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Robotic bacon draft loading for thermoformers

Most robotics fail on bacon.
The Harrier gets a grip.

A robotic bacon draft loader that picks freshly sliced bacon from the pick conveyor and places it into thermoformed pockets — using mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling that doesn't rely on suction. IP69K-capable delta robots, 2D JLS EyeQ vision, and direct thermoformer integration. Built for daily high-pressure washdown.
Test your bacon in the Flight Lab See technical specs
Mechanical
Cylinder-actuated, non-vacuum tooling
IP69K-capable
Full washdown construction
2D JLS EyeQ
Vision-guided placement
24–36
Months typical ROI
Multiple PatentsAll in Food Packaging Automation
In-House ProgrammingControls, Vision & Robotics Expertise
Factory-Tested ReliabilityBacked by JLS Service & Support
World-Class ServiceDedicated Installation, Startup & Support
24–26 Week Delivery WindowFor Standardized Platforms
JLS Harrier watercolor bird illustration

The JLS Harrier is a robotic bacon draft loader that uses IP69K-capable Codian delta robots and mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling to pick sliced bacon drafts and place them into thermoformed pockets — where vacuum grippers fail. 2D JLS EyeQ vision guides placement in real time. Full washdown / sanitary construction. Integrates with thermoformers from Provisur, Reiser, and other OEMs. Engineered, programmed, and supported entirely in-house by JLS.

JLS Harrier automatic bacon draft loading system

In action

See the Harrier load bacon drafts

Harrier — Automatic Bacon Draft Loading Harrier — Bacon Draft Loading

Harrier — Automatic Bacon Draft Loading

See the Harrier automatically load freshly sliced bacon drafts into a thermoformer. An air-cylinder-actuated servo finger beneath the conveyor lifts the L-board flap; the mechanical tooling then rotates and places each draft into the thermoformer pocket.

Why Harrier

Bacon draft loading without the vacuum problem.

Freshly sliced, pliable bacon defeats vacuum grippers within minutes — grease and moisture break the cup seal, causing chronic mis-picks and downtime. The Harrier was built specifically for that moment — mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling grips bacon drafts regardless of grease level, temperature, or surface condition. A servo finger beneath the conveyor lifts the L-board flap, and the tooling then seats each draft cleanly into the thermoformed pocket.

Greasy product in. Clean placement out. Every Harrier is configured around your bacon format, your thermoformer, and your production targets — so the most manual, injury-prone step on a bacon packaging line becomes one of the most predictable.

Applications & Package Types

The Harrier — bacon draft board loading

The Harrier uses IP69K-capable Codian delta robots with mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling (non-vacuum) and 2D JLS EyeQ vision to pick sliced bacon drafts and place them into thermoformed pockets at production speed. A servo finger beneath the conveyor lifts the L-board flap — the critical step that lets the tooling place drafts cleanly into the pocket. Full washdown construction, built for daily high-pressure washdown. Integrates with thermoformers from Provisur, Reiser, and other OEMs.

Bacon Products

Center-Cut BaconSliced, draft on board
Hickory-SmokedStandard retail formats
Maple BaconFlavored varieties
8oz Retail BaconStandard retail pack
12oz Retail BaconStandard retail pack
Other VariantsTalk to our engineers

Package Formats

8oz Retail BaconThermoformed pocket
12oz Retail BaconThermoformed pocket
Thermoformed PocketsMultiple OEM compatibility
Heat-Sealed PackagingDownstream integration
L-Board Draft BoardsServo finger lifts the flap

The Challenge

The gap most food lines share — and the system built to close it.

✕The Problem

Manual handling at this station is hard to staff — and harder to keep consistent

The same repetitive work, every shift — capping throughput and adding food-safety risk.

The repetitive manual work at this step is increasingly difficult to staff, and consistency slips across shifts. When people fall behind, the line slows, rework climbs, and hand contact adds a food-safety exposure. Add high annual turnover, rising ergonomic claims, and a shrinking labor pool, and the cost of doing it by hand keeps climbing.

Chronic
Turnover in manual packing roles
24–36 mo
Typical full-payback window
Line rate
Throughput manual handling can't sustain
✓The Solution

Engineered robotic automation configured to your exact product

JLS engineers, tests, and installs the system — proven before it ships.

JLS designs the system around your product, package, and line — robots, tooling, vision, and controls engineered and programmed in-house. We prove it on your actual product in our York, PA Flight Lab before final design, so the line runs at rate, holds consistent placement every cycle, and stands up to daily washdown.

