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From chub to case,
pet food handled at pace.

Pet food chubs, pouches, bags, trays, and cans — JLS's vision-guided robots collate and case-pack wet and dry pet food at line speed. The Osprey® CL's V-TRACK conveyor ends the chub rolling problem. Made to get wet. Built to fit FDA-regulated pet-food facilities.
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70+
Years of automation engineering
Multiple
U.S. patents (food)
IP69K-capable
Washdown construction
U.S. Built
Engineered in-house

JLS builds robotic packaging automation purpose-built for pet food — vision-guided systems that collate and case-pack wet pet food chubs, pouches, trays, bags, and cans at line speed. The Osprey® CL's V-TRACK pick conveyor ends the rolling problem on chubs; Osprey BP and Hawk handle pouches, bags, and trays. Washdown-rated construction — up to IP69K on supported platforms — fits FDA-regulated pet-food facilities. Every line is engineered, programmed, and supported entirely in-house by JLS.

In action

Watch JLS handle pet food packaging — at full production speed

Automatic chub loading — Osprey CL Application

Automatic chub loading — Osprey CL

The Osprey CL loading chubs into cases — vision-guided, with V-Track infeed and VOB tooling.

Pain points we solve

Pet food's toughest packaging headaches. Solved.

We've spent decades on food lines. These are the problems pet food processors bring us most — and how JLS robotics solve them.

Sanitation & washdown The challenge

Sanitation & food safety under constant washdown

How JLS solves it
JLS pet food systems can be built with IP69K-rated robots and components, NEMA 4X controls, and open-frame stainless, and are designed to fit FDA-regulated pet-food facilities — built for the daily high-pressure washdown these environments require.
Chub rolling problem The challenge

Chubs that roll and shift before the pick

How JLS solves it
The Osprey CL's V-TRACK pick conveyor controls rolling chubs before the pick, so case packing stays accurate at high speed with quick-change tooling across pack sizes.
Labor staffing challenges The challenge

Labor that's hard to staff for repetitive packing

How JLS solves it
Vision-guided robots take over the repetitive packing positions, fill chronic labor gaps, and free your people for higher-value work.
Throughput & line speed The challenge

Throughput & consistency capped by hand-packing

How JLS solves it
Osprey® CL, Osprey BP, and Hawk run at line speed with repeatable placement every cycle — from the filler and stuffer through case packing and into the case.
Applications

Pet food packaging automation, fill to case packing.

From primary fill through case packing — JLS automates every step of a pet food line, all built for the daily washdown.

1

Chub case packing

The Osprey CL case-packs pet food chubs at high speed — the V-TRACK pick conveyor ends the rolling problem, with quick-change tooling across chub sizes from 8 oz to 10 lb.
Osprey CLOsprey
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2

Bags & pouches

Osprey BP loads flat pouches and bags of wet and dry pet food into cases — gentle food handling, quick-change tooling across pack sizes and counts.
Osprey BPOsprey
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3

Trays & cans

Osprey TL and Hawk load pet food trays and cans into cases or master containers at line speed, sized to your SKU mix.
Osprey TLHawk
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4

Cases & cartons

Hawk top-loads pet food packs into RSC or retail-ready cases, or Peregrine IS forms, loads, and closes cartons at line speed.
HawkPeregrine
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Have a custom pet food product?

If it can be chubbed, pouched, bagged, or canned, our application engineers have probably packed it — and if not, we'll figure it out.

Talk to an application engineer

Test before you commit

Send us your pet food products.
We'll put them to the test.

Before any capital commitment, send us your product — chubs, pouches, bags, or trays. We'll run it on real JLS robotics in our York, PA Flight Lab with tooling configured for it, and prove out the line on your actual product.

Live
Robotic test with your product
U.S. Built
York, PA Flight Lab
No
Commitment required
Schedule a Flight Lab test

Designed to get wet. Built to be cleaned.

In an FDA-regulated pet-food facility, sanitation isn't a feature — it's the whole game. Every JLS pet food system is engineered for the daily, high-pressure, high-temperature washdown so your line stays compliant and your downtime stays low.

IP69K*
High-pressure washdown
NEMA 4X
Sealed controls
FDA
Designed to fit regulated facilities
Open-frame
Sloped, minimal harborage

* Specific JLS components are IP69K full-washdown rated; system-level ingress protection varies by configuration. Contact JLS for your application.

FAQ

Pet food packaging automation FAQs

Sanitation, throughput, ROI, integration, and washdown — answered by JLS application engineers.

System pricing varies by configuration and application, and is confirmed during the proposal process. Most JLS pet food packaging projects evaluate payback in the 24–36 month range, depending on labor cost, shift schedule, line speed, uptime improvement, and the specific application. Labor savings scale with the platform, line speed, and labor model, with added value from improved throughput and more consistent pet food product handling. JLS reviews your product, package format, line speed, staffing model, and current production challenges to determine where automation creates the strongest return.

JLS automates pet food chubs, pouches, bags, trays, and cans — collated, loaded, and case-packed into cases, cartons, and retail-ready formats for wet and dry pet food.

Vision-guided robots with custom tooling pick and place chubs, pouches, and trays accurately; for chubs, the Osprey CL's V-TRACK pick conveyor controls rolling product before the pick.

Yes. Systems can be built with IP69K-rated robots and components, NEMA 4X controls, and open-frame sloped stainless construction — washdown capable and designed to fit FDA-regulated pet-food facilities and the daily high-pressure washdown.

Yes. JLS integrates with fillers, chub stuffers, pouch and bag machines, conveyors, case packers, checkweighers, metal detectors, and labeling systems into one coordinated pet food line.

The Osprey CL case-packs chubs and brick packs, the Osprey BP handles bags and pouches, and Osprey TL and Hawk load trays, cans, and cases.

Throughput depends on product and format. The Osprey CL case-packs chubs at up to 240 per minute in a max multi-head configuration, and tray, pouch, and case rates are sized to your line and SKU mix.

Many JLS systems use recipe-driven changeover through the HMI, with tooling and format changes designed to be simple and repeatable. JLS reviews your SKU mix, product dimensions, and changeover goals so the system fits how the plant runs.

Yes. Before any capital commitment, JLS runs your actual product in our York, PA Flight Lab with tooling configured for it and validates the application on your real product before final design.

Often, yes. The final design depends on available floor space, line speed, product presentation, controls, sanitation access, and your existing equipment. JLS reviews the full line so the system fits how the plant runs.

JLS typically reviews the product type and dimensions, photos or video of the current line, package format, target speeds, SKU mix, labor model, sanitation requirements, available floor space, upstream and downstream equipment, and the main problem to solve.

Designed, built, programmed, and tested at JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania, with support from JLS's in-house team, working directly with the engineers who built your system — remote diagnostics, on-site service, training, parts, and preventive maintenance.

What do you want to know?

Ask us anything — an automation expert will follow up.

What can we help with? Optional — select any that apply.

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

Ready for the realities of your pet food line?

Bring us your product. We'll test it in our York, PA lab, engineer the automation, and prove it on your real product — before we say yes.

Schedule a facility tour Call (717) 505-3800
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning a complete pet food line?

JLS builds complete pet food lines — from the filler and stuffer through chub case packing, pouch loading, and cartoning — integrated as a single solution from one team in York, PA.

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.

Over 1,000 custom installs. Predictable performance. Premier, dedicated service.

  • Factory-tested reliability
  • In-house programming — York, PA
  • Same in-house team, day one to decades later
  • Fast dispatch from York, PA — within a day's drive of most East Coast and Midwest plants
  • Remote diagnostics + on-site support
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