Streamlining Manufacturing with PSA Tape Kitting and Nesting
Efficient manufacturing processes are critical to ensure lowest unit cost and pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes can play a major role in driving efficiency through labor savings for OEMs in many different industries. Many companies have long understood the direct efficiencies that peel and stick PSA tapes provide over adhesives and other conventional mechanical fastening techniques. However, they often overlook another time savings game-changer for OEMs when it comes to PSA tapes: the practices of kitting and nesting.
PSA Tapes Already Improve Manufacturing
PSA tapes have become indispensable in modern manufacturing processes, offering a range of benefits that improve efficiency, product quality, and operational versatility. Their ease of use, strength, and adaptability make them invaluable in everything from assembly to packaging.
PSA tapes allow for:
Efficient assembly and quick application
Enhanced product performance and quality
Manufacturing cost and labor efficiency
Improved workplace safety
More environmental resistance and reliability
Even with the numerous benefits provided by PSA tapes, their use can be even more improved through strategic practices like kitting and nesting.
What is PSA Tape Nesting?
Nesting refers to the strategic layout of cutting patterns within converted part production to minimize waste from raw materials. These are often a significant cost driver. In terms of PSA tapes, this involves arranging several cut parts on a larger material sheet or roll in a way that maximizes space and reduces scrap materials that are wasted. When smaller parts are cut within the "waste," known as weed, areas of larger parts, the efficiency of material use increases. Nesting conserves waste and thereby contributes to cost savings by reducing the amount of raw material needed. The process works particularly well when part consumption for an operation can be matched within the nest.
The Benefits of Nesting in the Manufacturing Process
Nesting PSA tapes offers significant advantages for manufacturers:
Minimized Material Waste: By optimizing cutting patterns on a piece of PSA tape materials, nesting directly tackles one of the key cost drivers in manufacturing: material waste.
Enhanced Product Assembly: Combining all or most of the parts necessary for a single operation can speed up assembly processes by allowing workers to access all the parts they need on a single sheet, strip, or roll.
Coordinated Inventory Management: Nesting can aid in aligning part inventory with production needs, ensuring materials are used efficiently. You no longer need to keep multiple individual parts of excess PSA tape stock on hand.
What is PSA Tape Kitting?
Kitting is the process of gathering all the PSA tape components necessary for a worker to complete a task into a single package or "kit." This method streamlines the assembly process, reduces time spent locating materials, and minimizes errors. When applied to PSA tapes, kitting ensures that workers have immediate access to all tape parts needed for assembly, tailored to specific manufacturing stages or products.
The Benefits of Kitting PSA Tape Parts
By assembling all necessary tape parts into a single kit—and, if possible, applying nesting principles to these parts—manufacturers can shrink kit size and simplify the assembly process. This dual approach not only streamlines material handling and reduces material cost, but also integrates seamlessly into lean manufacturing practices.
Kitting PSA tape parts allow for:
Greater Efficiency: kits ensure all the parts are quickly accessible at the point of production for job assembly which reduces extraneous movement and reduces reliance on individuals to stage materials properly.
Less Setup Time: kits eliminate the need for workers to gather parts and materials, reducing assembly and product turnaround times.
Simplified Procurement: one kit may be purchased instead multiple parts reducing supply chain complexity
Less Downtime: workers have quicker access to required tapes, which keeps production moving.
Consistency: each kit contains only what is needed, allowing for consistent application and product quality.
Improved Accuracy: pre-cut parts ensure accurate usage, minimize errors in application due to using the wrong tape, and kits reduce the likelihood of missing or incorrect parts.
Standardization: kits make assembly training easier and allow all workers to output the same level of quality during assembly.
Inventory Management: like nesting, kitting also simplifies inventory tracking and management by moving components in kits rather than as individual items.
Space Optimization: nested kits reduce clutter and the need for storage space at workstations. Only the necessary items are included for assembly.
Kitting also can result in cost savings through:
Decreased labor associated with parts retrieval and handling
Reduced waste through the limiting of excess inventory at assembly stations
Bulk Purchasing of materials
Less material waste (nesting parts further reduces material waste in weed)
Streamlined inventory control, which can reduce overhead costs.
Kitting and Nesting PSA Tape Parts with Our Team
At Engineered Materials, we can help you achieve the full benefits of kitted and nested parts for your assembly process. We work with our customers to help them choose the right PSA tape materials and custom fabricate them into the pieces they need for their products. We can help you and your team:
Identify the PSA tape components you need
Plan the custom shapes of your tape components and coordinate their layout on a sheet material
Cut your parts with precision and tight tolerances
Assemble your parts and ship them on your production schedule
Our integrated approach to materials management and manufacturing efficiency helps your business get the most out of your PSA tape components.