Carrier Tape Pocket Design

They are the three pocket dimensions in EIA-481-D. A0 is the pocket length, B0 the pocket width and K0 the pocket depth, each measured where the component actually sits. Quoting those three figures is usually enough for us to price a tape design.

Enough that the part loads and unloads cleanly, but not so much that it can rotate or flip in the pocket. Too tight and parts jam or the nozzle mispicks. Too loose and the part arrives rotated and the placement machine rejects it. The tolerance is set against the component drawing rather than a single rule.

Sprocket holes drive the tape through the feeder, and pocket pitch has to line up so the nozzle arrives over the centre of a pocket on every index. EIA-481-D fixes the relationship between tape width, sprocket pitch and pocket position, which is what makes tape from different suppliers interchangeable on the same machine.

Yes. Send a sample component and we can measure it and design the pocket around it. A drawing speeds things up but is not essential.

Yes, on site. A new pocket geometry needs its own tooling, and cutting it here rather than sending the specification overseas is what allows a two-week turnaround from receipt of order.

We can form pockets that deviate from EIA-481-D where the component requires it, including deep pockets to 30 mm. The trade-off is that non-standard tape may need feeder adjustment at the assembly end, so it is worth confirming with whoever runs the line.