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Hygienic Robotic Packaging Systems for the Food Industry

Proof before commitment.
Support decades after startup.

Inside the JLS FLIGHT LAB, your physical product is tested with a live robotic system before any commitment. After startup, JLS supports your automation for the long haul — including the software that drives our robotic systems — with fast, direct in-house support, backed by the engineers who built it.

EXPLORE AUTOMATION: PRODUCT LOADING, CASE PACKING, AND CARTONING.

Test your product in the Flight Lab Talk to an automation expert
70+ yrs
Automation &
Robot Experts
Multiple Patents
Innovations built for
real line challenges.
Sanitary by application
Cleanable construction
to IP69K, per application
JLS Assurance
JLS FLIGHT LAB tests your project
— before commitments.
In-house control
JLS Built, Programmed
& Supported

We commit. We test what others assume. We show up when it counts. We don’t quit until you’ve won.

Operational certainty for when performance matters

JLS Automation builds robotic packaging systems for food manufacturers — primary product handling, case packing, cartoning, and complete integrated lines. With 70+ years in business and multiple patents, systems are built with sanitation designed to each application — up to IP69K-rated components where required — and every system is programmed and supported in-house by JLS.

Why JLS

Robots weren't built for your environment. Ours are.

Food production is wet, cold, fast, and unforgiving. JLS systems are built around that reality — sanitary stainless construction, accessible surfaces and sanitary routing, and tooling engineered around the product you actually run.

01 — Sanitary by Design

In-house hygienic engineering

Sanitation is designed in from the start: sanitary stainless construction — open-channel or round-tube frames, engineered per platform to shed water — with accessible surfaces, sanitary routing, and minimal harborage points. Built to withstand high-pressure washdown with caustic, chlorinated alkaline, and acid sanitizers, with IP69K-rated robots and components where the application demands. Engineered for USDA / FSIS-inspected facilities from day one.

IP69K-Capable · Washdown-Ready · Sanitary Stainless
02 — Proprietary Technologies & Tooling

Solving difficult product-handling challenges

Our JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 (Vacuum-On-Board) end-of-arm tooling uses 50%+ less compressed air than conventional vacuum systems. Purpose-engineered vacuum tooling — suction cups matched to the product — handles soft cheeses, wet proteins, and genuinely difficult and irregular food products — matched to your product geometry, weight, surface, and packaging format.

Multiple Patents · VOB 2.0 · All in Food Packaging Automation
03 — In-House Build & Programming

Reducing third-party handoffs

Controls, vision, robotics, and HMI are programmed in-house in York, PA — fewer integrators between you and the engineer who built your machine. Faster commissioning, changeover programming, and support response. Work with one automation partner from product handling through case packing and cartoning.

York, PA Engineers · Primary → Case Packing · Day One to Decades
What We Build

Robotic packaging systems built for food production.

From primary product handling to case packing, cartoning, collation, and fully integrated lines — JLS designs, programs, and supports the automation that keeps food lines moving.

TALON®
Pick & Place Robots

Vision-guided delta robots for flow wrappers, thermoformers, trays, raw dough, sandwiches, and bacon draft boards. IP69K. VOB 2.0.

See the TALON Line
OSPREY®
Flexible Case Packing

Robotic case packers for trays, chubs, bags, pouches, thermoformed packs, and IQF. Up to 180 trays/min on the three-head Osprey TL. Optional PIVT seal verification — vacuum-based leak detection at the pick.

See the OSPREY Line
PEREGRINE®
Robotic Cartoning

Carton loading with Peregrine — or full form+load+close with the Peregrine IS monoblock. Up to 50% smaller footprint than traditional top-load cartoners. Patent-pending PBT (Positive Board Transport). 120+ cpm (Peregrine IS); loader systems scale to line speed.

See PEREGRINE
HAWK
Compact Case Packing

Two-axis robotic case packing for cartons, clamshells, and rigid containers. Mechanically simple, non-vision, high-rate loading in a small footprint.

See HAWK
KESTREL
Collation & Orientation

Washdown-ready collate-and-load for snack sticks, sausages, and cylindrical proteins. Controlled feeding, singulation, and collation — a handling problem long left to manual labor.

