Video
Out of the box and onto the bench
Under three minutes: DIN-rail mounting, loading tape, fingertip indexing, automatic cover-tape peel-back and a width change.
SMT Caddy MTI Manual Tape Feeder
−10%
Launch price $31.50
Regular: regular price $35.00
· Launch pricing through Nov 30, applied in the cart
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SMT Caddy MTI Manual Tape Feeder
Comes configured for 8 mm tape; extension kits convert it to 12–32 mm. Mounts on 35 mm DIN rail. Does not fit SMT Caddy Model A feeder banks.
−10%
Launch price $31.50
Regular: regular price $35.00
· Launch pricing through Nov 30, applied in the cart
Quantity pricing, per unit
1–4
Launch price $31.50
regular price $35−10%
base
5–9
Launch price $27
regular price $30−10%
−14%
10–19
Launch price $23.40
regular price $26−10%
−26%
20–49
Launch price $21.60
regular price $24−10%
−31%
50+
Launch price $19.80
regular price $22−10%
−37%
Applied automatically in the cart. All widths count toward the tier. Label sheets included from 5 units.
Need a quote, invoice or PO terms? Contact us.
- 1-year warrantyWorkmanship or early failure: we repair or replace it.
- Designed and made in the USAShipped from our US facility.
- Real people, quick answersReplies typically within one business day: info@smtcaddy.com
+2 mm
Feeder width over tape width: 10 mm for 8 mm tape, 14 mm for 12 mm, and so on.
8–32 mm
Five tape widths from one base unit. Reusable kits add 4 mm or 8 mm.
6 mm
Maximum tape advance per full press. Fingertip, or the plastic body of a pickup stylus.
0 motors
No electronics, no power. It grounds through the DIN rail.
How it works
One press. Next part.
Clips onto DIN rail
Snaps onto standard 35 mm DIN rail and lifts off by hand.
Load in seconds
Thread cut tape of any length into the feeder. Paper or embossed carrier, pockets up to 13 mm deep.
Press to index
Each press advances the tape up to 6 mm and presents the next part. A light touch is all it takes.
Change width in a minute or two
A screwdriver and a few press-fit parts. Kits come off again for the next job. See the steps
Cover tape
Cover tape handles itself
The cover tape peels back and exits rearward, away from your tweezers or vacuum pen.
One base unit, five widths
Buy for 8 mm. Widen later.
Every MTI comes configured for 8 mm tape. The 4 mm kit ($2) takes it to 12 mm; 8 mm kits ($3) stack for 16, 24 and 32 mm. Kits are reusable, so feeders follow the job, not the other way round.
Technical data
Specifications
Typical values. Material data are published values for 30% carbon-fiber LCP.
Tape widths
8, 12, 16, 24, 32 mm (comes configured for 8 mm)
Feeder width
Tape width + 2 mm (10 mm on 8 mm tape)
Index per press
Up to 6.0 mm per full stroke
Pocket depth
Up to 13 mm
Carrier tape
Paper and embossed plastic
Tape format
Cut tape, any length; not for reels
Cover tape
Peeled automatically, discharged rearward, clear of the pick zone
Actuation
Vertical plunger: fingertip, or a pickup stylus pressed with the needle's plastic body, or the needle tip if large enough
Mounting
Standard 35 mm DIN rail
Material
Liquid crystal polymer, 30% carbon fiber reinforced
Electrical
Electrically conductive; grounds through the DIN rail (steel as is; anodized aluminum needs a bared contact point, e.g. sand one edge of the rail lip)
Compatibility
Generic: adapts to virtually any manual pick-and-place setup, from vacuum pens to manual and home-built machines. Does not fit SMT Caddy Model A feeder banks.
Origin
Designed, molded, and assembled in the U.S., every part but one bearing
Material and ESD
Molded in carbon-fiber LCP
Liquid crystal polymer, 30% carbon fiber reinforced. Tensile modulus 31.8 GPa: more than ten times standard engineering plastics (1.5–3 GPa) and nearly half of 6061 aluminum (69 GPa).
Electrically conductive, so static drains through the DIN rail instead of building up in the feeder. Steel rail grounds as is; anodized aluminum rail needs a bared contact point (e.g. sand one edge of the rail lip).
Designed, molded and assembled in the U.S., every part but one bearing.
Quantity pricing
The more feeders, the less each
One product, priced per unit by how many are in the cart.
−10%Launch pricing on every tier through Nov 30. No code needed.
- 1–4 feedersLaunch price $31.50
regular price $35−10% - 5–9+ 1 label sheetLaunch price $27
regular price $30−10% - 10–19+ 2 label sheetsLaunch price $23.40
regular price $26−10% - 20–49+ 5 label sheetsLaunch price $21.60
regular price $24−10% - Best value50++ 10 label sheetsLaunch price $19.80
regular price $22−10%
Bar height is the unit price. Applied automatically in the cart; every tape width counts toward the tier.
Rail planner
How many feeders do you need? Plan your rail and see the price
Enter how many feeders you need for each tape width. The planner works out which MTIs and extension kits to order, how much DIN rail the feeders take, and the total at your quantity price. Then it adds everything to the cart in one click.
- 1Enter feeders per tape width, one per part number on your BOM
- 2Read your order list, rail length and price
- 3Add it all to the cart, or email it as a quote request
2Your rail and price
0feeders
0 mmof DIN rail
$0per feeder
| Item | Qty | Each | Total |
|---|
Total before shipping and tax
You save $0
Worth a look
Rail length is the feeders side by side; leave room for your rail end stops. Prices match what the cart applies automatically.
