipped with a multi-axis servo system for mid-to-large packaging automation.
   
• In January 2023, Massman Companies acquired Ultra Packaging Inc. (UPI) which specializes in vertical and horizontal automated cartoning machines. UPI’s customer base includes food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals amongst others; it has high-speed machines from manual configurations right through to fully robotic ones.
   

The cartoning machinery market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry, with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue (USD Billion) and volume (Thousand Units) from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:

Click here to Buy Section of this Report

Market, By Type

• Horizontal cartoning machines
• Vertical cartoning machines

Market, By Automation

• Manual machine
• Semi-automatic machine
• Fully automatic machine

Market, By Capacity

• Up to 100 cartons/ min
• 100 to 200 cartons/ min
• 200 to 400 cartons/ min
• Above 400 cartons/ min

Market, By End Use Industry

• Pharmaceuticals
• Food and beverages
• Consumer goods
• Cosmetics and personal care
• Others (nutraceuticals etc.) 

Market, By Distribution Channel

• Direct sales
• Indirect sales

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada 
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia 
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico 
• MEA
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • South Africa