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Your Product · Alternative Proteins

Plant-based is unpredictable.
Your packaging line shouldn't be.

Plant-based burgers and patties, nuggets, tenders, grounds, sausages, and tofu — JLS's vision-guided robotics and VOB 2.0 tooling handle soft, delicate, inconsistent alternative-protein product gently. Made to get wet. Built to fit FDA-regulated plants.
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Over 70 years
Built on precision, reliability & trust
Multiple
U.S. patents in food packaging automation
Application-matched
Sanitation matched to machine, process & plant zone
U.S. Built
Engineered in-house

JLS builds robotic packaging automation purpose-built for alternative proteins — vision-guided systems that load plant-based patties, nuggets, grounds, sausages, and tofu into thermoformers, foam and MAP trays, vacuum-skin packs, pouches, and cases. JLS-engineered VOB 2.0 tooling handles soft, delicate, or sticky plant-based product, and IP69K-rated components stand up to daily washdown in FDA-regulated facilities. Every line is engineered, programmed, and supported entirely in-house by JLS.

In action

Watch JLS handle alternative proteins — at full production speed.

Sanitary robotic thermoformer loading Thermoformer loading

Sanitary robotic thermoformer loading

Primary handling — vision-guided Talon robots pick product off the belt and place it into thermoformer pockets.

Pain points we solve

Alternative protein’s toughest
packaging headaches. Solved.

We’ve spent decades on demanding protein lines. These are the problems alternative-protein 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 alternative-protein systems can be built with IP69K-rated robots and components, NEMA 4X-rated control enclosures, and open-frame stainless steel construction, and designed to fit FDA-regulated plants — built for the daily high-pressure washdown these environments require.
Handling soft, delicate plant-based product The challenge

Soft, delicate plant-based product that’s hard to grip and easy to bruise

How JLS solves it
VOB 2.0 Vacuum on Board tooling and custom EOAT pick plant-based patties, nuggets, and formed product straight off the belt — no mechanical sorting, gentle handling.
Hard-to-staff repetitive packing labor The challenge

Labor that’s hard to staff for repetitive, high-volume packing

How JLS solves it
Vision-guided robots take over the cold, 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
Talon, Osprey, Patty Hawk, and Hawk run at line speed with repeatable placement every cycle — from the former and thermoformer through the tray line into the shipping case.
Applications

Alternative protein packaging automation, forming to case packing.

From primary loading through case packing — Talon loads your packages; Osprey, Hawk, and Patty Hawk case-pack them — with construction matched to your plant’s sanitation program.

1

Frozen plant-based patties & formed product

The Patty Hawk counts, stacks, and case-packs frozen patty stacks into the required case-pack pattern — sensor-based detection, reliable in cold, wet production environments. It is proven on frozen IQF hamburger patty stacks; plant-based and other round patty formats are reviewed per application.
Patty Hawk
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2

Thermoformer & vacuum-skin packs

Talon places plant-based deli slices, sausages, and portioned product into thermoformer pockets and vacuum-skin (VSP) packs with proper orientation — vision-guided, no mechanical sorting, gentle handling of soft product. Finished packs are then case-packed at line speed.
Talon TFOsprey TL
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3

Foam, MAP & paperboard trays

Talon TL loads plant-based nuggets, tenders, grounds, and patties into foam, plastic, paperboard, or MAP trays; Osprey TL then loads the finished sealed trays into cases — fragile seal zones handled gently, up to 180 trays/min in a Tri Head Osprey TL configuration.
Talon TLOsprey TL
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4

Bags, pouches, cases & cartons

Osprey BP loads flat pouches and bags of plant-based grounds, nuggets, and crumbles into cases; Hawk top-loads MAP and thermoformed packs into RSC or retail-ready cases, or Peregrine IS forms, loads, and closes cartons — a compact-footprint cartoner.
Osprey BPHawkPeregrine
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Have a custom alternative-protein product?

If it can be formed, portioned, or extruded, our engineers have probably packed it — and if not, we’ll figure it out.

Talk to our alternative protein automation experts

Test before you commit

Send us your alternative protein products.
We'll put them to the test.