See KESTREL
PATTY HAWK
Frozen Patties — Stack & Pack

Purpose-built for frozen patty stacks. Period. Laser-guided picking with mechanical grippers, engineered for frozen-environment case packing.

See PATTY HAWK
See Integrated Lines — Primary Loading → Cartoning → Case Packing

Work with one automation partner from robotic product handling through case packing and cartoning.

JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning more than one part of the line?

Reiser helps food manufacturers define the process, evaluate equipment, and select proven technologies across processing and packaging. JLS engineers the robotic automation — sandwich assembly, primary-package loading, cartoning, and case packing — and coordinates the equipment interfaces, integrating selected third-party packaging into one validated system when it is in the project scope.

Full food production line — JLS + Reiser: expertise across the line Ten production-line stages across four zones. JLS-built robotic automation stages are shown in purple; stages available through Reiser's OEM portfolio in blue; customer-selected or partner equipment in gray. Dashed lines mark coordinated integration points. Prepare. Portion. Form. Load. Seal. Case. Carton. Collate. Stack. Secure. 01Mixing &blendingGrindingEmulsifyingMarinatingTumblingAvailable throughReiser portfolio 02Forming &portioningStuffingExtrudingPatty formingDepositingAvailable throughReiser portfolio 03FurtherprocessingSlicingDicingShreddingTenderizingAvailable throughReiser portfolio 04PrimaryloadingPick & placeVision-guidedLane loadingProduct collationJLS TALON®JLS KESTREL™JLS Automation 05PrimarypackagingThermoformingTray sealingVacuum / MAPSkin packAvailable throughReiser portfolio 06CasepackingRobotic case loadingRobotic loadingWashdown configurationsHygienic optionsJLS OSPREY®HAWK™ · PATTY HAWK™Case erecting & sealing via partner equip.JLS Automation 07CartoningForm, load,close cartonsCompact footprintWashdown-capable designJLS PEREGRINE® ISPEREGRINE ISJLS Automation 08Collation /bundlingCount & stackBundle packMultipackPartner equipmentscope-dependent 09PalletizingLayer buildingRobotic palletizingSlip-sheet placeLayer padPartner equipmentscope-dependent 10LoadsecurementStretch wrapBandingCorner boardTop sheetPartner equipmentscope-dependent Tier 1 Primary Packaging The package that touches the product Tier 2 Secondary Packaging Cases, cartons, and multipacks for retail or distribution Tier 3 Tertiary Packaging Stretch wrap, ship-ready unit

Together, JLS and Reiser help food manufacturers develop coordinated processing and packaging lines—from product preparation and primary package loading and sealing through cartoning, case packing and load securement.

Illustrative line architecture. Stages, equipment suppliers and sequence vary by product and project scope. Not every food line uses every stage, and slicing, cooking, freezing, inspection and other processes may occur in different positions.

Scroll left and right to scan the full line. Open the printable line map →

JLS-built robotic automation Available through Reiser’s OEM portfolio Customer-selected / third-party equipment Coordinated integration point

Reiser role across the line

Food-processing expertise, application development, equipment selection, product testing, and sales & lifecycle support.

JLS role at robotic packaging stages

Robotic engineering, product & package handling, controls interfaces, and integration & FAT when included in project scope.

Let’s talk more about planning your full line.

Tell us who you are and a bit about your line. An automation expert will reach out — and we’ll bring the right people from JLS and Reiser to the conversation.

Your details
Facility location
Your line today
What you're planning
What solution(s) are you interested in?* Select all that apply.
Project timeline

By submitting, you agree that JLS Automation and Robert Reiser & Co. may contact you about your inquiry.

Your Product

Find your application.

We build automation purpose-built for the food industry. Pick the product you make. We'll show you the systems and applications that fit your line.

Fresh Meat Sausage & Meat Products Poultry High-Yield Bacon Alternative Proteins Pet Food Cheese Baked Goods Ready Meals Fish & Seafood Snacks Beef & Snack Sticks Fruit & Vegetables Frozen Foods Prepared & Specialty See all products & markets
Our on-site test lab in York, PA

On-site engineers. Real-world testing.
Proof before commitment.

