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Robotic collate-and-load for snack sticks and sausages

From bulk bin to perfect rows,
in one system.

The Kestrel takes cylindrical protein products — snack sticks, straight sausages, hot dogs — from bulk infeed, singulates them with high-speed centrifugal technology, collates them on a custom conveyor, and gang-picks them into thermoformer pockets with a washdown-rated delta robot. A small stylist crew stays on the line for product presentation — the heavy, repetitive labor is automated. Compact footprint. Built for washdown protein environments.
See the Kestrel run your product See technical specs
Centrifugal
High-speed Singulation
Gang-Pick
Washdown-Rated Delta Robot
Compact
Small-footprint Design
Washdown
Rated Construction
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 Kestrel watercolor bird illustration

The JLS Kestrel is a washdown-ready collate-and-load system for uniform cylindrical protein products — snack sticks, sausages, and hot dogs. High-speed centrifugal singulation moves product from bulk to single file, a custom collation conveyor aligns it into rows, and a washdown-rated delta robot gang-picks multiple items at once into thermoformer pockets. Compact footprint, washdown construction, minimal manual handling — a small stylist crew remains for product presentation.

JLS Kestrel washdown-ready collate-and-load system for cylindrical protein products such as snack sticks and straight sausages

In action

Watch the Kestrel collate and load — at line speed

The Kestrel collating and loading stick-format product — centrifugal feeding, collation, and loading in one system.

Why Kestrel

Bulk to package. Minimal touchpoints.

Snack sticks, sausages, and hot dogs are among the hardest products to handle at speed — round, heavy, and inclined to roll. Manual singulation and tray loading are repetitive, hard to staff, and inconsistent. The Kestrel was built to close that gap: high-speed centrifugal singulation moves product from bulk to single file, a custom collation conveyor aligns it into rows, and a washdown-rated delta robot gang-picks directly into thermoformer pockets.

Random bulk in. Precise placement out. Every Kestrel is configured to your exact product diameter, length, and pack count — so the most physically demanding job on the protein line becomes one of the most reliable.

Applications & Pack Formats

The Kestrel — washdown-ready collate and load

Designed for uniform cylindrical protein products — snack sticks, straight sausages, hot dogs, string cheese. Centrifugal singulation moves product from bulk to single file without product contact, a custom collation conveyor aligns it into lanes, and a washdown-rated delta robot gang-picks multiple items into thermoformer pockets. Compact footprint. Washdown construction. Minimal manual handling.

Products Handled

Meat snack sticksBeef, pork, turkey, blends
Straight sausagesFresh, smoked, cooked
Hot dogsSingle or multi-pack
String cheeseUniform stick formats
Other cylindrical productTalk to our engineers

Pack Formats & Configurations

Single-fileOne product per pocket
Gang-pick (multi-count)Multiple sticks per cycle
Single headStandard throughput
Dual headHigher throughput
Thermoformer infeedDirect pocket placement

Primary Product Handling

KestrelYou’re here
TalonFlow wrap, thermoform, tray load
PeregrineCartoning — secondary packaging

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

Flight Lab

See the Kestrel run your product
before you commit.

Send us your product. We'll run it on a live Kestrel in York, PA — singulating, collating, and gang-picking into thermoformer pockets at your exact size and pack pattern, with 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 the precision

Every component of the Kestrel was designed, built, and programmed under one roof — from centrifugal feeder engineering to custom collation conveyor design to easy-to-operate controls and software. Backed by multiple patents, these are the innovations that make JLS one of the most capable robotic food handling companies in the industry.

Stainless steel construction icon
IP69K*-Capable Components

Cleanable to washdown construction

Open-channel frame, sloped surfaces, open cable channels, and NEMA 4X controls — offered in cleanable construction for bakery and dry environments, and full sanitary washdown construction for wet protein. Built for the food zone from day one. Not retrofitted.

