Skip to main content

Robotic soft confection packaging line

Soft candy needs a gentle touch.
Sixteen robots deliver it at speed.

A complete, JLS-integrated soft confection packaging line — the award-winning soft-confection line runs 16 vision-guided robots with Soft Robotics grippers that gently pick delicate marshmallow candies from the conveyor and place them into paperboard or plastic trays. JLS owns its defined automation scope and coordinates the agreed interfaces, from primary picking through tray handling, flow wrapping, and case sealing.
Talk to an Automation Expert See what's in the line
16 Robots
Vision-Guided On the soft-confection line
Soft Grippers
Gentle on Delicate Candy
Full Line
Single-Source Integration
Award-Winning
Soft Confection Automation
Multiple PatentsAll in Food Packaging Automation
In-House ProgrammingControls, Vision & Robotics Expertise
Factory-Tested ReliabilityBacked by JLS Service & Support
Installation & SupportDedicated Installation, Startup & Support Team
Delivery Timeline at ProposalTarget delivery scoped to your project

The JLS Automation soft confection packaging line is an integrated robotic system for handling and packaging delicate soft confections. Sixteen vision-guided robots with food-grade Soft Robotics grippers gently pick marshmallow candies from the conveyor and place them into paperboard or plastic trays. JLS coordinates tray handling, flow wrapping, metal detection, case sealing, and controls into one line, owning its defined scope and the agreed interfaces, with rate and performance validated during the project FAT before shipment and final commissioning completed at your facility.

In action

Watch the soft-confection line in action — 16 robots, gently handling candy.

Just Born Quality Confections — a JLS automation still running today A look back

Just Born Quality Confections — a JLS automation still running today

A look at one of our past automations: the Just Born confection packaging system JLS built — historic work that is still operating in production today.

Applications & Package Types

The soft confection line — gentle robotic handling.

JLS engineers the soft confection packaging line around the product, owning its defined automation scope. On an award-winning soft-confection line, 16 vision-guided robots with Soft Robotics grippers gently pick delicate marshmallow candies from the conveyor and place them into paperboard or plastic trays. JLS then coordinates tray denesting and erecting, flow wrapping, metal detection, case sealing, and system controls into one line through agreed interfaces, with rate and performance validated during the project FAT before shipment and final commissioning completed at your facility.

Products & Formats

Marshmallow CandiesMarshmallow candies, seasonal shapes
Soft ConfectionsDelicate, easily marked
Paperboard TraysDenested & erected
Plastic TraysMultiple formats
Other ConfectionsTalk to our engineers

What's in the Line

Talon Pick-and-PlaceVision-guided robots
Soft Robotics GrippersFood-grade, gentle
Tray Denesters & ErectorsAutomated tray handling
Flow Wrappers + ConveyorsSpreader, spiral, scrap
Metal DetectionInline inspection
Case Sealer / TaperEnd-of-line + controls

The challenge

Soft, compressible confections that hard-product automation can't handle.

✕The Problem

Delicate soft confections deform, mark, or drop in standard automation

Manual loading is hard to staff — and traditional pick-and-place can't be gentle enough.

Soft, compressible confections deform or mark when handled by hard-product pick-and-place tooling, so many lines still rely on manual loading. That work is fast, repetitive, and increasingly difficult to staff, and inconsistent handling shows up as damaged product and rejects. Adding seasonal SKU peaks and a tight labor pool makes manual loading harder to sustain.

Chronic
Turnover in manual packing roles
Every shift
Repetitive work that's hard to staff
Line rate
Throughput manual handling can't sustain
✓The Solution

16 vision-guided robots with soft grippers — gentle handling, one integrated line

A single JLS-integrated line, from picking through case sealing.

The JLS soft confection line runs 16 vision-guided robots with food-grade soft grippers that pick, orient, and load delicate confections into paperboard or plastic trays gently. JLS coordinates tray denesting and erecting, flow wrapping, metal detection, and case sealing with the robotic cells, owning its defined scope and the agreed interfaces, with rate and performance validated during the project FAT before shipment and final commissioning completed at your facility.