24–36 mo
Typical ROI timeline
Minutes
Recipe-driven changeover
In-house
Controls & software, by JLS

Test before you commit

See the Harrier load your
bacon line before you commit.

Send us your product. We'll run it on a live Harrier in York, PA — bacon drafts picked and placed into thermoformed pockets at your exact format and pack pattern, with the mechanical tooling configured for it — before any capital commitment.

Live
Robotic test with real product
U.S. Built
U.S. built automation
No
Commitment required
Test your product in the Flight Lab

Core Technology

The engineering behind Harrier's bacon precision

Every component of the Harrier was designed, built, and programmed under one roof — from the mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling to the 2D JLS EyeQ vision system to the thermoformer integration. Backed by multiple patents, these are the innovations that make the Harrier purpose-built for retail bacon draft loading.

Stainless steel construction icon
IP69K*-Capable Components

Full washdown construction

Round-tube stainless frame (open-channel available as an option), sloped surfaces, open cable channels, and NEMA 4X controls — built for wet, raw-protein environments in full washdown construction, with IP69K-capable components selected per application. Built for the food zone from day one. Not retrofitted.

IP69K*-Capable Minimal Harborage NEMA 4X
Vision-guided accuracy
Track · Acquire · Place at Full Speed

Vision-Guided Delta Robotics

2D JLS EyeQ vision tracks each bacon draft’s position and orientation on the conveyor in real time — directing the delta robots to pick each draft precisely and place it into the thermoformed pocket in sync with the thermoformer, without an operator manually aligning drafts by hand.

Thermoformer-paced 2D JLS EyeQ vision Real-Time Tracking
Mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling icon
Mechanical · Cylinder-Actuated · Non-Vacuum

Mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling

Greasy, pliable bacon defeats vacuum cups. The Harrier’s mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling grips each draft reliably regardless of surface grease, moisture, or temperature — no vacuum suction, no cup degradation. Configured for your exact bacon format and validated at Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) before shipment.

Non-Vacuum Tooling Grease-Proof Grip Multiple Patents
Tool-less changeover — under 5 minutes
Tool-less Changeover

Tool-less Changeover — Under 5 Min

Select the new recipe on the HMI, swap the end-of-arm tooling by hand, and run. Every SKU your plant produces is pre-loaded before the system ships — no wrenches, no programming, no maintenance call.

<5 Min SKU Swap Pre-loaded Recipes
Multi-cell, multi-head modularity
3–4 Heads · 2–6 Cells

Multi-Cell, Multi-Head Modularity

Scale throughput to match your thermoformer — 3 or 4 robot heads across 2 to 6 cells, configured to your line speed. Add cells as your production grows without changing the platform or the controls.

Thermoformer-paced Scales With Your Line
In-house programming and HMI icon
York, PA · Designed & Programmed In-House

Operator HMI & In-House Software

Touchscreen interface designed for plant-floor operators — select a recipe and run, no engineer required. Software is written and owned entirely by JLS, so new recipes and remote support come directly from the team that built your system.

No 3rd-Party Software ERP/MES Ready

Options & Add-Ons

More ways to fit your line.

Product stacking, grouping and shingling

Stacking, grouping & shingling

The slicer upstream (by others) forms the shingled or stacked draft and inserts the board; the Harrier's recipe tells it what to expect — draft count, orientation, and format — so it picks the complete draft as delivered and places it consistently into the thermoformer pocket, run after run.

Changing SKUs is a recipe selection on the HMI; no mechanical re-tooling of the Harrier itself is required for draft-pattern changes made upstream.

Stacked
Multi-count
presentation
Shingled
Overlapping
pack patterns
Recipe
Pattern changes
on the HMI
L-board flap handling
L-board flap handling
An air-cylinder-actuated servo finger beneath the conveyor lifts the L-board flap before placement — so the mechanical tooling folds and seats each bacon draft into the pocket in one continuous synchronized motion.
Integrated sanitary infeed
Integrated Sanitary Infeed
JLS coordinates sanitary infeed conveyors that present product cleanly and consistently to the robots — the steady, even supply vision-guided picking depends on.
Full washdown construction
Full washdown construction
Built for wet, raw-protein environments in full washdown construction, with IP69K*-capable components selected per application.
Configure Your System
Need Something Specific?
Every Harrier is configured to your product, format, and facility. Talk to a JLS application engineer about your exact requirements.
Talk to an Engineer →

Application Engineering & Integration

Configured for your product. Scalable across your line.

