Inventors:
Derek T. Smith - Eagle ID
Tony T. Ibarra - Nampa ID
Merle Bicknell - Nampa ID
Todd D. Higgins - Nampa ID
Assignee:
Micron Technology, Inc. - Boise ID
International Classification:
B65H 1808
US Classification:
2425303, 242393, 242534, 242540, 242541, 2425942, 2425943
Abstract:
A carrier tape recycling apparatus for receiving bare carrier tape from a manufacturing system and for winding the carrier tape onto a plurality of tape reels for reuse. The carrier tape recycling apparatus includes a reel drive mechanism configured to support and rotationally drive a plurality of tape reels such that bare carrier tape dispensed from the manufacturing system may be wound onto the tape reels. The reel drive mechanism provides a slip drive allowing each tape reel disposed in the recycling apparatus to rotate and receive carrier tape independent of other tape reels disposed in the recycling apparatus, so as to compensate for variation in the rate at which carrier tape is supplied to each tape reel disposed in the carrier tape recycling apparatus. The present invention also includes a method of using the recycling apparatus to recycle bare carrier tape dispensed from a manufacturing system.