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Robotic thermoformer and vacuum skin pack (VSP) loading

The thermoformer sets the rhythm.
Talon TF stays in perfect step.

A vision-guided robotic loader that places raw product directly into thermoformer pockets — tracking the web and loading during both dwell and advance, so the former never has to stop. Custom VOB 2.0 (vacuum-on-board) tooling and full IP69K washdown construction, configured for raw protein.
See the Talon TF run your product See technical specs
Up to 100
Pieces/min — dual-head
On the Move
Loads during dwell & web advance
IP69K-Capable
Full 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 TF is a vision-guided robotic system that loads raw product into thermoformer pockets — tracking the web and placing during both dwell and advance so the former never stops. Full IP69K washdown construction with JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board tooling, 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 it acquire, pick, and place — at full production speed

JLS Talon TF — thermoformer loading Talon TF

JLS Talon TF — thermoformer loading

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

Talon TF

Built to keep the former loading — on the moving web.

Thermoformers can run fast — but manual loading forces stop-and-go production and ties operators to a cold, wet, repetitive station. Conventional auto-loaders only place product while the web is stationary, wasting the throughput your former already has. The Talon TF was built specifically for that gap: vision-guided delta robots track the web and place product during both dwell and advance, so the former never has to stop.

Random product in. Pocket-accurate placement out. Every Talon TF is configured around your product, your thermoformer, your format, and your target rate — with VOB 2.0 tooling and full IP69K washdown construction designed from the ground up for raw-protein environments.

Applications & Package Types

The Talon TF — robotic thermoformer loading

A vision-guided robotic system that loads raw product directly into formed thermoformer pockets — primary handling at the former, not case packing downstream. The Talon TF tracks the thermoformer web and places product during both dwell and advance, so the line keeps moving and no cycle is wasted. VOB 2.0 tooling is configured to your exact product, and full IP69K washdown construction stands up to daily caustic sanitation. Easy to operate.

Industries Served

Fresh Red MeatSteaks, chops, ground
PoultryBreasts, thighs, parts
Cheese & DairySlices, portions, blocks
SeafoodFillets, portions
Portion-ControlledPatties, fixed-weight
Prepared FoodsReady meals, entrees

Pack Formats

Thermoformed pocketsFormed cavities
MAP traysModified atmosphere
RollstockFlexible formed web
Rigid traysPre-formed trays
Skin-pack boardBoard-mounted

The Talon Line

Talon TF You’re here
Vision-guided thermoformer & VSP loading — raw product into formed pockets.
Talon FWFlow wrapper loading
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 TF load your
thermoformer before you commit.

Send us your product. We'll run it on a live Talon TF in York, PA — placed into your exact thermoformer pocket format, 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 TF 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 TF one of the most capable thermoformer loading 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 product position and orientation on the infeed in real time — directing delta robots to pick random-orientation product and place it into formed pockets as the web indexes, up to 100 pieces per minute (dual-head) with no manual alignment.

Up to 100/min (dual-head) 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 format — multiple robot heads across cells configured to your product, reaching up to 100 pieces per minute (dual-head). Add cells as your line speed grows without changing the platform or the controls.

Up to 100/min (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.

No 3rd-Party Software ERP/MES Ready

Options & Add-Ons

More ways to fit your line.

Product stacking, grouping and shingling

Web tracking & precision placement

Before the thermoformer, the Talon TF locates each piece in real time using JLS EyeQ 2D/3D vision and places it accurately into the formed pocket during both dwell and web advance — so the former never stops waiting on product.

Placement precision is part of the product recipe — switching formats or counts happens on the HMI at 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
VOB 2.0 tooling — configured to your product
Custom VOB 2.0 tooling picks wet, cold, raw product gently and accurately — without marking or misaligning product in the pocket. Tooling is lab-validated to your exact product before the system ships.
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 construction icon
IP69K* washdown construction
Add washdown-capable construction with IP69K*-rated components for wet protein environments — specified per application.
Configure Your System
Need Something Specific?
Every Talon TF is configured to your product, format, and thermoformer. Talk to a JLS application engineer about your exact requirements.
Talk to an Engineer →

Thermoformer integration

Robotic loading for the thermoformer already on your floor.

Already have a thermoformer in place? The Talon TF is engineered to integrate with your current line — including Reiser, MULTIVAC, Provisur, and other major OEMs — tracking the web and loading product in time through coordinated B&R controls, without modifying your former.

Need the thermoformer too? JLS can coordinate with Reiser to support a complete thermoforming and robotic loading system, with the former, robot, infeed, and product handling planned to run as one engineered line.

Talk to an application specialist

Application Engineering & Integration

Configured for your product. Scalable across your line.