JLS Flight Lab puts your product on real JLS robotics in York, PA. Before the design is finalized, send us product samples — plant-based patties, nuggets, tenders, grounds, or sausages — or a close proxy, subject to project scope and availability. JLS application engineers test tooling, pick method, and pack pattern to establish feasibility; rate is validated during FAT before shipment, with final commissioning completed at your facility.

Feasibility
Tooling & pick method tested
U.S. Built
York, PA Flight Lab
Pre-sale
Application testing, subject to availability
Schedule a Flight Lab test

Designed to get wet. Built to be cleaned.

In an FDA-regulated alternative-protein facility, sanitation isn't a feature — it's the whole game. JLS matches each alternative-protein system's construction to the plant's sanitation program — from cleanable construction where product is already packaged to full daily, high-pressure, high-temperature washdown where it is exposed — so your line stays compliant and your downtime stays low.

IP69K*
Rated components for washdown
NEMA 4X
Rated control enclosures
FDA
Designed to fit regulated plants
Open-frame
Sloped, minimal harborage

* IP69K refers to the ingress-protection rating of selected components (robots, motors, enclosures) specified for an application — not a rating of the complete machine.

FAQ

Alternative protein
packaging automation FAQs.

Sanitation, tooling, throughput, ROI, and integration.

Payback is commonly evaluated in the 24–36 month range, depending on labor cost, shift schedule, production volume, uptime improvement, and the specific alternative protein application. For plant-based protein, meat alternative, and formed-product producers, the business case is often driven by labor savings, reduced manual handling, improved pack presentation, more consistent loading, less rework, better ergonomics, and more predictable packaging performance. Labor savings scale with line speed, labor model, and platform, with additional value from improved throughput, reduced product handling, and more consistent pack quality. JLS reviews the product type, product texture, package format, line speed, staffing model, sanitation requirements, and current production challenges to help determine where alternative protein packaging automation can create the strongest return.

JLS automates plant-based burgers and patties, vegan burgers, meatless patties, plant-based nuggets, tenders, grounds and crumbles, plant-based sausages and links, tofu, tempeh, and other formed or extruded alternative protein products. Systems can be designed to stack, load, carton, or case pack products into thermoformer pockets, foam trays, MAP trays, VSP trays, pouches, bags, cartons, cases, and other retail or foodservice packaging formats.

Alternative protein products can be difficult to automate because they may be soft, sticky, fragile, cold, irregular in shape, or sensitive to handling. JLS designs the product handling, end-of-arm tooling, conveyor control, robot configuration, and system layout around the specific plant-based product and package format. Custom tooling and JLS VOB 2.0 Vacuum on Board technology can help support controlled picking and placement for patties, nuggets, tenders, formed products, tofu, tempeh, and meat alternatives. Each application is engineered and tested around the actual product to help protect appearance, reduce manual handling, and maintain consistent placement.

Yes. JLS alternative protein packaging systems can be designed for washdown environments and FDA-regulated food plants, with construction matched to the product contact area, sanitation requirements, and packaging environment. For primary product handling, JLS can build full sanitary washdown construction intended to comply with NSF/ANSI/3-A SSI 14159-1 and EHEDG hygienic design principles. Depending on the application, systems may include stainless-steel construction, open frame design, sloped surfaces, washdown-capable components, IP69K-rated robots and components where required, and NEMA 4X-rated control enclosures.

Yes. JLS can integrate alternative protein automation with upstream and downstream equipment, including formers, extruders, spiral freezers, IQF freezers, breading systems, coating lines, conveyors, thermoformers, tray sealers, cartoners, case packers, checkweighers, metal detectors, labeling systems, and other packaging equipment. JLS reviews the full plant-based protein processing and packaging line so robotic loading, tray loading, thermoformer loading, cartoning, or case packing can work with the equipment already in the plant.

Yes. JLS can review frozen plant-based patty stack case packing for vegan burgers, meatless patties, formed plant-based burgers, and other frozen alternative protein products. The JLS Patty Hawk is proven on frozen IQF hamburger patty stacks; plant-based and other round patty formats are reviewed per application, and the Patty Hawk can be configured to count and stack patties into the required case-pack pattern. The final handling approach depends on product temperature, patty thickness, texture, brittleness, stack count, line speed, and case format. JLS reviews and tests the application to determine the right handling method, tooling, stacking approach, and case packing configuration.