Every Harrier is purpose-built for the wet bacon environment — configured to your slice, board, and thermoformer, gently loading shingled drafts precisely into pockets. One team, one facility, one integration.

UPSTREAM Slicer + card insert (by others) HARRIER BACON DRAFT LOADING VISION + DELTA PER APPLICATION DOWNSTREAM Thermoformer seal & trim OUTPUT Distribution
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning more than just bacon loading?

JLS builds complete lines — primary loading, thermoformer integration, case packing — engineered as a single solution from one team.

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.

The automation process is smooth, precise, and highly consistent, allowing our packaging lines to maintain production targets with greater reliability and less downtime.
Carlos O'Neill, Plant Manager Family Food Products · JLS Kestrel Collate & Load

Specs & Configuration

Harrier technical specifications

Configuration snapshot

The Harrier is configured to your thermoformer index cycle and draft dimensions. JLS engineers the right delta head count, pick-conveyor length, and tooling geometry for your line speed and bacon format.

2 cells
Entry rate*
Lower-rate applications and a smaller footprint.
4 cells
Mid-range*
Mid- to high-rate applications.
6 cells
Top rate*
Highest-speed applications.

*Estimated rates vary by product, tooling, and configuration. JLS confirms the right configuration for your product and target rate during a line assessment.

Specification Value
Estimated Throughput Matched to thermoformer pace; scales with head and cell count*
Robot Heads / Cells 3 or 4 heads; 2 to 6 cells
Robot Type Delta-style 4-axis, IP69K-capable (Codian)
End-of-Arm Tooling Mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling (non-vacuum); configured per bacon format
Product Size Sliced bacon drafts on L-board; retail formats per application
Loading Styles Bacon drafts placed into thermoformed pockets; an under-conveyor servo finger lifts the L-board flap, then the tooling completes placement
Vision System JLS EyeQ 2D vision with conveyor tracking
Control System B&R Automation
Construction Full washdown / sanitary construction
Sanitation rating IP69K-capable components; full washdown / sanitary construction
Frame Construction Round-tube stainless frame (standard); open-channel frame available as an option
Estimated Footprint (excl. guards / thermoformer) Contact JLS for footprint sizing for your configuration.
Electrical Supply 480V ±10%, 3-phase, 60Hz
Air Supply 80 PSI, clean, dry, lube-free
Electrical Enclosures NEMA 4X rated; UL/cUL listed
Reliability Factory-tested reliability — validated at FAT with your product
Lead Time Confirmed at proposal

*Estimated rates vary by product, tooling, and configuration. Specifications may vary by configuration — contact JLS for your specific application.

Where should we send your copy?

What solution(s) are you interested in?* Select all that apply.

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

Compare

Harrier vs. the field

Feature Manual Loading Standard Pick-and-Place Harrier
Throughput Limited by hand speed Varies; fixed cells Keeps pace with the thermoformer*
Keeps the Thermoformer Fed Falls behind, empty pockets Depends on configuration Designed to fill every pocket
Random Infeed Orientation Manual sorting Often needs fixed orientation Vision-guided, any orientation
Washdown Rating N/A IP65–IP67 (partial) IP69K*-capable
Labor Required 2–6 loaders/line 1–2 operators Eliminates manual loaders
Changeover Time N/A 15–30 min Typically <5 min, tool-less
Typical ROI N/A Varies by system 24–36 months
In-House Programming N/A ✗ 3rd-party contractors ✓ 100% in-house

Based on typical bacon draft loading installations. *Estimated rates vary by product, tooling, and configuration.

Application Example · JLS Harrier Bacon Draft Loading

Automating bacon draft loading — without the greasy-product problem.

John F. Martin & Sons — a fourth-generation family meat business with a 190,000 sq ft bacon facility in Womelsdorf, PA — partnered with JLS to co-develop the Harrier bacon draft loading system. Hand-loading bacon drafts was labor-intensive and hard to staff, and the operation needed automation that could keep pace without fighting flexible, slippery product.

JLS engineered and installed a Harrier with mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling configured to the bacon draft. IP69K-capable Codian delta robots and 2D JLS EyeQ vision pick each draft, an under-conveyor servo finger lifts the L-board flap, and the tooling places it cleanly into the thermoformed pocket in sync with the forming machine. Operators run it from the HMI, and it holds up to daily high-pressure washdown.

They stood behind it — engineering, manufacturing, R&D, up to the president — until it ran.