FAT
Validated in factory testing before shipment
Recipe-driven
Changeover, application-dependent
In-house
Controls programming by JLS

Test before you commit

See your product run on a JLS line
before you commit.

JLS Flight Lab puts your product on real JLS robotics in York, PA. Send product samples, or a close proxy, subject to project scope and availability, and JLS application engineers test grippers, tooling, pick method, and pack pattern so feasibility is established before the design is finalized. Rate and performance are validated during FAT on your system, with final confirmation at commissioning.

Feasibility
Tooling & pick method tested
U.S. Built
U.S. built automation
Pre-sale
Application testing, subject to availability
Test your product in the Flight Lab

Core Technology

The engineering behind the precision.

JLS engineers the robotics, grippers, vision, and controls and coordinates the agreed interfaces with tray handling, wrapping, and inspection equipment. Backed by multiple patents and proven on the award-winning soft-confection line, these are the technologies that let an integrated JLS system handle delicate confections gently, at volume.

Stainless steel construction icon
IP69K*-rated components

Cleanable to Washdown Construction

Round-tube stainless frame (open-channel available as an option), sloped surfaces, open cable channels, and NEMA 4X-rated control enclosures — 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*-rated components Minimal Harborage NEMA 4X enclosures
Vision-guided accuracy
Track · Acquire · Place Gently

Vision-guided robotic handling

Vision tracks each confection’s position and orientation on the conveyor in real time — directing the line’s 16 robots to pick random-orientation product and place it accurately into trays, with no manual sorting or alignment.

16 Robots Vision-Guided Real-Time Tracking
VOB vacuum tooling icon
Gentle · Food-Grade · Custom

Custom soft-gripper tooling

Food-grade soft-gripper end-of-arm tooling cradles delicate, compressible confections gently — picking, orienting, and loading product that traditional hard-product tooling cannot handle. Every tool is configured and lab-tested for your exact product.

Soft Grippers Gentle Handling Food-Grade
Fast tool-less changeover
Recipe-Driven SKU Swaps

Fast, recipe-based changeover

Select the new recipe on the HMI, swap the end-of-arm tooling by hand, and run. Every purchased, validated SKU is loaded before the system ships; changeover time depends on the application and which components change.

Recipe-Driven SKU Swap Validated Recipes Loaded
Multi-cell, multi-head modularity
One Integrated Line

Single-source line integration

JLS engineers primary picking and the line controls and coordinates the agreed interfaces with tray denesting and erecting, flow wrapping, metal detection, and case sealing, so the line runs as one coordinated system. Rate and performance are validated during the project FAT before shipment, with final commissioning completed at your facility.

Single-Source Full-System FAT
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 — normal production operation doesn’t require an engineer or robot-programming expertise. JLS engineers and programs the application controls in York, PA, on commercially available B&R hardware. After installation, JLS’s in-house support team has direct access to JLS engineering and programming expertise.

Programmed In-House by JLS ERP/MES Integration Available

Options & Add-Ons

More ways to fit your line.

Product stacking, grouping and shingling

Stacking, grouping & shingling

Ahead of wrapping, the line 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 pack after pack, 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 tooling changes only where the product calls for them.

Stacked
Multi-count
presentation
Shingled
Overlapping
pack patterns
Recipe
Pattern changes
on the HMI
Cardboard insert and tray feeding
Automatic Tray Denesting
An integrated feeder places cardboard inserts, pads, or chipboard trays ahead of product — so the line loads product and its carrier in one continuous flow.
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.
Washdown upgrade icon
Washdown upgrade (IP69K*-rated components)
Add washdown-capable construction with IP69K*-rated components for wet protein environments — specified per application.
Configure Your System
Need Something Specific?
Every soft confection line is configured to your product, format, and facility. Talk to a JLS application engineer about your exact requirements.
Talk to an Engineer →

Application Engineering & Integration

Configured for your product.
Scalable across your line.

