EIA Standard FlatPAX™- Mechanically Interlocking Flat Cover Tape

Introduced in January, 1996, this flat cover tape is a derivation of GPAX StitchLock™ mechanically interlocking cover tape. The development of this tape was driven by requests from the user community to provide a component package inclusive of both carrier and cover tape to be compatible with and enhance their existing installed base of OEM SMT platforms and OEM feeders.

The new flat cover lays flat on the surface of the carrier, the tape package advances in the feeder driven by a sprocket wheel. The tapes are mechanically separated by a stationary unstitching device which is permanently attached to the OEM feeder. The feeder can then feed FlatPAX and other types of cover tapes with no changeover or feeder modification required. This technology has been in the factory environment running in high volume applications at production rates using Fuji, Hover-Davis, Panasonic, and Universal Instruments tape and reel feeders. Users and component vendors prefer the mechanically interlocking tape due to its ability to be spliced in the packaging and feeding process resulting in lower costs. Market acceptance and utilization are growing rapidly based on decreased costs and increased throughput at both the component vendor and user locations.

This FlatPAX carrier also feeds on GPAX UltraFlex Feeders.