Skip to main content

Robotic sandwich and multi-component assembly

Every sandwich is a stack of variables.
Talon SA makes it repeatable.

A vision-guided robotic system that builds sandwiches and assembled food products — stacking bun or bread, protein, cheese, and toppings accurately, component by component. Two-pick mechanical tooling actuates each side independently, and it handles hot product straight off the line.
See the Talon SA run your product See technical specs
Vision-Guided
Multi-component build
Multi-component
Full sandwich build
IP69K-capable
Cleanable to washdown construction
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 Talon watercolor bird illustration

The JLS Talon SA is a vision-guided robotic system for multi-component sandwich and assembled-food building — stacking bun, protein, cheese, and toppings in register, component by component, at your target line rate. Two-pick mechanical tooling with independent dual actuation handles hot product straight off the line. IP69K-capable construction. Engineered, programmed, and supported entirely in-house by JLS.

JLS Talon hygienic vision-guided pick-and-place robot with feature callouts — hygienic IP69K delta, optional open-channel frame, intuitive HMI, food-safe conveyors, and gentle-handling end-of-arm tooling

In action

Watch the Talon SA acquire, pick, and place — at full production speed

JLS Talon SA — automated sandwich assembly Talon SA

JLS Talon SA — automated sandwich assembly

See the JLS Talon platform’s vision-guided delta robots locate, pick, and place food product at full production speed.

Why Talon SA

Built to build the same sandwich. Every time.

Manual sandwich assembly is inherently inconsistent — components land in the wrong orientation, stacks are off-register, and line speed varies with staffing. The Talon SA was built specifically for that challenge: vision-guided delta robots pick each component in real time and place it in exact register on the build, so every sandwich is identical from the first to the last in the shift.

Component in. Assembled sandwich out. Every Talon SA is configured to your exact components, your build sequence, your line speed, and your downstream packaging — so the most repetitive assembly job on the line becomes one of the most consistent.

Applications & Package Types

The Talon SA — robotic sandwich & Pack Assembly

A vision-guided robotic system that builds sandwiches and assembled food products — stacking bun or bread, protein, cheese, and toppings in exact register, component by component. The Talon SA uses delta robots with two-pick mechanical tooling that actuates each picking surface independently, handling hot and warm product straight off the griddle or oven. Multi-cell lines handle biscuit or bun loading, protein placement, cheese, and topping cells in one coordinated build sequence. Built for high-throughput food environments, cleanable to washdown construction. Easy to operate.

Industries Served

Breakfast sandwichesBiscuit, egg & protein builds
Deli sandwiches & subsMulti-component, multi-layer builds
Filled & folded productsFilled, folded, assembled
Snack Bars & SticksBars, sticks, combos VOB
ConfectionBars, enrobed products
IQF / FrozenFinger foods, entrees

Loading Styles & Pack Formats

Single-FileOne product per flight
StackedMulti-count stacks
ShingledOverlapping patterns
Cardboard InsertOnto inserts in-flight
Tray Into WrapperPlastic or chipboard trays
Multi-LaneParallel wrapper lanes

The Talon Line

Talon SAYou’re here
Talon TFThermoformer & VSP
Talon TLTray loading
Talon SASandwich assembly
Talon RDRaw dough

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 Talon SA build your
sandwich before you commit.

Send us your product. We'll run it on a live Talon SA in York, PA — assembled component by component at your exact size, sequence, and target pattern, with the 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 Talon SA was designed, built, and programmed under one roof — from sanitary frame engineering to JLS-engineered VOB tooling to easy-to-operate controls and software. Backed by multiple patents, these are the innovations that make the Talon SA one of the most capable sandwich and pack assembly systems in the food industry.

Stainless steel construction icon
IP69K*-Capable Components

Cleanable to Washdown Construction

Round-tube stainless frame (open-channel available as an option), 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
Vision-guided accuracy
Track · Acquire · Place at Full Speed

Vision-Guided Delta Robotics

2D + 3D vision tracks each component's position and orientation on the infeed in real time — directing delta robots to pick random-orientation product and place it in exact register on the build, your target line rate with no manual alignment.