No two confection lines run the same — JLS designs each as a complete, configured solution. Our engineers coordinate JLS systems with best-fit third-party OEMs — pickers, grippers, vision, tray handling, flow wrappers, metal detection, case sealing — into one line, under a single purchase order. One team, one facility, one integration.

Fits your line. Day one.

Every JLS line is built with upstream and downstream connectivity in mind — from the picking conveyors and spreaders, through tray denesting/erecting and robotic placement, into flow wrapping and case sealing. Rate and performance are validated during the project FAT in York, PA, with final commissioning completed at your facility.

UPSTREAM Product supply / forming SOFT CONFECTION ROBOTIC HANDLING GENTLE · VISION PER APPLICATION DOWNSTREAM Primary packaging OUTPUT Case packing
JLS + Reiser: Expertise across the line

Planning a complete packaging line?

JLS engineers primary loading, robotic placement, and case packing and coordinates tray handling, flow wrapping, and other third-party equipment through agreed interfaces — engineered as one coordinated solution, with rate and performance validated during the project FAT before shipment and final commissioning completed at your facility.

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.

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

Soft confection line — what’s in the system.

Configuration snapshot

Every line is configured to your confection, tray format, and target rate. JLS designs the full line and sizes it to your application as part of the design process — contact us for your application.

Pick & Place
16 Robots*
Vision-guided robots with soft grippers gently load confections into trays.
Wrap & Inspect
Integrated*
Flow wrapping and metal detection integrated into the line.
Case Pack
Single-Source*
Tray handling through case sealing, all under one B&R control system.

*Line configuration and rate vary by product, tooling, and layout. JLS confirms the right configuration for your product and target rate during a line assessment.

Specification Value
System Type Integrated robotic soft confection packaging line
Robots 16 vision-guided robots
Robot Type Vision-guided robots with food-grade soft grippers
End-of-Arm Tooling Custom food-grade soft-gripper tooling, configured per confection
Product Delicate, compressible soft confections; sizes per application
Loading Styles Picked, oriented, and loaded into paperboard or plastic trays
Vision System Product acquisition with conveyor tracking
Control System B&R Automation
Downstream Integration Tray denesting and erecting, flow wrapping, metal detection, case sealing
Sanitary Design Food-grade construction; IP69K*-rated components specified per application
Frame Construction Stainless construction with minimal harborage points
Project Scope Full line integration with single-source responsibility and full-system FAT
Electrical Supply 480V ±10%, 3-phase, 60Hz
Air Supply 80 PSI, clean, dry, lube-free
Electrical Enclosures NEMA 4X rated; UL/cUL listed
Controls Unified B&R control system across the full line
Build Designed, built, and integrated by JLS Automation in York, PA

*Line configuration varies by product, tooling, and layout. Specifications may vary by configuration — contact JLS for your specific application.

Where should we send it?

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

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

Compare

Manual handling vs. an integrated JLS line.

Feature Manual Loading Standard Pick-and-Place JLS Integrated Line
Throughput Limited by hand speed Varies; fixed cells 16 robots, line speed
Handles Delicate, Compressible Product Deforms or drops product Often marks soft product Soft grippers, no deformation
Random Infeed Orientation Manual sorting Often needs fixed orientation Vision-guided, any orientation
Single-Source Line Integration Multiple vendors Robot only; integration separate Full line, one partner, one FAT
Labor Required 2–6 loaders/line 1–2 operators Automates repetitive loading tasks
Changeover Time N/A 15–30 min Recipe-driven, application-dependent
In-House Programming N/A ✗ 3rd-party contractors ✓ Programmed in-house by JLS

Based on typical soft confection line installations. *Configuration varies by product, tooling, and layout.

Application Example · JLS Soft Confection Line

Loading delicate soft confections gently — without a line full of loaders.

A leading maker of marshmallow candies needed to automate the loading and orientation of soft, compressible confections — products that traditional hard-product pick-and-place systems simply could not handle gently. The challenge: integrate a 16-robot soft-gripper system into an existing packaging hall running multiple product SKUs at seasonal peaks.

