FEATURE u Materials Handling
Efficient packaging for small engineering components
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. By James Cawkell, Technical Director, Adaptsys
T
iny components such as small springs, miniature machined or stamped parts, and moulded parts present
many handling challenges from the point of manufacture to the point they are fitted 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. Neither is ideal. Bags and boxes do not protect individual components and can allow bulk- packaged parts such as springs to become interlinked. Also, bags and boxes are not well suited for presenting components to a customer’s automated assembly processes and mis-counting can occur. Trays provide
Metal parts in tape
protection for individual components and can be used with tray-feeding mechanisms for automated assembly. However, sufficient numbers of the right types of trays must be available to package the parts ready for shipping. Also, trays are not well suited to shipping very large numbers of components. Pocketed tape offers an alternative that
provides individual protection for parts while also allowing large numbers of components to be stored efficiently on a reel. Carrier tape is created by embossing small pockets at pre- defined intervals into a semi-rigid backing. A transparent cover strip is added to seal the components in their pockets. 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 cannot be despatched to fulfil customers’ orders. Also, holding large quantities of tapes, with different widths and pocket sizes, occupies a significant storage space.
BRING TAPE FORMING IN-HOUSE Producing pocketed tape on demand can help overcome these inventory and supply problems. Cost reduction and the flexibility of producing just the amount of tape required for each application reduces cost, stock levels, space, and wastage. With such capability, part manufacturers and distributors can take advantage of pocketed tape for protection, space-saving storage, convenient and efficient 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 financial saving by purchasing unformed tape instead of pre-formed pocketed tape. Even companies that do not intend to
produce all their own packaging in house can benefit 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 fulfil an order can mean the difference between delivering on time and delivering late.
PAYBACK TIME The up-front investment needed to start making tape in house can be surprisingly low. Adaptsys’ Re-flex II system comes at a price that enables companies to recoup their investment in as little as 12 months, depending on usage. The latest model incorporates upgrades to the motor-control system that allow tape speed up to four metres per minute thereby ensuring high throughput. Its compact footprint, measuring just 75cm x
16 July/August 2021 Irish Manufacturing
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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