FEATURE Packaging Machinery
Effi cient packaging for small engineering components
James Cawkell, Technical Director of Adaptsys, explains how component manufacturers and distributors can seal small parts in pocketed tape produced in-house as a cost-effective and space-efficient solution for storage and shipping
Figure 1: Flat-spring, metal stamp tape, and spring-clip tape T
iny components such as small springs, and miniature machined, stamped and moulded parts present many handling
challenges from the point of manufacture to the point they are fi tted in the end product.
Packing choices for storage and shipping Items are usually packed in bags, small boxes or component trays for transit and storage, but none of them is ideal: Bags and boxes do not protect individual components and can allow bulk- packaged parts such as springs to become interlinked. Whereas bags and boxes are not well suited for presenting components to a customer’s automated assembly processes, and mis-counting can occur. Trays provide protection for individual components and can be used with tray- feeding mechanisms for automated assembly. However, suffi cient numbers of the right type of trays must be available to package the parts, ready for shipping. Also, trays are not well suited to shipping very large component numbers. Pocketed tape off ers an alternative
that provides individual protection for parts whilst allowing large numbers of
20 July/August 2021 | Automation
components to be stored effi ciently on a reel. Carrier tape is created by embossing small pockets at pre-defi ned intervals into a semi-rigid backing. A transparent cover strip is added to seal the components in their pockets. Here, the packaging cost per pocket is low. Component tapes supplied on reels are widely used in high-speed automated manufacturing scenarios such as surface-mount electronic assembly. There are already reliable and economical mechanisms for feeding the carrier tape, removing the cover strip, extracting the components, and discarding the used materials.
On the other hand, some of the challenges that apply to trays apply equally to pocketed tape. Enough tape, of the right width and with pockets the right size, must be available to package the components. Without enough tape, parts can’t be despatched to fulfi l customers’ orders. Also, holding large quantities of tapes with diff erent widths and pocket sizes occupies a signifi cant storage space.
Bring tape forming in-house Producing pocketed tape on demand can overcome such inventory and supply problems. Cost reduction and the fl exibility of producing just the amount
of tape required for each application reduces cost, stock levels, space and waste. With such capability, part manufacturers and distributors can take advantage of pocketed tape for protection, space-saving storage, convenient and effi cient shipping, and compatibility with automated manufacturing. Flat tape is easier to store than pre-formed tape. In fact, the space needed to store stock carrier tape can be reduced by as much as 95%. There is also potential for a recurring fi nancial saving by purchasing unformed tape instead of pre-formed pocketed tape.
Even companies that don’t intend to
produce all their own packaging in-house can benefi t from having an independent pocket-forming capability. In the event of an emergency, having the option to produce a small quantity of tape on demand to fulfi l an order can mean the diff erence between delivering on time or being late.
Payback time The up-front investment needed to start making tape in house can be surprisingly low. Adaptsys’s Re-fl ex II system comes at a price that enables companies to recoup their investment in as little as 12 months, depending on usage. The latest
automationmagazine.co.uk
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