How VOB 2.0 Vacuum Tooling Handles the Toughest Flexible Packages

Vacuum tooling is the hands of a robotic case packer. If the tooling can't reliably acquire and hold the product at speed — without damaging it, without dropping it, without consuming excessive compressed air — nothing downstream matters. The robot picks nothing. The case stays empty. The line stops.

This is why JLS developed VOB® — Vacuum On Board — and why the second generation, VOB 2.0, represents one of the most significant engineering advances in the Osprey platform.

The Problem with Conventional Vacuum Systems

Most robotic case packers use centralized vacuum systems. A large vacuum pump or blower sits off to the side of the machine, connected to the robot's end-of-arm tool (EOAT) through hoses, manifolds, and fittings. This approach works, but it comes with real costs:

Compressed air consumption. Centralized vacuum systems are energy-intensive. In a food plant running multiple packaging lines, compressed air is often the single largest utility cost after electricity. Every cubic foot of air consumed at the EOAT is money.

Sanitation complexity. When it's time to clean, the entire vacuum system — hoses, manifolds, fittings, the EOAT itself — needs to be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled. In a washdown environment running daily or per-shift sanitation cycles, that's significant downtime. And if any residue gets trapped in a hose or fitting, you have a food safety risk hiding inside your tooling.

Changeover time. Switching between product formats often means swapping the entire EOAT assembly and reconnecting vacuum lines. On some systems, this process takes 20-30 minutes and requires tools and a trained technician.

What VOB 2.0 Changes

VOB 2.0, co-developed with Penn State University, moves vacuum generation onto the tool itself. Instead of routing compressed air through long hose runs from a remote pump, VOB 2.0 generates vacuum directly at the point of use — on the EOAT, at the pick point.

This changes three things at once:

1. Compressed Air Reduction of 50%+

By eliminating the long hose runs and centralized distribution, VOB 2.0 cuts compressed air consumption by more than half compared to conventional vacuum systems. For a plant running multiple Osprey lines, the energy savings compound quickly. Compressed air is expensive to generate — typically $0.20 to $0.30 per 1,000 cubic feet — and most plants are already looking for ways to reduce consumption.

2. Sanitation Becomes a Tool Swap

This is the shift that matters most in food-zone environments. With VOB 2.0, sanitation isn't a cleaning event — it's a tool swap. When it's time to clean, the operator removes the EOAT and replaces it with a clean one. The removed tool goes to the sanitation station for thorough cleaning outside the machine. No disassembly of vacuum lines. No flushing hoses. No risk of trapped residue inside the system.

For plants running USDA or GFSI-standard sanitation protocols, this approach simplifies compliance and reduces the window for contamination risk. The tool that touches product is always a freshly sanitized tool.

3. Tool-Less Changeover

VOB 2.0 EOATs are designed for tool-less change. No wrenches. No bolts. No vacuum line reconnections. The operator unclips the current tool and clips on the new one. Combined with the Osprey's HMI recipe selection, total product changeover — including EOAT swap, case guide rail adjustment, and recipe change — takes under 10 minutes on the [Osprey BP](https://www.jlsautomation.com/osprey).

Matched to Your Exact Product

Every VOB 2.0 EOAT is configured for a specific product format. JLS application engineers design the vacuum cup layout, suction force, and gripper geometry based on your actual product — its weight, surface texture, flexibility, and packaging material.

A pillow bag of shredded cheese requires different vacuum characteristics than a stand-up pouch of pet food or a thermoformed MAP tray of sliced turkey. VOB 2.0 tooling is not a universal suction cup — it's a precision tool matched to your product's specific handling requirements.

This is why JLS requests product samples during the application engineering phase. The EOAT design is validated on real product before the system ships.

Where VOB 2.0 Lives

VOB 2.0 is standard on the [Osprey BP](https://www.jlsautomation.com/osprey) (bag, pouch, and thermoform packing) and available across the Osprey tray loading platform. The original VOB® — the first-generation system that also provides on-board vacuum generation — is used on the [Osprey CL](https://www.jlsautomation.com/automatic-chub-loading-system) chub loading system, where the tooling requirements are different due to the cylindrical product geometry.

Both generations share the same core principle: vacuum generation belongs at the point of use, not at the end of a hose run.

The Practical Impact

In a typical Osprey BP installation handling flexible pouches:

• Compressed air costs drop by 50%+ compared to the previous vacuum system
• Sanitation time per changeover is reduced because the EOAT swaps in seconds rather than requiring line-side disassembly
• Product damage decreases because vacuum force is calibrated to the specific package, not a one-size-fits-all suction setting
• Changeover time falls under 10 minutes for a complete product and format switch

These aren't theoretical improvements. They're the result of engineering vacuum generation into the tool itself — a change that sounds incremental but compounds across every pick, every changeover, and every sanitation cycle.

[CTA: Talk to JLS About Your Packaging Application]

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VOB and VOB 2.0 are proprietary vacuum tooling systems designed and built by JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit [jlsautomation.com/osprey](https://www.jlsautomation.com/osprey) or call (717) 505-3800.