Per application 2D + 3D Vision Real-Time Tracking
VOB vacuum tooling icon
Mechanical · Vacuum · Gang-Pick

Flexible Tooling — Mechanical or VOB 2.0

Single-pick or gang-pick mechanical tooling handles baked goods; JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board tooling handles wet, cold, or irregular product — cutting compressed air use by 50%+ versus conventional vacuum systems. Needle tooling available. 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

Add capacity to match your line — multiple robot heads across cells configured to your component count, reaching your target line rate. Add cells as your build grows without changing the platform or the controls.

Per application 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 wrapping, the Talon SA builds the exact presentation your pack calls for — stacking multiple counts, grouping mixed items, or shingling product into overlapping patterns. Vision-guided placement keeps the pattern consistent flight after flight, so what reaches the wrapper is already arranged the way it ships.

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 feeder places cardboard inserts, pads, or chipboard trays into the build ahead of product — so the Talon SA places product and its carrier in one continuous 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.
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 Talon SA is configured to your product, format, and facility. Talk to a JLS application engineer about your exact requirements.
Talk to an Engineer →

Flexible wrapper integration

Robotic assembly that fits the line already on your floor.

Already running upstream bun, protein, or topping feeds? The Talon SA is engineered to integrate with your current line — coordinating assembly cells in sequence through JLS controls, product-specific tooling, and a single HMI that operators can run without an engineer present.

Need the wrapper too? JLS can coordinate with Reiser to support a complete flow-wrapping and robotic loading system, with the wrapper, 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 Talon SA ships from the same proven full-washdown platform — configured to your recipe, stacking bun, protein, cheese, and toppings in register at your target line rate. One team, one facility, one integration.

UPSTREAM Component in-feeds TALON SA SANDWICH ASSEMBLY VISION · FULL WASHDOWN PER APPLICATION DOWNSTREAM Flow wrap / packaging OUTPUT Case packing
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning more than just sandwich assembly?

JLS and Reiser (a leading food processing and packaging equipment company) help deliver complete lines — from upstream processing and primary assembly through flow wrapping, 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 & Load

Specs & Configuration

Talon SA technical specifications

Configuration snapshot

Talon SA is built around your sandwich build — the number of cells matches your component count and target throughput. Lines scale from a single bun-and-protein cell to full multi-component builds.

2–3 cells
Single protein build*
Bun + protein. Lower-rate or first-automation lines.
4–5 cells
Multi-component build*
Bun, protein, cheese, and topping cells.
Per application
Multi-head, multi-cell*
Full-build lines at maximum throughput.

*Estimated rates vary by product, component count, tooling, and configuration. JLS confirms the right cell configuration for your exact sandwich build during a line assessment.

Specification Value
Estimated Throughput Application-dependent — contact JLS*
Robot Heads / Cells Configured per build; cell count matches component count
Robot Type Delta-style 4-axis, IP69K-capable (Codian)
End-of-Arm Tooling Two-pick mechanical tooling with independent dual actuation; configured per component; handles hot product
Product Size Per component — buns, patties, slices, toppings; configured per application
Build sequence Component-by-component stacking in register — bun/bread, protein, cheese, toppings
Vision system JLS EyeQ 2D/3D product position and orientation detection with EyeQ Traq conveyor tracking
Control System B&R Automation
Construction Level Cleanable or full sanitary washdown construction
Sanitation rating IP69K-capable components; cleanable to washdown construction
Frame Construction Round-tube stainless frame (standard); open-channel frame available as an option
Estimated Footprint (excl. guards / wrappers) Varies by configuration — contact JLS for footprint sizing.
Electrical Supply 480V ±10%, 3-phase, 60Hz
Air Supply 80 PSI, clean, dry, lube-free
Electrical Enclosures NEMA 4X rated; UL/cUL listed
Uptime Target Factory-tested reliability (application-dependent)
Lead Time Confirmed at proposal

*Estimated rates vary by product, tooling, and configuration; needle tooling reduces estimated rates. 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

Talon SA vs. the field

Feature Manual Loading Standard Pick-and-Place Talon SA
Throughput Limited by hand speed Varies; fixed cells Application-dependent*
Build Consistency Off-register, varies by shift Depends on configuration Designed to build every sandwich identically
Variable product position/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 Varies by vendor In-house programming & support

Based on typical sandwich and pack assembly installations. *Estimated rates vary by product, tooling, and configuration.