No two food plants run the same — but every Talon TF ships from the same proven platform. Our application engineers tailor the tooling, infeed conveyors, and number of heads to your exact product and thermoformer — whether you're loading fresh red meat, poultry, seafood, or portion-controlled proteins. One team, one facility, one integration.

UPSTREAM Product supply TALON TF PRIMARY LOADING VOB 2.0 · FULL WASHDOWN PER APPLICATION DOWNSTREAM Flow wrapper / thermoformer OUTPUT Case packing
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning more than just thermoformer loading?

JLS and Reiser (a leading food processing and packaging equipment company) help deliver complete lines — from product preparation and thermoformer loading through sealing, 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 TF technical specifications

Configuration snapshot

Talon TF is configured to your thermoformer format and target rate. Most lines run single- or dual-head delta configurations.

Single-head
Up to 50 ppm (single head)*
Lower-rate thermoformer lines.
Dual-head
Up to 100 ppm (dual head)*
Higher-rate thermoformer loading.

*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
Throughput Up to 50 ppm (single head); up to 100 ppm (dual head)*
Robot configuration Single or dual-head delta
Robot Type Delta-style 4-axis, IP69K-capable (Codian)
End-of-arm tooling VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board, configured to the product
Products Raw meat, poultry, seafood, cheese
Pack formats Thermoformed pockets, MAP, rigid trays
Vision system JLS EyeQ 2D/3D vision with EyeQ Traq web tracking
Control System B&R Automation
Construction level Full washdown (IP69K-capable)
Web tracking Loads during dwell and web advance
Frame Construction Round-tube stainless frame (standard); open-channel frame available as an option
Approximate footprint (excl. tunnel guards) ~8.5 ft × 7 ft (single head); ~12 ft × 7 ft (dual head)*
Sanitation rating IP69K-capable components; full washdown construction
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.

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

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Compare

Talon TF vs. the field

Feature Manual Loading Standard Pick-and-Place Talon TF
Throughput Limited by hand speed Varies; fixed cells Up to ~100/min (dual-head)*
Keeps the Former Running Former waits on loaders Depends on configuration Loads during dwell and web advance
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 thermoformer loading installations. Actual results vary by product, format, and configuration.

Application Example · JLS Talon TF™ Thermoformer Loading

Loading cheese into thermoformer pockets — at web speed.

Barron County Cheese needed to automate loading of raw cheese product into a high-speed thermoformer. Manual loading forced stop-and-go production and was difficult to staff in a wet, cold, daily-washdown environment. The line needed a system that could keep pace with the web and survive aggressive sanitation.

JLS engineered and installed a Talon TF system with VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board tooling configured to the exact product. Vision-guided delta robots locate product in random orientation off the infeed and place it into formed thermoformer pockets during both dwell and advance — so the former keeps indexing. Full IP69K washdown construction handles daily caustic cycles without compromising the line.

Get the full case study

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

Questions our engineers get asked most

Thermoformer loading, throughput, tooling, washdown, and ROI — answered by JLS application engineers.

Talon TF 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 TF places raw product directly into formed thermoformer pockets, MAP trays, and rigid pre-formed trays. It handles raw red meat, poultry, seafood, portion-controlled proteins, and cheese, with VOB 2.0 tooling configured to your exact product.

Both. Conventional auto-loaders only place product during the dwell, while the web is stationary. The Talon TF tracks the thermoformer web and loads during both the dwell and the advance — so the former keeps indexing and effective throughput climbs.

Yes. It uses JLS EyeQ 2D/3D vision with EyeQ Traq web tracking to locate each product and the formed pockets in real time, so product can arrive in random orientation off the infeed and still be placed accurately into each cavity.

JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 vacuum-on-board tooling, configured to your exact product. Moving the vacuum generator onto the arm cuts compressed-air use by 50%+ versus conventional vacuum systems, and gives fast, gentle picks on wet, cold, raw product. Tooling is quick-change and lab-tested for your product before the system ships.

Yes. The Talon TF is designed to integrate with all major thermoformer and rollstock OEMs, including Reiser, MULTIVAC, Provisur, and others. JLS handles the integration engineering — mechanical interface, controls communication, and web-timing synchronization — without modifying your former.

The Talon TF is built with full sanitary washdown construction for raw-protein environments, with IP69K-capable components and a sanitary stainless frame (open-channel available as an option) that keeps surfaces visible and accessible. It is engineered for daily high-pressure, caustic washdown from day one — not retrofitted.

Throughput runs up to 50 pieces per minute single-head and 100 dual-head, depending on product and format. The Talon TF 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 that built it.

It depends on the current process, line speed, and shift schedule, but the Talon TF typically takes over repetitive manual positions for loading product into thermoformer pockets and MAP trays 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 TF 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 TF 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 TF 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 Talon TF are IP69K full washdown rated. System-level ingress protection varies by configuration. Contact your JLS representative for full details on your application.

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