PACKAGING EFFICIENT PACKAGING
ADAPTSYS
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
Tiny 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 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 , spacesaving 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 preformed 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 .
98 PECM Issue 51