Sandwich Assembly Application · JLS Talon SA™ Robotic Assembly

Consistent sandwich builds at high speed — without a line full of manual assemblers.

A leading food manufacturer needed to automate assembly of multi-component breakfast sandwiches on a high-throughput line. Manual stacking was repetitive, inconsistent, and increasingly difficult to staff. When assemblers fell behind, lines slowed, builds went off-register, and rework climbed downstream. The line needed a solution that could hold line rate and build every sandwich identically.

JLS engineered and installed a multi-cell Talon SA system with two-pick mechanical tooling configured to the product. Vision-guided delta robots find each component in random orientation off the infeed and place it in exact register on the build, so every sandwich is assembled the same way with no off-register packs. Operators run it from the HMI, and changeover between counts happens in minutes.

Get the full case study

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

Tell us more about your challenge

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

Questions about this application? Talk to an expert →

FAQ

Questions our engineers get asked most

Sandwich assembly, throughput, two-pick tooling, sanitation, and ROI — answered by JLS application engineers.

Talon SA pricing depends on head count, tooling complexity, sanitation level, and integration scope — every system is configured to your product and line, so JLS confirms pricing during the proposal process rather than publishing a flat number. Most customers evaluate the investment against a 24–36 month payback range based on labor cost, shift schedule, and uptime improvement. Tell us your product and application and we'll scope it.

The Talon SA builds breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches and subs, sliders, patty stacks, and other assembled products. It handles each component — bun or bread, protein patties, cheese, egg, and toppings — with tooling configured to that component.

Throughput depends on the product and the number of components and cells. The Talon SA builds at your target line rate across single and multi-head configurations, with multiple coordinated cells for higher-component products. JLS confirms the right configuration as part of a line assessment.

Yes. The Talon SA uses JLS EyeQ 2D/3D vision with EyeQ Traq conveyor tracking to locate each component in real time and place it in register on the build, so every sandwich is assembled identically with no manual alignment.

Two-pick mechanical tooling is a JLS design with two picking surfaces that actuate independently for fast, accurate placement. It is mechanical rather than vacuum, which suits warm and delicate sandwich components. In a multi-cell SA system, each cell places its component in sequence to build the finished product.

Yes. The mechanical two-pick tooling is designed to handle warm components coming directly off a griddle or oven, and the system is built for the food zone with cleanable, washdown-capable construction.

A complete build is assembled by coordinated JLS cells — typically a bun or bread loader, one or more protein loaders, and a topper — sequenced by a single B&R control platform. Components are stacked in order and in register down the line, and you can add cells as the product or rate grows.

Changeover between products is recipe-based and takes minutes from the HMI. The Talon SA is offered in cleanable and full sanitary washdown construction with IP69K-capable components and a sanitary stainless frame (open-channel available as an option), so sanitation is a fast process rather than a teardown.

Yes. The Talon SA integrates with upstream bun, protein, and topping feeds and downstream wrapping, checkweighing, and case packing; JLS handles the integration engineering. It is designed, built, programmed, and tested at JLS Automation's facility in York, Pennsylvania, with remote diagnostics, on-site service, and direct access to the in-house engineering team.

It depends on the current process, line speed, and shift schedule, but the Talon SA typically takes over repetitive manual positions for assembling and stacking multi-component sandwiches and biscuits and runs them consistently across every shift. Beyond headcount, processors choose automation for consistency, ergonomics, food safety, uptime, and more predictable throughput when labor availability is tight.

Yes. Before any capital commitment, JLS runs your actual product on a Talon SA 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 Talon SA 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 a Talon SA 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.

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.

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

Find out what your line is capable of.

We evaluate your sandwich build, your components, and your throughput targets — then show you what will work, what won't, and deliver a detailed ROI projection. No guesswork. No force-fitting.

Request a line assessment Call (717) 505-3800

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

  • Fast response times (remote + on-site)
  • Experienced JLS technicians
  • Spare parts & lifecycle support
  • Training that sticks with your operators
Already running a JLS line?
Connect with the service experts who keep your automation performing.
Spare parts, preventive maintenance, retooling, training, and on-site support — from JLS's in-house support team, backed by the engineers who built your machine.
Services & Support Order Parts