— Tom Weber, Dir. Maintenance & CI, John F. Martin & Sons

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FAQ

Questions our engineers get asked most

Bacon draft loading, mechanical tooling, sanitation, thermoformer integration, and ROI — answered by JLS application engineers.

Every Harrier is engineered to order, so there is no single list price. Cost depends on your line speed, the number of robot heads and cells, tooling, vision, sanitation requirements, and the integration scope with your thermoformer and upstream/downstream equipment. JLS reviews your product, package format, target rate, and current line, then provides a detailed quote and budgetary range for your application.

Freshly sliced bacon is greasy, pliable, and releases moisture — all conditions that break the seal on vacuum cups, causing chronic mis-picks and downtime. The Harrier's mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling grips the draft regardless of surface grease, temperature, or moisture — delivering consistent pick-and-place shift after shift, with no vacuum draw or cup degradation.

The L-board (or draft board) is the paperboard carrier that holds shingled bacon in retail packaging, with a flap that must be lifted before the draft can seat into the thermoformed pocket. An air-cylinder-actuated servo finger beneath the conveyor lifts the flap, and the mechanical tooling then places the bacon draft into the pocket — handling the flap-lift step that slows manual loading and complicates other automated approaches.

The Harrier handles common retail bacon formats — center-cut, hickory-smoked, maple, applewood, peppered, and thick-cut — in 8oz and 12oz retail draft boards. The mechanical, cylinder-actuated tooling grips drafts regardless of fat content, temperature, or surface greasiness. JLS systems engineers configure the tooling and vision parameters to your specific bacon specifications during build; commissioning validates the configuration on your line.

Yes. The Harrier is built for full washdown construction — the sanitary stainless frame and IP69K-capable components are designed to withstand the high-pressure, high-temperature washdown used in raw-protein production. The Codian delta robots used on the Harrier are IP69K-rated, and sanitary welds are used where needed to keep harborage minimal and enable thorough sanitation.

The Harrier integrates with major thermoformer OEMs, including Provisur and Reiser. The B&R controls platform communicates directly with the thermoformer for synchronized indexing and cycle timing. JLS handles the full integration scope — mechanical interface, controls communication, and timing synchronization — so the Harrier operates as a seamless part of your bacon packaging line.

Select the new bacon format on the HMI and the system adjusts vision parameters and placement coordinates automatically. Physical EOAT swaps — if needed for significantly different draft sizes — use a quick-change mount with no hand tools required. Every format your plant runs is pre-loaded before the system ships, so switching between 8oz center-cut and 12oz thick-cut needs no reprogramming or maintenance call; commissioning confirms it on your line.

The Harrier typically eliminates multiple manual bacon draft-loading positions per thermoformer line; the exact count is quantified during the line assessment based on your cell count, shift structure, and staffing model. Most customers see full payback in the 24–36 month range on direct labor alone — before factoring in reduced repetitive-strain injuries and steadier throughput.

The Harrier is built for daily high-pressure, high-temperature washdown. Full washdown construction means a sanitary stainless frame with minimal harborage points and no standing-water traps — an open-channel frame is available for maximum surface access. The IP69K-capable Codian delta robots seal against washdown spray. Operators run the daily high-pressure washdown without disassembling the system — sanitation method and schedule are confirmed per facility and application, keeping downtime minimal and sanitation consistent shift to shift.

The Harrier is designed, built, programmed, and tested at JLS Automation's facility in York, Pennsylvania, by JLS employees. It uses 2D JLS EyeQ vision — ideally suited to the flat profile of bacon drafts — to identify each draft's position and orientation and feed pick coordinates to the Codian delta robots. Post-install support includes remote diagnostics, on-site service, and direct access to the team that built your system.

Yes. Before any capital commitment, JLS runs your actual product on a Harrier in our York, PA Flight Lab with tooling configured for it, and validates the application on your real product — validating tooling, pick method, and placement before final design and reducing project risk.

Often, yes. The Harrier is frequently integrated into existing thermoformer lines. The final design depends on available floor space, thermoformer index cycle, controls integration, sanitation access, and your upstream slicing and downstream case-packing equipment. JLS reviews the full line so the system fits the way the plant already runs.

To scope a Harrier system, JLS typically reviews your product type and dimensions, photos or video of the current line, package format, target speeds, SKU mix, labor model, sanitation requirements, available floor space, and the main production problem to solve. Clear application detail up front makes it easier to recommend the right configuration and estimate scope.

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* Specific components of the Harrier are IP69K-capable (full high-pressure, high-temperature washdown rated). System-level ingress protection varies by configuration. Contact your JLS representative for full details on your application.

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