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 — fast and clear service like no other.

PRIMARY LOADING, CARTONING, and CASE PACKING.

Schedule a Facility Tour Test Your Product in the Flight Lab
70+ yrs
Automation &
Robot Experts
13+ Patents
Innovations built for
real line challenges.
Hygienic by design
From wipe-down
to IP69K
JLS Assurance
JLS FLIGHT LAB tests your project
— before commitments.
In-house control
JLS Engineered, 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 hygienic robotic packaging systems for food manufacturers — primary product handling, case packing, cartoning, and complete integrated lines. With more than 70 years in business, 13+ U.S. patents, and IP69K-capable washdown design, every system is engineered, programmed, and supported entirely in-house by JLS.

Why JLS

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

Food production is wet, aggressive, and unforgiving. We design for it from the ground up—then prove it in the JLS FLIGHT LAB with your product. Programmed in-house. Expert support long after the install.

01 — Sanitary by Design

In-house hygienic engineering

JLS systems are engineered from the ground up for USDA / FSIS-inspected food facilities — IP69K across the full system, tubular stainless frames that eliminate bacterial harborage, and built to withstand high-pressure washdown with caustic, chlorinated alkaline, and acid sanitizers. Hygienic design from day one — not a retrofit.

IP69K · USDA-Compliant · Not Retrofit
02 — Proprietary Technologies & Tooling

Solving what others won't attempt

Our patented VOB™ 2.0 (Vacuum-On-Board) end-of-arm tooling, co-developed with Penn State, uses 50%+ less compressed air with no moving parts in the tool. Purpose-built grippers handle soft cheeses, wet proteins, and irregular food products other robotics companies turn down — matched to your product geometry, weight, surface, and packaging format.

13+ US Patents · VOB™ 2.0 · All in Food Packaging
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. Source primary loading through case packing and cartoning from one accountable partner.

York, PA Engineers · Primary → Case Packing · 15+ Year Lifecycles
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 LINE®
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 LINE®
Flexible Case Packing

Robotic case packers for trays, chubs, bags, pouches, thermoforms, and IQF. Up to 120 trays/min on OSPREY TL. PIVT leak detection optional.

See the OSPREY Line
PEREGRINE®
Robotic Cartoning

Full Form+Load+Close. Industry's smallest cartoning footprint — up to two-thirds smaller than traditional systems. Patent-pending PCF. 150+ cpm.

See PEREGRINE
HAWK
Compact Case Packing

Two-axis robotic case packing for cartons, clamshells, and rigid containers. Up to 60 cases or 120 cartons per minute in a small footprint.

See HAWK
KESTREL
Collation & Orientation

Hygienic collate-and-load for snack sticks, sausages, and cylindrical proteins. The bridge between primary and secondary — no competitor owns this with hygienic design.

See KESTREL
PATTY HAWK
Frozen Patties — Stack & Pack

Purpose-built for frozen patty stacks. Period. Rated −10°F to +50°F. Strongest niche in the JLS portfolio — limited competition.

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

JLS customers can source robotic primary handling, case packing, and cartoning from one accountable partner.

JLS + Reiser: Your Complete Solution

Planning more than one part of the line?

Looking to update your full food processing, product handling, packaging, and final output? JLS & Reiser have helped food manufacturers build complete integrated production solutions.

Full food production line — JLS + Reiser premium partnership Ten production-line stages grouped into four zones. JLS Automation stages in vibrant purple; JLS + Reiser premium partnership stages in muted blue at 72 percent opacity. Three packaging tier bands at the bottom name the primary, secondary, and tertiary tiers. Prepare. Portion. Form. Load. Seal. Case. Carton. Collate. Stack. Secure. 01Mixing &blendingGrindingEmulsifyingMarinatingTumblingJLS + ReiserPremium Partnership 02Forming &portioningStuffingExtrudingPatty / sausageDepositingJLS + ReiserPremium Partnership 03FurtherprocessingSlicingDicingShreddingTenderizingJLS + ReiserPremium Partnership 04PrimaryloadingPick & placeVision-guidedLane loadingFlexible productJLS TALONJLS KESTRELJLS Automation 05PrimarypackagingThermoformingTray sealingVacuum / MAPSkin packJLS + ReiserPremium Partnership 06CasepackingCase erectRobotic loadingCase sealHygienic IP69KJLS OSPREYHAWK · PATTY HAWKJLS Automation 07CartoningForm, load,close cartonsCompact footprintHygienic designJLS PEREGRINEPEREGRINE ISJLS Automation 08Collation /bundlingCollationCount & stackBundle packMulti-packJLS HARRIER+ custom roboticsJLS Automation 09Robotic stackingLayer buildingPattern buildingSlip-sheet placeLayer padJLS + ReiserPremium Partnership 10LoadsecurementStretch wrapBandingCorner boardTop sheetJLS + ReiserPremium Partnership 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

