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Automated chub loading and robotic case packing

Chubs roll. Cases don't wait.
Osprey CL keeps both under control.

The V-TRACK pick conveyor eliminates rolling so vision-guided robots pick and place chubs into corrugated cases with consistent orientation. VOB vacuum tooling configured to your exact chub diameter. Cleanable construction. Built for continuous, high-throughput chub loading.
See the Osprey CL run your product See technical specs
Up to 240
Chubs/min — triple head
8 oz–10 lb
Chub weight range
NEMA 4X
Cleanable rated
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 Osprey watercolor bird illustration

The JLS Osprey CL is a vision-guided robotic system that automatically loads chub-format products — ground meat, sausage logs, and pet food chubs — into corrugated cases. The proprietary V-TRACK pick conveyor eliminates rolling; VOB vacuum tooling is configured to your exact chub diameter. Up to 240 chubs/min. Cleanable construction. Designed, built, and supported entirely in-house by JLS.

JLS Osprey robotic case packer with feature callouts — sanitary vision-guided high-payload deltas, optional open-channel frame, intuitive HMI, dynamic case management, and multiple robots for increased production

In action

Watch chubs get loaded at full production speed

Osprey CL — automatic chub loading Live Production Line

Osprey CL — automatic chub loading

The Osprey CL loading chubs into cases with high-payload delta robots and V-Track infeed.

Why Osprey CL

Built to keep up with your grinder.

Your grinder never stops. Manual chub packing tops out around 30–40 chubs/min per worker — and that gap compounds every shift. The Osprey CL was built specifically for that moment: V-TRACK pick conveyor stabilizes rolling chubs, vision-guided delta robots acquire and place, and the line runs at grinder speed without manual touchpoints.

Rolling product in. Accurate cases out. Every Osprey CL is configured around your chub format, your case pattern, and your target rate — so the most labor-intensive step on the line becomes one of the most reliable.

Applications & Chub Formats

Osprey CL — Automatic chub loading

A vision-guided robotic case loading system for cylindrical and chub-format products — ground meat, sausage logs, pet food chubs, and stick packs. The Osprey CL uses VOB vacuum tooling matched to your exact product diameter and end-type to load chubs into RSC, HSC, or retail-ready cases at up to 240 chubs/min. V-TRACK pick conveyor eliminates rolling product problems. NEMA 4X stainless steel. Cleanable construction. 1–3 robot head configurations.

Industries served

Ground meat processingBeef, pork, turkey chubs
Sausage & cured meatsItalian, bratwurst, breakfast
Cheese & dairyCheese logs, cylinders
Pet foodWet food chubs, rolls
Deli & prepared meatsLogs, rope packs

Compatible chub & stick formats

1 lb & 3 lb ground beef chubsStandard retail
5 lb & 10 lb mega chubsClub & foodservice
Sausage logs & sticks8 oz – 2 lb
Pet food rolls & chubsAll diameters
2″–4.5″ diameter rangeStandard VOB tooling
Clipped & crimped endsClear or printed film

The Osprey family

Osprey TLTray loading
Osprey CLYou’re here
Osprey BPBag & pouch packing

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

Application Engineering & Integration

Configured for your product. Scalable across your line.

Every Osprey CL ships from the same proven delta platform — configured to your chub size, count, and case format, with the V-TRACK conveyor presenting product cleanly to the vision-guided robot. One team, one facility, one integration.

UPSTREAM Stuffer / clipper OSPREY CL CHUB CASE PACKING V-TRACK · VISION PER APPLICATION DOWNSTREAM Case sealing & labeling OUTPUT Distribution

Test before you commit

See your actual chubs run
before you commit.

Send us your product. We'll run your chub format — diameter, weight, film type — on a live Osprey CL in York, PA before any capital commitment.

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

Core Technology

The Engineering Behind the Precision

Every component of the Osprey CL was designed, built, and programmed under one roof — from the V-TRACK pick conveyor to JLS-engineered VOB vacuum tooling to easy-to-operate controls and software. Backed by multiple patents, these are the engineering decisions that make the Osprey CL one of the most capable chub loading systems in the food industry.