We don’t guess. We work through it — before it reaches your floor.

Bring us your problem. The product that won’t orient. The carton that won’t form. The chub that rolls. The frozen patty stack that topples. The soft cheese that’s hard to pick without damage. We’ll take it apart in the JLS FLIGHT LAB — with your actual product — and figure out whether automation works before you ever sign anything.

Most automation companies say yes first and figure it out on your clock. JLS proves it first, then commits. When your line goes live, it doesn’t get a second chance. It has to run.

Our JLS FLIGHT LAB will review your unique challenges, environment, and desired outcomes.Our engineers solve the difficult products that stall most automation projects.
We’ll tell you if it won’t work.If automation isn’t the right answer for your product, we say so. Before you commit a dime.
We prove it before you commit.FAT in York, PA with your products. If it doesn’t pass, it doesn’t ship. And when we commit, we ship.
B&R controls on a JLS robotic packaging line, programmed in-house in the JLS FLIGHT LAB, York, PA
JLS production floor — robotic packaging system in operation
JLS delta robot loading a hot dog during a product test in the JLS FLIGHT LAB in York, Pennsylvania

Automation usually doesn’t fail all at once. It fails in the small gaps. We research, design, test and close gaps before they get the chance to reach your floor.

JLS FLIGHT LAB · York, PA

See your actual product run before you commit.

Send us your real product. We’ll set up a live robotic test in our York, PA facility — so you can see exactly how the system handles your line, with your conditions, before any commitment.

Test Your Product in the Flight Lab
Recent Wins

We dive toward the challenges.

IBIE 2025 · Best-in-Class Automation & Robotics Top honors for the Peregrine IS robotic cartoning system — recognized as best-in-class for automation and robotics in the baking industry. See the recognition

Multiple Kestrel and Talon systems passed FAT under one of the tightest timelines we’ve run.

A multi-line build — Kestrel 2, 4, and 6 with Talon 6 and 7 — cleared Factory Acceptance Testing in parallel with only minor punch-list items. Customer engineering leadership was on site and shared appreciation for the team’s execution.

5
Systems FAT’d in parallel
2
Product lines, one engagement
100%
In-house controls & programming

More customer case studies are in development — including the JLS-built integrated robotic line for Just Born, maker of the iconic PEEPS® marshmallow candies.

See Customer Results Talk to an Application Engineer
Confidence is hard to earn

The most expensive automation is the wrong one. The best automation is the one proven before start.

Here’s how we earn your confidence.

JLS Flight Lab testing — before you sign

We test your actual product in our York, PA lab — product geometry, weight, packaging format — before we say yes. If it can’t be done right, you’ll know first.

FAT — tested with your product

Every system passes Factory Acceptance Testing here with your products before it ships. Recipes loaded, fault tested, proven at rate on your real product. Customer-specific verifications — like full wire tracing — available on request.

Install — engineers on site

JLS commissions it on your line — backed by the engineers who built and programmed it. Centrally located in the US. Dispatch is fast and direct.

Aftermarket — year one to 15+

Refurbishment, retooling, parts, training. We extend the life of machines you already own and stay on call when the line needs us — year one through year fifteen and beyond.

Customer voices

Hear it from the floor.

Real lines. Real customers. The plants that run JLS equipment, in their own words.

Barron County Cheese · Cheese & dairy

Cheese loading without the breakage.

How JLS robotics replaced manual loading on a high-throughput cheese line without bruising the product or breaking sanitation.

Berks Packing · Sausage & meat

Hygienic robots that hold up to washdown.

Berks Packing on running JLS systems through full washdown cycles, day after day, without compromising the line.

John F. Martin · Meat processing

Built for a USDA facility, supported from Pennsylvania.

Why a fellow Pennsylvania meat processor chose JLS for primary loading and case packing.

Over 1,000 custom installs. Predictable performance. Premier, dedicated service.

  • Factory-tested reliability — validated at FAT with your product
  • In-house programming — York, PA
  • Same in-house team, day one to decades later
  • Fast dispatch from a central US location
  • Remote diagnostics + on-site support
FAQ

What food manufacturers ask us first.

