PRAB
PRAB is a privately-held U.S. industrial equipment manufacturer (founded 1950, Kalamazoo, MI) that designs, assembles, and services custom-engineered metal scrap conveyors, chip processing and briquetting systems, fluid filtration and coolant recycling equipment, and industrial wastewater treatment systems for aerospace, automotive, medical device, and CNC machining customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1950
- HeadquartersKalamazoo, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What PRAB does
PRAB is a privately-held U.S. industrial equipment manufacturer founded in 1950 and headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with a European headquarters in Opole, Poland. The company designs, assembles, and services custom-engineered systems for metal scrap conveying, chip processing and briquetting, fluid filtration and coolant recycling, and industrial wastewater treatment for compliance with EPA and ISO 14001 requirements. Its product portfolio spans more than 40 core products, including Steel Belt, Pivot Belt, ScrapVeyor, Magnetic, Oscillating, and Screw conveyors; Crusher/Wringer, Shredder/Wringer, E-Series, and Modular chip processing systems; Briquetters producing 90%-dense pucks; and Guardian coolant recycling systems, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, vacuum evaporation, ozone, UV, and pH adjustment equipment. More recently, PRAB extended its separation and material-handling know-how into lithium-ion battery recycling systems for pack and module deconstruction.
PRAB sells primarily through direct enterprise field sales with regional representatives, supported by a 'Demo Before You Buy' program and free materials testing. Pricing is quote-based and custom-engineered per facility, with revenue coming from one-time hardware sales plus aftermarket parts, service, and managed maintenance programs. The company markets through technical content (white papers, case studies, ROI calculators) and a multi-language website (ten languages) to serve customers in aerospace, automotive, medical device, CNC machining, die casting and forging, heavy manufacturing and stamping, and data centers and energy. Performance is supported by a Performantee guarantee, equipment is documented to last 20-40+ years, and reported customer outcomes include 98-99% recovery of spent metalworking fluids, up to 90% scrap volume reduction, and 6-18 month ROI on most installations.
PRAB remains independent and privately held with 251-500 employees and no disclosed external investors or parent company. Named customers include Martin-Baker (aerospace), Walker Manufacturing, Ingersoll Tillage, and undisclosed machining operations. Sub-brands such as ScrapVeyor, Guardian, Dualpak, and Performantee are positioned as OEM equipment lines within the broader portfolio.
PRAB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PRAB
- Legal name
- PRAB
- Website
- https://prab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1950
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- PRAB is a privately-held U.S. industrial equipment manufacturer (founded 1950, Kalamazoo, MI) that designs, assembles, and services custom-engineered metal scrap conveyors, chip processing and briquetting systems, fluid filtration and coolant recycling equipment, and industrial wastewater treatment systems for aerospace, automotive, medical device, and CNC machining customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PRAB industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Metal Scrap Handling & Fluid Recycling Equipment
- NAICS
- Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Industrial Waste Handling & Compaction Equipment (Balers, Compactors) (IMAHALAI)
Keywords
Where PRAB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kalamazoo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PRAB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Industrial Equipment Sales: Sale of metal scrap conveyors, chip processing systems, coolant recycling equipment, and industrial wastewater treatment systems. Equipment is custom-engineered and sized for specific customer facilities. Revenue is one-time hardware sales with potential for parts, service, and managed maintenance programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
PRAB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PRAB designs, manufactures, and services industrial equipment for metal scrap conveying, chip processing, fluid filtration/coolant recycling, and industrial wastewater treatment. The portfolio includes metal scrap conveyors (steel belt, pivot belt, oscillating, ScrapVeyor, screw, drag, pneumatic, quench, magnetic, in-floor trough, load-out), chip processing systems (crushers, shredders, wringers, centrifuges, briquetters, modular systems), Guardian coolant recycling systems, and water treatment technologies (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, vacuum evaporation, pH adjustment, UV, ozone). Equipment is custom-engineered, assembled in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and backed by the Performantee performance guarantee.
Product overview
PRAB is an industrial equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of metal scrap conveying, chip processing, fluid recycling, and industrial wastewater treatment solutions. The product line includes: Metal Scrap Conveyors (Steel Belt, Pivot Belt, Oscillating, ScrapVeyor, Screw, Drag, Pneumatic, Quench, Magnetic, and In-Floor Trough Conveyors plus Load-Out Systems); Metal Chip Processing Equipment (Crusher/Wringer, Shredder/Wringer, and E-Series Chip Processing Systems, Modular Systems, Briquetters, Wringers/Centrifuges, Vertical and Horizontal Axis Crushers, Shredders, Tramp Metal Separators, Bundle Breakers, and Horizontal Screw Press); Fluid Filtration and Recycling Systems (Guardian Coolant Recycling, Paper Bed Filters, Magnetic Separators, Oil Recycling, Tramp Oil Separators, Vacuum Filtration, Hydrocyclone, and Solid Bowl Centrifuges); Process Water and Industrial Wastewater Treatment (Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis, Vacuum Evaporation, pH Adjustment, Ozone, UV, and Oil Water Separators); and Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Systems. The equipment is designed, assembled, and serviced in Kalamazoo, Michigan with a Performantee Guarantee, and integrates PLC controls, HMIs, sensors, and IIoT monitoring for automation-ready manufacturing solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ScrapVeyor™: Leak-proof conveyor systems for metal scrap handling
- Guardian™
- Performantee®
- Dualpak™
Products and services
- Steel Belt Conveyors
Quantifiable outcome
- 98-99% recovery of spent metalworking fluids
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use PRAB
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PRAB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
PRAB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ocuco Netherlands BVregionalListed as Dutch contact/reseller partner for PRAB equipment in the Netherlands market, handling sales inquiries for the Dutch-speaking region.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PRAB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mayfran International: Mayfran designs and builds metal scrap conveyors, chip processing systems, and fluid filtration equipment for the metalworking industry, nearly identical offering to PRAB. Both sell custom-engineered solutions into aerospace, automotive, and machining customers with comparable OEM and end-user channels.