Stainless steel construction icon
NEMA 4X-Rated Construction

Cleanable to Washdown Construction

Round-tube stainless frame (open-channel available as an option), sloped surfaces, open cable channels, and NEMA 4X controls — built in cleanable washdown construction with NEMA 4X controls. Built for the food zone from day one. Not retrofitted.

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

Vision-Guided Delta Robotics

2D + 3D vision tracks each chub’s position and orientation on the V-TRACK infeed in real time — directing the delta robots to pick and load chubs into the case accurately at production speed, with no manual alignment.

Up to 240 chubs/min 2D + 3D Vision Real-Time Tracking
VOB vacuum tooling icon
Mechanical · Vacuum · Gang-Pick

Flexible Tooling — Mechanical or VOB 2.0

JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board tooling is custom-configured to your chub diameter and end-type — cutting compressed air use by 50%+ versus conventional vacuum systems. Every tool is configured and lab-tested for your exact product.

Mechanical or Vacuum 50%+ Air Savings 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
3–4 Heads · 2–6 Cells

Multi-Cell, Multi-Head Modularity

Scale throughput with single, dual, or triple heads — up to 240 chubs per minute — adding heads as your line speed grows without changing the platform or the controls.

Up to 240 chubs/min 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

Before the case, the Osprey CL builds the exact load pattern your pack calls for — placing chubs in a single layer, double-stacked, or in a configured count per case. Vision-guided placement keeps the pattern consistent cycle after cycle, so every case ships with the right count and orientation.

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
An integrated infeed system delivers chubs to the V-TRACK conveyor in a controlled, non-rolling orientation — so the Osprey CL picks and places each chub accurately in one continuous flow.
Integrated sanitary infeed
Integrated Cleanable Infeed
JLS coordinates sanitary infeed conveyors that present product cleanly and consistently to the robots — the steady, even supply vision-guided picking depends on.
Washdown upgrade icon
Enhanced Washdown Options
Add enhanced washdown-capable construction for wet protein environments — specified per application.
Configure Your System
Need Something Specific?
Every Osprey CL is configured to your chub diameter, case format, and facility. Talk to a JLS application engineer about your exact requirements.
Talk to an Engineer →

Flexible wrapper integration

Integrates with your stuffer, clipper, and case sealer — day one.

Already have a stuffer and clipper in place? The Osprey CL is engineered to accept chubs directly from your existing upstream equipment — with V-TRACK infeed, vision acquisition, and downstream case conveyor coordinated for a seamless handoff.

Need the full downstream line? JLS can support a complete chub-to-case integration — infeed, robotic loading, case erection, and sealing — planned together from the start.

Talk to an application specialist
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning more than just chub loading?

JLS and Reiser (a leading food processing and packaging equipment company) help deliver complete lines — from product preparation and primary loading through packaging, 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

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Specs & Configuration

Osprey CL technical specifications

Configuration snapshot

The Osprey CL scales by robot head count to match your target rate — 1, 2, or 3 heads on a compact footprint.

Single head
Up to 80 chubs/min*
Lower-volume lines and compact footprint installations.
Dual head
Up to 160 chubs/min*
Mid-volume ground meat and sausage lines.
Triple head
Up to 240 chubs/min*
High-volume chub loading matched to grinder output.

*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 120–200 chubs/min typical; up to 240 in max multi-head configuration*
Robot heads 1, 2, or 3 heads
Robot Type Delta-style 4-axis (Codian)
End-of-arm tooling VOB vacuum-on-board, custom-configured to chub diameter and end-type
Chub weight range 8 oz – 10 lb (contact JLS for larger formats)
Chub diameter range 2″–4.5″ standard VOB tooling
Vision system 2D product acquisition, EyeQ conveyor tracking
Control System B&R Automation
Construction level Cleanable construction (NEMA 4X)
Sanitation rating NEMA 4X controls; cleanable washdown construction
Frame construction Round-tube stainless frame (standard); open-channel frame available as an option
Approximate footprint (excl. tunnel guards) ~7 ft × 7 ft (single head); ~11 ft × 7 ft (dual head); ~15 ft × 7 ft (triple head)*
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

*Throughput varies by chub size, case pattern, and product spacing. Specifications may vary by configuration — contact JLS for your specific application.