Optimized answers for plant managers, engineers, food-safety leads, and procurement — the four people in every JLS deal.
JLS Automation builds robotic packaging systems focused exclusively on food packaging automation, with hygienic and washdown design built in where the application requires it — primary product handling (Talon®, Harrier), case packing (Osprey®, Hawk, Patty Hawk), cartoning (Peregrine®, Peregrine IS), and collation and loading (Kestrel). Every system is engineered, programmed, and supported from York, Pennsylvania.
After 70+ years of building automation, JLS is focused exclusively on food packaging today — multiple patents, all in food packaging. USDA / FSIS sanitary design, washdown-capable construction, and the vacuum tooling needed to handle wet proteins, soft cheeses, and irregular foods are genuinely difficult. We chose to do that one thing exceptionally well rather than adapt general-purpose robots to food.
VOB 2.0 (Vacuum-On-Board) is a JLS-engineered end-of-arm tooling system. The vacuum is generated on the robot arm itself — not from a remote pump — which reduces compressed-air consumption by 50% or more compared with conventional vacuum systems, and simplifies vacuum plumbing and sanitation. VOB is engineered to let JLS robots handle genuinely difficult products, including soft cheeses and wet proteins.
JLS systems can be engineered to IP69K — the highest international rating for protection against high-pressure, high-temperature washdown. Sanitary stainless construction — open-channel or round-tube frames, engineered per platform to shed water — continuous welds, and in-house sanitary engineering minimize bacterial harborage points. Systems are built to handle caustic, chlorinated alkaline, and acid sanitizers. This is engineered from the ground up for USDA-inspected facilities, not bolted on later.
Payback is commonly evaluated in the 24 to 36-month range — but every line is unique, and actual ROI depends on your product, package format, line speed, labor model, and operating schedule. JLS reviews your specific situation during discovery to determine where automation creates the strongest return.
All controls, vision, robotics, and HMI programming is done in-house by JLS engineers in York, Pennsylvania. There are no third-party integrators between you and the team that built your machine. That means faster commissioning, faster changeover programming, and faster support response — and when the line is down, JLS's in-house support team is on the phone with direct access to the engineers who wrote the code.
Every JLS system is engineered, manufactured, programmed, lab-tested, and supported from JLS’s headquarters at 20 Innovation Drive, York, Pennsylvania, USA. Centrally located in the United States means dispatch is fast and support runs on your time zone.
Some JLS systems are still running 15+ years after install. Through JLS Aftermarket, existing machines can be refurbished and retooled for new product mixes — extending their life rather than replacing them. We don’t sell machines. We sell working solutions that run from day one through decades.
Every JLS system is engineered, programmed, and supported from York, Pennsylvania. A single U.S. home base means fast dispatch, support that runs on your time zone, and an in-house support team backed by the engineers who built your machine.
Yes — that’s exactly what our facility tour is for. Visit JLS in York, PA and see live systems running, meet the engineers who will build and support yours, walk through the lab where your application would be tested, and stand next to the patent wall. Schedule a tour at jlsautomation.com/contact#facility-tour.
Fresh meat, sausage and meat products, poultry, high-yield bacon, alternative proteins, pet food, cheese, baked goods, ready meals, fish and seafood, snacks, beef and snack sticks, fruit and vegetables, and frozen foods. Wherever the product is wet, sticky, irregular, delicate, or has to be packed in a USDA facility, JLS is built for it.

What do you want to know?

Ask us anything — an automation expert will follow up.

What can we help with? Optional — select any that apply.

By submitting, you agree that JLS Automation and Robert Reiser & Co. may contact you about your inquiry.

See what your line is actually capable of.

Bring us your requirements. The JLS FLIGHT LAB can review your unique situation to understand your needs — and see what your line is really capable of.

Typical payback: 24–36 months. Every year.

Schedule a Facility Tour Talk to an Application Engineer Request a Line Assessment
Already running a JLS line?
Connect with the service experts who keep your automation performing.
Spare parts, preventive maintenance, retooling, training, and on-site support — from JLS's in-house support team, backed by the engineers who built your machine.
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