IP69K*-Capable Minimal Harborage NEMA 4X
Gang-pick delta robotics
Singulate · Collate · Gang-pick

Washdown-rated gang-pick delta robotics

High-speed centrifugal singulation and a custom collation conveyor present product in aligned rows at pick pitch — so the washdown-rated delta robot gang-picks multiple items per cycle and places them directly into thermoformer pockets, with minimal manual handling.

Gang-pick Centrifugal singulation Collation conveyor
VOB vacuum tooling icon
Mechanical · Vacuum · Gang-Pick

Flexible tooling — mechanical or VOB 2.0

Gang-pick mechanical tooling handles firm cylindrical products like snack sticks and straight sausages; JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board tooling handles wet, soft, or irregular product while reducing compressed-air use. Every tool is configured and lab-tested for your exact product.

Mechanical or Vacuum 50%+ Less Air vs. Conventional Vacuum Multiple Patents
Tool-less changeover — under 5 minutes
Built Into VOB 2.0

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
Single · Dual head

Single- or dual-head scaling

Scale throughput to match your line — run a single delta head, or step up to a dual-head configuration for higher rates. The same proven platform and controls grow with your production without a redesign.

Single or dual head 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.

In-House Programming ERP/MES Ready

Options & Add-Ons

More ways to fit your line.

Product stacking, grouping and shingling

Stacking, grouping & shingling

Before the robot picks, the Kestrel builds the exact presentation your thermoformer requires — the collation conveyor aligns product into rows at the correct count and pitch, so every gang-pick delivers a consistent, properly oriented group of items directly into the pocket.

Patterns are part of the product recipe — switching counts or arrangements happens on the HMI alongside changeover, with no mechanical re-tooling.

Stacked
Multi-count
presentation
Shingled
Overlapping
pack patterns
Recipe
Pattern changes
on the HMI
Cardboard insert and tray feeding
Cardboard Insert & Tray Feeding
The delta robot gang-picks multiple items per cycle and places them directly into thermoformer pockets in one continuous motion — no intermediate manual steps between bulk infeed and primary package.
Integrated sanitary infeed
Integrated Sanitary Infeed
JLS coordinates sanitary infeed conveyors that present product cleanly and consistently to the robots — the steady, even supply that accurate gang-pick placement depends on.
IP69K washdown upgrade icon
IP69K* Washdown Upgrade
Add washdown-capable construction with IP69K*-rated components for wet protein environments — specified per application.
Configure Your System
Need Something Specific?
Every Kestrel is configured to your product diameter, length, and pack count. Talk to a JLS application engineer about your exact requirements.
Talk to an Engineer →

Flexible thermoformer integration

Collate and load into the thermoformer already on your floor.

Already have a thermoformer in place? The Kestrel is engineered to integrate with your existing thermoformer — delivering product at the correct count, pitch, and cycle rate through coordinated mechanical integration and controls communication.

Planning a new line? JLS can coordinate with your thermoformer OEM to support a complete collate-and-load system, with the thermoformer, robot, infeed, and product handling planned together from the start.

Talk to an application specialist

Application Engineering & Integration

Configured for your product. Scalable across your line.

Every Kestrel ships from the same proven platform — configured to your product, count, and pattern, with centrifugal singulation and collation feeding the non-vision delta robot. One team, one facility, one integration.

UPSTREAM Stick / sausage / cheese production KESTREL COLLATE & LOAD CENTRI-SINGULATION PER APPLICATION DOWNSTREAM Tray / case packing OUTPUT Distribution
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning more than just collation and loading?

JLS delivers complete primary and secondary packaging lines — from bulk infeed through primary loading, case packing, and load securement — engineered as one coordinated solution.

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 and Load System

Specs & Configuration

Kestrel technical specifications

Configuration snapshot

Kestrel is available in single-head and dual-head configurations. Throughput depends on product diameter, pack count, and target rate — JLS confirms the right configuration during a line assessment.