Throughput depends on the product, package format, line layout, robot configuration, tooling, and required placement accuracy. Plant-based patties, vegan burgers, nuggets, tenders, tofu, tempeh, grounds, crumbles, trays, pouches, cartons, and cases may all require different handling approaches and different rates. JLS sizes the automation around the actual product, SKU mix, line speed, and packaging equipment so the system is built for the production requirement rather than a generic rate claim.

Changeover depends on the product family, package format, tooling, and system configuration. Many JLS systems use recipe-driven changeover through the HMI, with tooling and format changes designed to be as simple and repeatable as possible. During project development, JLS reviews the SKU mix, product dimensions, package formats, sanitation needs, and changeover goals so the system can be designed around how the plant actually runs.

Yes. Product testing is often an important part of alternative protein automation projects. Product behavior can vary by temperature, moisture, texture, shape, weight, surface condition, package format, and how it arrives at the automation. Testing product samples — or a close proxy, subject to project scope and availability — in JLS Flight Lab helps establish feasibility for the right tooling, pick method, conveyor control, placement approach, stacking method, and system configuration before final design. This reduces project risk before the design is finalized; rate and performance are validated during the project FAT before shipment, with final commissioning completed at your facility.

Yes. JLS alternative protein automation can often be integrated into existing production and packaging lines. The final design depends on available floor space, product presentation, line speed, controls, sanitation access, upstream equipment, downstream packaging equipment, and package format. JLS reviews the full line so the automation fits the way the plant actually runs, instead of forcing the plant to work around a standard machine.

To evaluate an alternative protein packaging automation project, JLS typically reviews the product type, product dimensions, product weight, texture, temperature, photos or videos of the current line, package format, target speeds, current labor model, sanitation requirements, available floor space, upstream equipment, downstream equipment, SKU mix, and the main production problem the system needs to solve. For plant-based patties, meat alternatives, tofu, tempeh, nuggets, tenders, grounds, and crumbles, product behavior matters — moisture, stickiness, softness, brittleness, coating, temperature, orientation, and product spacing may require testing to validate the right handling method, tooling, conveyor control, robot configuration, and placement strategy.

JLS alternative protein packaging automation systems are designed, built, programmed, and tested at JLS Automation in York, Pennsylvania. Support comes from JLS's in-house support team, with direct access to JLS engineering and programming expertise, including remote diagnostics, on-site service, training, parts support, and preventive maintenance.

Yes. JLS has robotic systems running in protein, frozen patty, and formed-product packaging applications across North America, including patty stacking, tray loading, pouch and bag case packing, cartoning, and robotic case packing. For each project, JLS reviews the product, packaging format, line speed, sanitation requirements, and production goals to design a system that fits the producer’s actual plant environment.

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Ready for the realities of your alternative protein line?

From plant-based patties and nuggets to grounds and sausages, JLS matches construction to each application — cleanable construction across the case-packing line, full-washdown construction with an IP69K-rated delta robot on the Patty Hawk, and hygienic design principles where Talon primary product handling calls for it — built for the daily realities of an FDA-regulated plant. Projects commonly evaluate payback in the 24–36 month range, depending on the line.

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

Planning a complete alternative protein line?

JLS builds complete alternative-protein lines — from primary loading through tray loading, case packing, 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 TALONJLS KESTRELJLS Automation 05PrimarypackagingThermoformingTray sealingVacuum / MAPSkin packAvailable throughReiser portfolio 06CasepackingRobotic case loadingRobotic loadingWashdown configurationsWashdown optionsJLS OSPREYHAWK · PATTY HAWKCase erecting & sealing via partner equip.JLS Automation 07CartoningForm, load,close cartonsCompact footprintWashdown-capable designJLS PEREGRINEPEREGRINE 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 and case packing, with third-party collation, palletizing, and load securement coordinated into the plan.

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.

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

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  • In-house programming — York, PA
  • In-house support team, backed by direct access to JLS engineering and controls expertise
  • 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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