JLS designed and installed a fully integrated soft confection packaging line: 16 vision-guided robots equipped with custom soft-gripper end-of-arm tooling pick, orient, and load soft confections into flow wrap and case packing equipment without product damage. The system integrates upstream primary packaging and downstream case packing, with all controls tied to a single HMI. JLS managed the full project — from engineering through commissioning — as a single integrated-line partner.

It handles delicate product gently and runs consistently shift after shift — exactly what this line needed.

— Operations Manager, confectionery manufacturer

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 →

Common Questions

Soft confection line FAQs.

Common questions about gentle handling, integration, testing, sanitation, and controls.

It is a complete, JLS-integrated robotic packaging line for delicate soft confections. Sixteen vision-guided robots with food-grade soft grippers gently pick marshmallow candies from the conveyor and place them into paperboard or plastic trays. JLS then coordinates tray denesting and erecting, flow wrapping, metal detection, and case sealing into one line, owning its defined automation scope and the agreed interfaces.

Custom food-grade soft-gripper end-of-arm tooling cradles each piece so it is picked, oriented, and loaded gently — without marking or dropping it — handling delicate product that traditional hard-product pick-and-place tooling cannot. Vision guides every placement so the pattern stays consistent pack after pack.

The line runs 16 vision-guided robots. Vision tracks each confection's position and orientation on the conveyor in real time, directing the robots to pick random-orientation product and load it accurately into trays with no manual sorting or alignment.

JLS engineers primary picking and the line controls, and coordinates tray denesting and erecting, flow wrapping, metal detection, and case sealing through agreed interfaces, tied to a B&R control system and operator HMI. Compatibility is determined by the application and the agreed interfaces.

The line is built for delicate, compressible soft confections such as marshmallow candies, including seasonal shapes. End-of-arm tooling is configured to your exact product geometry, weight, and surface.

Ahead of wrapping, the line builds the exact presentation your pack calls for — stacking multiple counts, grouping mixed items, or shingling product into overlapping patterns. Patterns are part of the product recipe, so switching counts or arrangements happens on the HMI alongside changeover.

JLS takes responsibility for its defined automation scope — design, build, programming, and integration of the JLS systems — and coordinates the agreed interfaces with third-party equipment such as flow wrappers, metal detection, and case sealers. Rate and performance are validated during the project FAT before the line ships, with final commissioning completed at your facility.

The line runs on a unified B&R control system with a single operator HMI. Software is written and owned by JLS, so recipe changes, new SKUs, and line adjustments are handled in-house rather than by third-party contractors.

Yes. Before the design is finalized, JLS Flight Lab in York, PA can test your product samples, or a close proxy, subject to project scope and availability, with tooling configured for them — establishing feasibility for tooling, pick method, and placement and reducing project risk. Rate and performance are validated during FAT on your system, with final confirmation at commissioning.

The line is built with food-grade construction and IP69K*-rated components specified per application, with stainless construction and minimal harborage points. JLS specifies the right construction level for your facility and product.

The soft confection line is designed, built, programmed, and integrated at JLS Automation's facility in York, Pennsylvania, with remote diagnostics and on-site service from JLS’s in-house support team, which has direct access to JLS engineering and programming expertise.

JLS typically reviews your product type and dimensions, photos or video of the current line, pack and tray 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.

Still have a question that isn’t answered here?

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.

* IP69K refers to the ingress-protection rating of selected components (robots, motors, enclosures) specified for an application — not a rating of the complete machine. Components and sanitation levels are configured per application. Contact your JLS representative for full details on your line.

Find out what your line is capable of.

We evaluate your line, your product, and your constraints — 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 installations. 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
Have a product you need loaded, packed or cartoned?
Start with whether it’s a fit — not with a quote.
Tell an application engineer what you’re packaging and what the line looks like today. A few sentences is enough. If the product suits it, JLS can test it in the Flight Lab before any design is finalized.
Talk to an Automation Expert Test Your Product
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 direct access to JLS engineering and controls expertise.
Services & Support Order Parts