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Compare

Osprey CL vs. the field

Feature Manual Loading Standard Pick-and-Place Osprey CL
Throughput Limited by hand speed Varies; fixed cells Up to 240 chubs/min (triple head)*
Stabilizes rolling product Rolling causes misses & jams Requires oriented infeed V-TRACK eliminates chub rolling on the pick conveyor
Handles chub end-types Manual by format Limited to one format VOB tooling custom to each chub
Washdown Rating N/A IP65–IP67 (partial) Cleanable washdown (NEMA 4X)
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 chub loading installations. *Estimated rates vary by product, tooling, and configuration.

Ground Meat Application Example · JLS Osprey CL™ Chub Loading

Closing the gap between the grinder and the case sealer — completely.

A ground meat processor was running three hand-packing positions per shift to keep up with one grinder. Manual throughput topped out around 90 chubs/min on a good day — with turnover making consistency impossible and ergonomic claims climbing.

JLS engineered and installed a dual-head Osprey CL with V-TRACK infeed and VOB tooling configured to their 1 lb and 3 lb chub formats. The system matched grinder output from day one. Operators run it from the HMI; SKU changeovers take under a minute. Three positions were redeployed to higher-value work.

We replaced four manual packing positions and paid back the investment in 14 months.

— Plant Operations Manager, Leading Meat Processor

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Questions about this application? Talk to an expert →

FAQ

Questions our engineers get asked most

Chub loading, throughput, V-TRACK, tooling, cleanable construction, and ROI — answered by JLS application engineers.

Most JLS Osprey CL 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. JLS reviews your product, package format, line speed, staffing model, and current production challenges to determine where an Osprey CL creates the strongest return.

The Osprey CL handles cylindrical and chub-format products including ground beef chubs (1 lb, 3 lb, 5 lb, 10 lb), sausage logs, breakfast sausage sticks, pet food rolls, and cheese logs. VOB tooling is custom-configured to your exact product diameter and end-type (clipped, crimped, sealed). Standard diameter range: 2″–4.5″; contact JLS for larger formats.

The V-TRACK pick conveyor cradles each cylindrical chub in a V-shaped channel throughout the infeed zone. This eliminates the random rolling and misalignment that defeats flat conveyor-based automation. With each chub stabilized, the vision system can consistently locate and track it — giving the delta robot the precise position data it needs for a clean pick every cycle.

Single head: up to 80 chubs/min. Dual head: up to 160 chubs/min. Triple head: up to 240 chubs/min. Actual throughput depends on chub size, case pattern, and product spacing. JLS engineers your system for your target rate — verified in the Flight Lab before shipment.

Under 1 minute for most SKU changes. The operator selects the new recipe on the HMI touchscreen and adjusts the V-TRACK rail width by hand. No tools, no programming calls, no maintenance required. All recipes are pre-loaded before the system ships.

Yes. The Osprey CL is engineered for cleanable construction in meat and poultry facilities — NEMA 4X stainless steel cleanable frame, open cable channels, sloped surfaces to minimize harborage points, NEMA 4X electrical enclosures (UL/cUL listed). Designed for USDA/FSIS and CFIA-inspected environments. For primary raw product contact requiring full sanitary washdown construction, see the Talon series.

Typical payback is 24–36 months. The primary drivers are labor reduction (typically 3–6 positions eliminated per line), throughput consistency, and reduced ergonomic claims. JLS can walk through an ROI model with your specific labor cost and throughput data.

You ship us your actual product. JLS runs your exact chub format — diameter, weight, film type, end-type — on a live Osprey CL at our York, PA facility. You see real pick rates, real accuracy, and real behavior under production conditions before any capital commitment.

The Osprey CL typically replaces 3–6 repetitive manual positions per line and runs them consistently across every shift. Beyond headcount, processors choose automation for consistency, ergonomics, food safety, and more predictable throughput when labor availability is tight.

Often, yes. The Osprey CL is frequently integrated into existing production and packaging lines. The final design depends on available floor space, line speed, product presentation, controls, sanitation access, and your upstream and downstream equipment. JLS reviews the full line so the system fits the way the plant already runs.

To scope an Osprey CL 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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* Washdown protection is specified per application and configuration. Contact your JLS representative for full details on your application.

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