Palm Systems

What Palm Systems does

Palm Maschinen GmbH & Co. KG, operating as PALM Systems, is a family-owned German mechanical engineering company headquartered in Hamburg with operational facilities in Jork in the Alte Land fruit-growing region. Founded in 2009, the company designs, manufactures, and installs custom special machinery for sorting, packaging, and intralogistics, primarily serving fruit traders, fruit growers, agricultural cooperatives, and packing houses in more than 80 countries. Its product portfolio is organized into three divisions: Sorting and Packaging (wet dumping, wet filling via the Vortex Hydro Filler, sorting machines, sorting belts, fruit dryers, packing tables and laying lines, water filtration, and organic-approved hot water processing at ~50°C), Intralogistics (palletizing up to 960 crates/hour, modular roller conveyors, variable belt conveyors), and Contract Manufacturing (CNC turning, milling, and grooving). Sorting and grading intelligence is integrated via strategic technology partnerships with Elisam, Ellips, and Perfect Van Wamel.

The underlying technology stack centers on purpose-built water-based fruit handling systems designed to gently transport apples and pears through stainless-steel channels without bruising, paired with multi-stage process water treatment (quartz sand, activated carbon, UV, hydrogen peroxide dosing) and PLC-based control (Beckhoff/TwinCAT) programmed in-house. Hot Water Processing differentiates the offering in the organic segment by reducing storage rot pathogens without adding cycle time. Systems are individually engineered to each customer's structural conditions and configured as single machines, sub-assemblies, or full turnkey lines.

The business model is project-based: revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of custom-engineered equipment, supplemented by after-sales service (repair, maintenance, remote diagnostics, software updates, on-site service), and a second-hand equipment marketplace for refurbished machinery. Pricing is quote-based and non-public. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales — phone, email, website inquiry, and trade-fair presence — followed by on-site installation, commissioning, and lifetime service worldwide. The company operates as a private partnership (HRA 124237) represented by PALM Betriebsverwaltungs GmbH, with active founder management by Arno Alexander Palm and Jürgen Palm and no external institutional investment disclosed.

Name

Palm Systems

Legal name

Palm Maschinen GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://palm-systems.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PALM Systems is a family-owned German mechanical engineering firm that designs and builds custom sorting, packaging, and intralogistics machinery for fruit traders, growers, cooperatives, and packing houses across more than 80 countries, delivering turnkey turnkey lines from its Hamburg/Jork base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Machinery Sales: Design, manufacturing, and sale of custom special machines for fruit sorting, packaging, and intralogistics. From single machine parts to turn-key projects, systems are individually assembled for each customer.
2. Project-Based Equipment Sales: Complete plant and machinery projects including water emptying, water filling, sorting lines, packaging lines, laying lines, and filter systems. Individual customer-specific configurations.
3. After-Sales Service and Support: Service and support including repair, maintenance, remote diagnostics, software updates, and on-site service visits. Accompaniment of commissioning and optimization.
4. Second-hand/Used Equipment: Sale of refurbished and used sorting and packaging machinery through their second-hand market section.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Palm Systems designs, manufactures, and installs custom special machinery for sorting, packaging, and intralogistics of fruit and other produce, organized into three divisions: Sorting & Packaging (wet dumping, wet filling, sorting machines, sorting belts, fruit dryers, packing tables, water filtration, hot-water treatment), Intralogistics (palletizers, roller and belt conveyors), and Contract Manufacturing (CNC turning, milling, grooving). Each system is individually assembled to customer specifications and structural conditions, with full on-site installation, commissioning, and after-sales support delivered globally.

