SMT Reel Winding Tool

A hand tool to make winding reels for tape with SMD components easier/quicker.
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updated May 21, 2023

Description

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Reel Winding Tool

A hand tool to make it easier to wind carrier tape (with SMD components) on a reel.

A reel for SMD components has a hole in the middle, and the hole has three slots. The winding tool has three “fingers” that fit into these slots.

To use the tool:

  • first fit the reel on the axle (which is fixed on a workbench or similar), 
  • then put the winder on top, fitting the fingers into the slots of the reel.

The winder is printed as separate parts. The fingers are printed separately, and they are printed flat, for maximum strength. The fingers are then glued into the (triangular) base of the winder. The handle has two parts: a shaft that is glued into the base, and a grip that can rotate on the shaft. You must slide the grip on the shaft before gluing it in the base, but you should of course not glue the grip to the shaft.

I used fuzzy skin on the grip, with a “depth” of 0.2mm, but more as an experiment than that it serves a specific purpose.

Rationale

Small SMD components are packaged in tape (paper tape or plastic embossed tape). The tape is rolled on reels, in factory packaging. However, a full 7 inch reel contains 5000 resistors or 4000 chip capacitors —possibly more than you need. You can buy smaller quantities from distributors, but these then come in a long strip of carrier tape. We often put these strips on a reel ourselves, because this is easier in production.

Hence, this tool.

Note 1: we often use our mini-reel design for smaller quantities.

Note 2: many distributors also offer a re-reeling service (though typically at an extra cost).

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The author marked this model as their own original creation.

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