If your product comes in a rigid container — a carton, a clamshell, a tub, a cup, a bottle, a jar, or a can — you already know that case packing these formats has its own set of challenges. Rigid containers don't flex. They don't compress. And they don't forgive sloppy handling.
The good news: the same mechanical properties that make rigid containers demanding to handle also make them well-suited to a single automation platform. HAWK can be configured for cartons, clamshells, and other rigid containers, with tooling and changeover requirements matched to the selected formats.
Most case packers for rigid containers work by collating product into the correct group pattern on an infeed conveyor, then loading the group into the case efficiently. The Hawk uses this collate-and-load method. Product flows in from upstream on the infeed conveyor. The system groups containers into the programmed case-pack pattern — whether that's a 3x4 array of yogurt cups, a 2x3 pattern of blueberry clamshells, or a 4x6 grid of juice cartons. The collated group is then loaded into the case.
This approach matters for two reasons. First, it's fast — moving a complete group into the case is inherently faster than placing containers one at a time. Second, it maintains the pack pattern integrity. Rigid containers need to sit in the case in a precise arrangement so they don't shift, rattle, or topple during transport. Loading the group as a unit preserves that arrangement.
Here's where the Hawk's architecture becomes relevant. The machine is built around a proprietary two-axis kinematic robot arm that provides full access to the case loading area from one side. This isn't just an ergonomic convenience — it's what gives the loading mechanism the clearance and access geometry it needs to place different container formats precisely.
Cartons, clamshells, tubs, cups, bottles, cans, jars — these all have different heights, diameters, and center-of-gravity characteristics. Each format the Hawk runs is validated for the application, with tooling and changeover requirements matched to the selected formats.
Changeover between validated container types is managed through the HMI recipe system: select the product, make the required adjustments, and the Hawk runs the new format. No mechanical rebuilds.
Floor space in food packaging facilities is always limited — and it's getting more limited as operations add SKUs, new product lines, and additional equipment. The Hawk was designed with this constraint in mind.
The single-side robot-arm architecture and collate-and-load approach allow the Hawk to occupy a smaller footprint than many competing case packers handling similar product ranges. For operations retrofitting automation into existing lines — where the available space is fixed and often tight — this can be the difference between a feasible project and one that requires facility modifications.
Like every JLS machine, the Hawk is built for food-plant realities. Cleanable stainless construction with NEMA 4X-rated control enclosures. Surfaces that are accessible and cleanable. The machine handles daily sanitation protocols without creating water traps, corrosion points, or hard-to-reach cavities.
This matters particularly in fresh produce, dairy, and bakery applications where the rigid containers being packed may be in direct contact with the food product (as with clamshells and tubs), and the packing environment requires standards that go beyond dry-warehouse construction.
The Osprey family — CL, TL, and BP — is engineered for flexible and semi-rigid products: chubs, pouches, trays, bags. Those products are handled with vision-guided delta robots and vacuum tooling, with pick arrangements configured to the application.
The Hawk covers the rigid side of the portfolio. If your container holds its shape on a conveyor and doesn't deform under contact, the Hawk's collate-and-load approach is a strong automation strategy.
Together, the Osprey family and the Hawk cover the full range of food packaging formats — from the most flexible to the most rigid — on the same B&R controls platform.
See how the Hawk handles your product
The Hawk case packing system is designed and built by JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania. To discuss your rigid container case packing application, visit jlsautomation.com/hawk or call (717) 505-3800.