Product overview

Palm Systems is a German mechanical engineering company specializing in special machines for sorting, packaging, and intralogistics primarily for the fruit processing industry. The product portfolio is organized into three main divisions: (1) Sorting and Packaging includes water-based fruit handling systems (Wet Dumping and Wet Filling machines), electronic/mechanical Sorting Machines, Sorting Belts and Fruit Dryers, Packing Tables and Laying Lines, Water Filtration systems, and Hot-Water Processing machines for organic storage rot treatment; (2) Intralogistics includes automated Palettizers, Roller Conveyor Systems with modular components, and Belt Conveyor Systems; (3) Contract Manufacturing offers CNC Turning, CNC Milling, and Grooving services. The company provides turnkey solutions from individual machine parts to complete project delivery, with a network of partners including Elisam and Ellips/Perfect for sorting technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wet Dumping (Wasserentleerung) Specialized machines that gently empty apples and pears from large crates into water channels; crates are immersed in water basins and tipped so fruits float through stainless steel water channels to sorting and packaging lines continuously and without damage. Targeted at fruit sorting halls and packing houses.
• Wet Filling / Vortex Hydro Filler (Wasserbefüllung) Hydro crate filler for gentle wet filling of apples and pears into large crates after sorting; fruits float through artificial flow to reach preset filling quantities before being placed into the crate. For fruit sorting and packing operations.
• Sorting Machines (Sortiermaschinen) Mechanical and electronic sorting machines for fruit and vegetables that evaluate products by weight, size, color, external quality, and internal quality. Integrated through partnerships with Elisam and Ellips/Perfect. For fruit and vegetable packing houses.
• Sorting Belts and Fruit Dryers (Verlesebänder, Fruchttrockner) Manual pre-sorting belts with rotating 360° rollers for quality inspection, paired with dryers using sponge and brush rollers for gentle drying of wet fruits after water discharge; speed is infinitely variable. For fruit and vegetable packing operations.
• Packing Tables, Packing Belts, Laying Lines, Tray Dispensers (Packtische, Packbänder, Legelinien, Schalenspender) Manual packing workstations providing gentle handling of sensitive produce at the end of sorting and packaging lines, including packing tables, laying lines, and tray dispensers. For fruit and vegetable packers requiring gentle end-of-line handling.
• Water Filtration (Wasserfiltration) Filtration and purification plants for process water combining quartz sand filtration (solids and heavy metals), activated carbon filtration (pesticides), UV light irradiation (sterilization), and hydrogen peroxide dosing. For food-safe processing environments in fruit handling.
• Hot-Water Processing (Heißwasserbehandlung) Organic-approved hot-water treatment machine that immerses apples at approximately 50°C for 30 seconds to kill storage rot pathogens (Gloeosporium fungi) and fungal spores, reducing fruit rot and fruit scab without affecting inner fruit quality. For apple processors, including organic operations.
• Automated Palletizing (Palettierung) Automatic crate stackers on pallets with speed up to 960 crates per hour and up to 4 layers per minute; touch panel control, safety fall system, automatic height detection; compatible with wood, plastic, and cardboard pallets and crates. For end-of-line palletizing in fruit processing and agricultural operations.
• Roller Conveyor System (Rollenfördertechnik) Modular roller conveyor technology for transport of crates and cartons with zero-pressure accumulation; modules include straight sections, 90°/45°/30° curves, diverters, and corner converters, powered by drum motors. For end-of-line and intralogistics transport in fruit processing facilities.
• Belt Conveyor System (Gurtfördertechnik) Variable width and length belt conveyors for boxes, cartons, and loose goods; belt materials include PU belt for fruit and fabric belt for boxes; available as leg frame or ceiling-mounted floating application. For flexible transport in fruit processing and packing facilities.
• CNC Turning (CNC-Drehen) CNC turning services producing precision-turned components as part of Palm Systems' contract manufacturing operations. For industrial customers requiring precision-machined parts.
• CNC Milling (CNC-Fräsen) CNC milling services producing precision-milled components as part of Palm Systems' contract manufacturing operations. For industrial customers requiring precision-machined parts.
• Grooving (Nutenziehen) Grooving services producing grooved components as part of Palm Systems' contract manufacturing operations. For industrial customers requiring grooved precision parts.
• Second-Hand Market (Gebrauchtmarkt) Marketplace section on the Palm Systems website offering refurbished and used sorting, packaging, and intralogistics equipment for sale. For fruit processors seeking pre-owned machinery.
• After-Sales Service and Support Service and support offering covering repair, maintenance, remote diagnostics, software updates, on-site service visits, commissioning accompaniment, and optimization of Palm Systems machinery. For customers of installed Palm Systems equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hot water processing reduces storage rot (Gloeosporium fungi) and fruit scab in apples without affecting inner fruit quality
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ElisamcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partner for electronic sorting machines. Elisam provides technology for weight, size, color, external quality, and internal quality evaluation of fruits and vegetables. Combined with Palm Systems' handling and processing equipment for complete sorting solutions.
• EllipscoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partner for sorting technology. Ellips provides optical sorting and grading solutions for fruits and vegetables. Part of Palm Systems' complete sorting solution portfolio.
• Perfect (Perfect Van Wamel)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partner for sorting equipment technology. Perfect Van Wamel provides sorting machines for fruits and vegetables. Integrated into Palm Systems' comprehensive sorting and packaging line offerings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq508nBRIvZxVYCkfspdctw
• Facebookfacebook.com/PalmSystems
• Instagraminstagram.com/palm_systems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Palm Systems