Case Packing Cartons, Clamshells, and Rigid Containers: Why One Machine Handles All Three

If your product comes in a rigid container — a carton, a clamshell, a tub, a cup, a bottle, a jar, or a can — you already know that case packing these formats has its own set of challenges. Rigid containers don't flex. They don't compress. And they don't forgive sloppy handling.

The good news: the same mechanical properties that make rigid containers demanding to handle also make them well-suited to a single automation approach. You don't need a different case packer for cartons, clamshells, and tubs. You need one machine with the right architecture.

The Collate-and-Load Approach

Most case packers for rigid containers work by collating product into the correct group pattern on an infeed conveyor, then loading the entire group into the case in a single motion. This is fundamentally different from the pick-and-place approach used for flexible packages like pouches and chubs, where a robot picks individual items and places them one at a time.

The [Hawk](https://www.jlsautomation.com/hawk) uses this collate-and-load method. Product flows in from upstream on the infeed conveyor. The system groups containers into the programmed case-pack pattern — whether that's a 3x4 array of yogurt cups, a 2x3 pattern of blueberry clamshells, or a 4x6 grid of juice cartons. The collated group is then loaded into the case as a unit.

This approach matters for two reasons. First, it's fast — moving a complete group into the case is inherently faster than picking and placing individual containers. Second, it maintains the pack pattern integrity. Rigid containers need to sit in the case in a precise arrangement so they don't shift, rattle, or topple during transport. Loading the group as a unit preserves that arrangement.

One Frame, Many Formats

Here's where the Hawk's architecture becomes relevant. The machine uses a cantilevered frame design that provides full access to the case loading area from one side. This isn't just an ergonomic convenience — it's what allows the system to handle the full range of rigid container geometries without major mechanical changes.

Cartons, clamshells, tubs, cups, bottles, cans, jars — these all have different heights, diameters, and center-of-gravity characteristics. The cantilevered frame gives the loading mechanism the clearance and access geometry it needs to place each format precisely, regardless of container shape.

Changeover between container types is managed through the HMI recipe system. Select the new product, adjust the guide rails, and the Hawk runs the new format. No mechanical rebuilds. No calling in a technician.

Compact Footprint

Floor space in food packaging facilities is always limited — and it's getting more limited as operations add SKUs, new product lines, and additional equipment. The Hawk was designed with this constraint in mind.

The cantilevered frame and collate-and-load architecture allow the Hawk to occupy a smaller footprint than many competing case packers handling similar product ranges. For operations retrofitting automation into existing lines — where the available space is fixed and often tight — this can be the difference between a feasible project and one that requires facility modifications.

Built for Food Environments

Like every JLS machine, the Hawk is built for hygienic environments. Stainless steel construction. Open-frame design. Surfaces that are accessible and cleanable. The machine handles daily sanitation protocols without creating water traps, corrosion points, or hard-to-reach cavities.

This matters particularly in fresh produce, dairy, and bakery applications where the rigid containers being packed may be in direct contact with the food product (as with clamshells and tubs), and the packing environment requires sanitary standards that go beyond dry-warehouse construction.

Where the Hawk Fits

The Osprey family — CL, TL, and BP — handles flexible and semi-rigid products: chubs, pouches, trays, bags. Those products need pick-and-place robots with vacuum tooling because the packages are soft, deformable, and require individual handling.

The Hawk handles the other side of the portfolio: everything rigid. If your container holds its shape on a conveyor and doesn't deform under contact, the Hawk's collate-and-load approach is the more efficient automation strategy.

Together, the Osprey family and the Hawk cover the full range of food packaging formats — from the most flexible to the most rigid — on the same B&R controls platform.

[CTA: See How the Hawk Handles Your Product]

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The Hawk case packing system is designed and built by JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania. To discuss your rigid container case packing application, visit [jlsautomation.com/hawk](https://www.jlsautomation.com/hawk) or call (717) 505-3800.