- Eriez: Eriez manufactures magnetic separators, fluid cleaning equipment, and metal recovery products used extensively in metal scrap handling and coolant filtration. Eriez products overlap directly with PRAB's magnetic separators, tramp metal separators, and fluid filtration portfolio serving overlapping metalworking customers.
- Bunting Magnetics: Bunting produces magnetic separation, metal detection, and fluid filtration products for industrial customers. Its magnetic separators and coolant filtration equipment compete with PRAB's magnetic separators and fluid filtration lines in metalworking and recycling applications.
- Filtertech: Filtertech specializes in industrial coolant filtration, oil reclamation, and fluid management systems for the metalworking industry. Their product portfolio directly overlaps with PRAB's Guardian coolant recycling, paper bed filters, and oil recycling systems, serving identical machining and stamping customers.
- Vecoplan: Vecoplan designs industrial shredders, grinders, and conveying equipment for metal scrap volume reduction. Their metal scrap shredders and conveyors directly compete with PRAB's shredders and metal scrap handling products in industrial recycling and metalworking settings.
Regional players
- Hennlich: Hennlich is a European industrial equipment distributor and engineering firm providing material handling, separation, and fluid handling solutions. PRAB even has a reseller partnership with a Hennlich-affiliated entity (Ocuco Netherlands), so the two compete and cooperate in similar product categories across different European geographies.
Broad incumbents
- Alfa Laval: Alfa Laval is a global industrial leader in separation, filtration, and fluid handling, including centrifuges, heat exchangers, and wastewater treatment systems. While much larger and broader, Alfa Laval's separation equipment overlaps with PRAB's centrifuges, hydrocyclones, and UF/RO product lines in industrial applications.
- Dürr AG: Dürr is a German industrial engineering group with environmental technology including wastewater treatment, filtration, and process air cleaning for manufacturing. Dürr serves automotive and industrial customers much like PRAB's automotive and aerospace segments, but as a much larger entity with broader portfolio.
- Metso: Metso is a global leader in mineral processing and metals refining equipment, including crushing, screening, conveying, and separation systems. The company's metal and mineral processing equipment competes with PRAB's chip processing, briquetting, and conveyor lines serving industrial metals and recycling customers.
- Terex Corporation: Terex manufactures industrial and materials handling equipment for construction, recycling, and infrastructure markets. Terex's environmental and materials handling businesses compete with PRAB's material handling and processing products in scrap recycling and heavy industrial settings, though Terex is much larger and more diversified.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PRAB social profiles
Digital presencePRAB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PRAB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
PRAB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PRAB M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PRAB
What does PRAB do?
PRAB designs, manufactures, and services industrial equipment for metal scrap conveying, chip processing, fluid filtration/coolant recycling, and industrial wastewater treatment. The portfolio includes metal scrap conveyors (steel belt, pivot belt, oscillating, ScrapVeyor, screw, drag, pneumatic, quench, magnetic, in-floor trough, load-out), chip processing systems (crushers, shredders, wringers, centrifuges, briquetters, modular systems), Guardian coolant recycling systems, and water treatment technologies (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, vacuum evaporation, pH adjustment, UV, ozone). Equipment is custom-engineered, assembled in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and backed by the Performantee performance guarantee.
Is PRAB a public or private company?
PRAB is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PRAB founded?
PRAB was founded in 1950. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is PRAB based?
PRAB is headquartered in Kalamazoo, United States, in the North America region.
How does PRAB make money?
One revenue line is on record: industrial Equipment Sales.
Who are PRAB's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mayfran International, Eriez, Bunting Magnetics, Filtertech and Vecoplan. Hennlich is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Alfa Laval, Dürr AG, Metso and Terex Corporation.
Does PRAB have an API?
No public API is recorded for PRAB.
What industry is PRAB in?
PRAB's product category is Industrial Metal Scrap Handling & Fluid Recycling Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAEAB, Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes), with a secondary code of IMAHAEAJ, Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems). Its NAICS code is 3339 and its SIC code is 3530.