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

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 this form, you agree that JLS Automation may contact you regarding your inquiry and send relevant updates. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Your Product

Find your application.

We build automation for the food industry — only. 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 Engineers & Manufacturing Magicians

Proving your product’s automation
before committing to project takeoff.

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

Bring us your problem. The product that won’t orient. The seal that won’t hold. The chub that rolls. The frozen patty stack that topples. The soft cheese other robots drop. 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.We can provide solutions others won’t even attempt.
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 we always ship when it’s a commitment.
JLS engineers testing a robotic packaging system in the JLS FLIGHT LAB in York, Pennsylvania
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.

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 engineering & programming

More named 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.

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, washdown verified, wire traced.

Install — engineers on site

The same engineers who built and programmed it commission it on your line. Centrally located in the US. Dispatch is fast. No ocean between you and the answer.

Aftermarket — 15+ years

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, 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.

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 hygienic robotic packaging systems for the food industry — and only the food industry — including primary product handling (TALON® LINE, TALON HARRIER), case packing (OSPREY® LINE, HAWK, PATTY HAWK), cartoning (PEREGRINE®, PEREGRINE IS), collation and orientation (KESTREL). Every system is engineered, programmed, and supported from York, Pennsylvania.
70 years in food, one industry, 13+ US patents — all in food packaging. USDA / FSIS hygienic design, IP69K washdown, and the gripper engineering needed to handle wet proteins, soft cheeses, and irregular foods is genuinely difficult. We chose to be the company that does that one thing exceptionally well rather than a general-purpose robotics company that occasionally serves food.
VOB 2.0 (Vacuum-On-Board) is a JLS-patented end-of-arm tooling system co-developed with Penn State University. The vacuum is generated on the robot arm itself — not from a remote pump — which reduces compressed-air consumption by 50% or more, eliminates plumbing, simplifies sanitation, and is virtually clog-free with no moving parts. VOB is what allows our robots to handle products other robotics companies turn down, including soft cheeses and wet proteins.
Yes. JLS systems are rated IP69K — the highest international standard for protection against high-pressure, high-temperature washdown. Our sanitary tubular stainless-steel frames, continuous welds, and hygienic design eliminate 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.
Most food manufacturers see a 12 to 24-month payback on a JLS line, depending on labor cost, shift schedule, throughput, and the application. Annual savings on labor alone are typically $120,000 to $240,000 per line, with an additional 15 to 25% throughput gain in many configurations. Capital cost per system runs $150,000 to $1M+ depending on configuration and scope.
The FDA’s FSMA 204 compliance deadline is July 20, 2028, and 93% of food manufacturers are increasing food-safety spend ahead of it. JLS systems are built for inspection-ready documentation, recipe-driven changeovers, and integration with your traceability and MES systems. Our team works with you on data flow during specification — not after install.
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 engineer who built your machine. That means faster commissioning, faster changeover programming, faster support response — and the same engineer who wrote the code is on the phone when the line is down.
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 engineers can dispatch fast — no ocean between you and your service call.
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.
Three things: (1) Your service call doesn’t cross an ocean — engineers dispatch from York, PA. (2) Hygienic design is the starting point, not a retrofit. (3) JLS is a private, food-only company that has been doing this for 70 years — not a multi-industry conglomerate adapting general-purpose robots for food.
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/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 solution(s) are you interested in?* Select all that apply.

By submitting this form, you agree that JLS Automation may contact you regarding your inquiry and send relevant updates. You may unsubscribe at any time.

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: 12–24 months.

Common annual savings: $120K–$240K+ per line. 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 the same engineers who built your machine.
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