Carrier Tape Knowledge — An Ultra-Detailed Guide
- Albert Chen
- Dec 28, 2025
- 4 min read
1. What Is Carrier Tape?
Carrier Tape is a long, strip-shaped packaging material used to hold, protect, transport, and automatically feed miniature electronic components or injection-molded parts. It is widely used in the electronics manufacturing industry and is a critical consumable in SMT (Surface Mount Technology) automated assembly processes.
As shown in the image below.
2. Components of Carrier Tape Packaging
Carrier tape packaging mainly consists of three parts:
Carrier Tape
Heat-Activated Cover Tape (also called cover tape or sealing tape)
Reel (also called plastic reel)
2.1 Carrier Tape
a. Detailed Structure and Functions
Pocket (Cavity)Uniformly arranged recesses in the carrier tape used to hold individual components, preventing movement and collision.
Sprocket HolesRound holes along the edge of the carrier tape that engage with the sprockets of pick-and-place machines, enabling precise indexed feeding.
b. Material, Thickness, and Color
MaterialsCommon materials include PS, PP, PC, and PET. These materials offer high tensile strength, high heat-deflection temperature, low shrinkage, good wear resistance, and low cost, making them suitable for most components.
ThicknessCommon thicknesses include 0.3 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.4 mm, and 0.5 mm.
Colors
Transparent (insulating)
Black antistatic
Black conductive
c. Carrier Tape Width — EIA Standards
Carrier tape width, sprocket hole pitch, and pocket pitch follow international standards (such as EIA-481) to ensure compatibility between components and SMT machines from different manufacturers.
Common EIA carrier tape widths include:8 mm, 12 mm, 16 mm, 24 mm, 32 mm, 44 mm, 56 mm, 72 mm, 88 mm, 104 mm, 120 mm, and 200 mm
2.2 Heat-Activated Cover Tape (Cover Tape / Sealing Film)
MaterialTypically made from PET.
Common Widths5.3 mm, 9.3 mm, 13.5 mm, 21.5 mm, 25.5 mm, 37.5 mm, 49.5 mm, 65.5 mm
ColorsTransparent and milky white are most commonly used.
Peel Force Test Standards
1.30–100 gf at a peel speed of 300 mm/min
20–150 gf at a peel speed of 300 mm/min
2.3 Reel
MaterialCommonly PS plastic or corrugated paper (paper reels).
Diameter Sizes
7 inch (≈180 mm)
13 inch (≈330 mm)
15 inch (≈380 mm)
19 inch (≈480 mm)
ColorsWhite, blue, and black are the most common.
3. Carrier Tape Dimensions and Design Guidelines
3.1 Reference Dimensions for Carrier Tape
Dimension | Design Reference |
A | Pitch; must be a multiple of 4 |
B | Recommended minimum ≥ 4.0 mm |
C | Carrier tape width, typically per EIA standard |
D | Typically 1.75 mm |
E | Typically 4.0 mm |
F | Ø1.5 +0.1 / −0 mm |
G | Recommended minimum ≥ 2.0 mm |
H | Recommended minimum ≥ 2.0 mm |
I | When T = 0.35 mm, recommended R = 0.4 mm |
J | Recommended 5 mm; increase if component height is large |
K | Upper clearance: 0.2–0.3 mm |
L | Locating pillar clearance ≥ 0.15 mm |
M | Terminal clearance ≥ 0.3 mm |
N | Peripheral clearance around body: 0.15–0.2 mm |
Note:
When carrier tape width C ≤ 24 mm, a single row of sprocket holes is used.
When C ≥ 32 mm, double rows of sprocket holes are used.
Final design may also follow customer requirements.
3.2 Pocket (Cavity) Design Requirements
The longer side of the product outline should be aligned with the carrier tape width to prevent pocket deformation during loading.
Bosses may be designed inside the pocket as required. The clearance between the boss and product surface should be 0–0.1 mm. During machine setup, the boss aligns with the pick-and-place nozzle so the product rests on the boss, preventing deformation during production.
Reinforcement ribs or protrusions may be added as needed. The protrusion height should be between the product top surface and the carrier tape surface. A clearance of 1.5–3.0 mm should be maintained between the protrusion and the product retaining wall.
Maintain a 0.1–0.2 mm clearance between the product bottom and the carrier tape bottom to avoid interference.
Provide 0.2 mm clearance on each side of the product length and width inside the pocket.
All pocket side walls in the length and width directions should be slanted, forming an angle of approximately 95° with the pocket bottom.
4. Reel Packaging Dimensions
4.1 Reel Specifications
D: Outer diameter of the reelCommon sizes: 7″ (≈180 mm), 13″ (≈330 mm), 15″ (≈380 mm)
d: Inner hub diameterCommon size: 4″ (≈100 mm)
H: Total reel height
Carrier tape width and cover tape width must be matched accordingly, as shown below:
Carrier Tape Width (W) | Cover Tape Width | Reel Size (ØD × Ød × H) |
12 mm | 9.3 mm | 300 × 100 × 12.5 mm |
16 mm | 11.3 mm | 300 × 100 × 16.5 mm |
24 mm | 21.3 mm | 300 × 100 × 24.5 mm |
32 mm | 25.5 mm | 300 × 100 × 32.5 mm |
44 mm | 37.5 mm | 300 × 100 × 44.5 mm |
56 mm | 49.5 mm | 300 × 100 × 56.5 mm |
72 mm | 69.5 mm | 300 × 100 × 72.5 mm |
88 mm | 81.5 mm | 300 × 100 × 88.5 mm |
104 mm | 97.5 mm | 300 × 100 × 104.5 mm |
4.2 Product Quantity and Carrier Tape Length Calculation
The relationship between quantity per reel (Q) and carrier tape length (L) is calculated as follows:
Images
A: Winding area of the reel (mm²)
R: Outer radius of the reel
r: Inner hub radius
L: Carrier tape length (meters)
Example:
Assume:
Carrier tape width: 24 mm
Cover tape width: 21.3 mm
Reel size: 330 × 100 × 24.5 mm
Pitch (P): 12 mm
K0: 7.8 mm
Tape thickness (T): 0.5 mm
Images
After calculation:Using a 330 × 100 × 24.5 mm reel, each reel can hold 700 pcs of product, requiring 9.4 meters of carrier tape.
5. Future Trends and Challenges in Carrier Tape Packaging Design
5.1 Intelligent & IoT Integration
Smart Carrier TapeIntegration of pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and other monitoring devices to track component conditions in real time and upload data via IoT platforms for early fault warning.
Adaptive Carrier TapeAI algorithms predict vibration frequencies during transportation and dynamically adjust cushioning structures to enhance protection.
5.2 Environmental Protection & Sustainability
Biodegradable MaterialsDevelopment of bio-based materials such as PLA (polylactic acid) to reduce plastic pollution.
Reusable DesignsModular designs that allow carrier tapes to be reused, reducing production costs and environmental impact.
5.3 Cross-Disciplinary Technology Integration
3D PrintingEnables rapid customization of carrier tapes to meet low-volume, high-mix production requirements.
Nano-Coating TechnologyImproves wear resistance and antistatic performance of carrier tapes, extending service life.
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