Single head
Up to 600 ppm (single head)*
*Depends on product and package type.
Standard-rate applications and compact footprint.
Dual head
Scales beyond single-head rate*
Higher-rate applications requiring greater capacity.

*Throughput varies by product, pack count, and configuration. Contact JLS for your specific application.

Specification Value
System type Centrifugal singulation + collation conveyor + washdown-rated delta robot
Products handled Uniform cylindrical products: meat snack sticks, straight sausages, hot dogs, string cheese
Robot type Delta robot (4-axis)
Pick method Gang-pick — multiple items per cycle
Throughput Up to 600 ppm (single head)*; multi-head configurations scale beyond — final rate depends on product and package type*
Configurations Single head; dual head (higher throughput)
Product size range Confirmed during the proposal process — depends on product diameter, length, and package type.
End-of-arm tooling Actuated VOB vacuum tooling (multi-pocket loading)
Approximate footprint (excl. tunnel guards) Confirmed during the proposal process — depends on configuration (single- or dual-head).
Construction levels Full sanitary washdown construction
Infeed method High-speed centrifugal singulation
Collation Custom collation conveyor — aligns product into rows at pick pitch
Target application Thermoformer pocket loading (direct placement)
Washdown construction IP69K-capable components; washdown construction
Frame construction Open-channel stainless frame; minimal harborage points
Control system B&R Automation
Electrical supply 480V ±10%, 3-phase, 60Hz
Air supply 80 PSI, clean, dry, lube-free
Electrical enclosures NEMA 4X rated; UL/cUL listed
Built York, PA — engineered, programmed, and tested in-house by JLS

*Throughput varies by product diameter, pack count, and configuration. Specifications may vary — contact JLS for your specific application.

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

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Compare

Kestrel vs. the field

Feature Manual loading Belt-and-rail singulation Kestrel
Singulation method Operator by hand Belt and rail guide Centrifugal — no product contact pinch points
Throughput consistency Variable — depends on operator pace and fatigue Moderate; sensitive to product size variation Consistent — automated cycle, every shift
Gang-pick loading Manual — tedious, prone to count errors Typically single-file only Delta robot gang-picks multiple items per cycle
Washdown capability N/A Varies; often limited Washdown construction; IP69K-capable components
Footprint Depends on line staffing Can be long / complex Compact — centrifugal feeder + short collation conveyor
Labor requirement Multiple operators per shift Reduced but still requires monitoring No manual loading position — stylist crew remains for product presentation
Product changeover Immediate but inconsistent Rail adjustment required Recipe-driven HMI; tooling swap for size changes
Integration N/A Upstream only — separate loading step Singulation + collation + loading in one system

Customer Case Study · JLS Kestrel Collate and Load System

From bulk bin to thermoformer pocket — without a manual loading position.

A protein processor needed to automate loading of snack sticks into a thermoformer. Hand-loading required multiple operators per shift and generated inconsistent pocket counts — when workers fell behind, pockets ran empty and rejects climbed. The line needed automation that could match the thermoformer’s continuous pace.

JLS engineered and installed a Kestrel system with centrifugal singulation, a custom collation conveyor, and a gang-pick delta robot. Product moves from bulk infeed through singulation, aligns on the collation conveyor, and is gang-picked directly into thermoformer pockets in consistent counts every cycle. Operators run it from the HMI — no manual loading positions on the line.

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, Inc.

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See the configuration, throughput, and results behind this install.

Tell us more about your challenge

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Questions about this application? Talk to an expert →

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.

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

* Specific components of the Kestrel are IP69K-capable. System-level ingress protection varies by configuration. Contact your JLS representative for full details on your application.

Find out what the Kestrel can do for your line.

We evaluate your product, your thermoformer, and your facility — then show you what will work, what the configuration looks like, and outline the expected payback range for your line. No guesswork. No force-fitting.

Request a line assessment Call (717) 505-3800

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