Changing the tape width
8 mm to any width, step by step
Every MTI comes configured for 8 mm tape. Extension kits take it to 12, 16, 24 or 32 mm in a minute or two: a wide flat screwdriver opens the housing, everything else fits by hand. The clips are sped up where nothing new happens and slowed down at the two gear steps.
8 → 12 mm
One 4 mm kit
You need:Wide flat screwdriverOne 4 mm kitA minute or two
Open the housing
Slide the screwdriver into the joint and twist until the two halves separate.
Lift out the gears
Take both gears out of the base half and set them aside.
Fit the extension pins
Press one pin from the kit onto each of the 7 posts of the base half.
Extend the gears
Press the small and large gear extensions onto their gears. Key meets slot; same joint on every kit (close-up below).
Refit the gears
Seat the partial driver gear on the rack so its last teeth line up. Fit the small gear stack with its clocking features on the visible side.
Slowed down in the clipClose it up
Line the other half up on the extension pins and press it shut, pressing only over the pins.
Finesse, not force. Thin, stiff walls are what keep each feeder just 2 mm wider than its tape. If the plunger stiffens or stops, something is in the way: a kinked strip, a snagged cover tape, a loose part in the track. Clear it and carry on; never push through.
Gear extensions
Line up, then press
Each gear section has a key on one face and a slot on the other. Turn the two parts until the key meets the slot, then press them together by hand. Every kit size uses the same joint.
8 → 24 mm
Two 8 mm kits
Kits stack: extension pins and gear extensions join end to end, so build each one to length first, then fit them as for 12 mm. 16 mm takes one 8 mm kit, 32 mm takes three.
To go back to a narrower width, reverse the steps; pull the extension pins as shown below. Kit parts come apart for the next job.
Going narrower
Removing extension pins: support the housing
Lay the housing half flat on a firm surface. Press it down with one finger right beside the pin you are removing, then pull the pin off its post. Move your finger to each pin in turn.
This is the right way to do it. The walls around each post are thin. Holding the housing down next to each pin keeps them from flexing, so they can’t crack while the pin comes out. Never pull pins with the housing held in the air.
FAQ
MTI questions
Shipping, invoices and purchase orders: Ordering, shipping and POs. Anything else: info@smtcaddy.com.
What does the MTI do that a tape strip holder doesn't?
A strip holder presents the tape; you still peel the cover tape and slide the strip by hand. The MTI indexes it. Each press of the plunger advances the carrier tape and peels the cover tape back, clear of the pick zone. As far as we know, it's the only manual tape indexer on the market.
Will it work with my setup?
Almost certainly. The MTI is generic: it adapts to virtually any manual pick-and-place setup, from tweezers and vacuum pens to manual and home-built machines. All it needs is a 35 mm DIN rail at your bench. The one exception is the SMT Caddy Model A: the MTI does not fit its feeder banks.
Which tapes does it take?
Cut tape 8, 12, 16, 24 or 32 mm wide, paper or embossed plastic carrier, with pocket depth up to 13 mm. Load strips of any length. It isn't a reel feeder.
Terms: cut tape is a strip cut from a reel of taped parts. The carrier tape holds the parts in pockets; the cover tape is the clear film sealing them.
What if the tape jams or the plunger feels stiff?
Stop and clear it; never force the plunger. To keep each feeder only 2 mm wider than its tape, the MTI is molded with very thin walls. The carbon-fiber polymer makes them stiff and durable in normal use, but they are not made to take force. On a clear tape path a light press is enough, so resistance means something is in the way, usually a kinked strip or a snagged cover tape. Free the tape, reload it and carry on.
How closely can I pack feeders?
Each feeder is 2 mm wider than its tape: 10 mm on 8 mm tape, 14 mm on 12 mm, up to 34 mm on 32 mm. On 8 mm tape, that's a 10 mm pitch along the rail. The rail planner works out the length for your mix.
Do I have to pick a tape width when I order?
No. Every MTI comes configured for 8 mm tape, the most common width. Low-cost extension kits convert it later: a 4 mm kit for 12 mm, and 8 mm kits that stack for 16, 24 and 32 mm. It takes a screwdriver and a minute or two, and the kits are reusable. Step-by-step videos.
How does quantity pricing work?
The price per unit drops with the number of MTIs in the cart, applied automatically: $35 each for 1 to 4, $30 from 5, $26 from 10, $24 from 20 and $22 from 50. Every MTI is the same 8 mm base unit, so all of them count toward the tier. Orders of 5 or more also include free feeder label sheets. Extension kits have no quantity breaks.
Is it ESD-safe?
The housing is electrically conductive, not merely dissipative, and contacts the DIN rail at its mounting points. Ground the rail and static drains away instead of building up. Steel rail works as is. On anodized aluminum rail, remove the anodizing at one contact point, e.g. sand one edge of the rail lip.
Terms: ESD is electrostatic discharge, the static spark that can damage parts.
Does the MTI fit the SMT Caddy Model A?
No. The Model A uses its own motorized feeder modules, and its feeder banks don't accept the MTI.
Which labels does it use?
Avery 5412 removable labels, 7.9 × 12.7 mm (5/16 × 1/2 in), 100 per sheet, write-on matte paper. Buy packs anywhere, or add sheets to your order at $2 per 100.
Where is it made?
Designed, molded and assembled in the U.S., every part but one bearing.
What's the warranty?
One year from delivery against defects in workmanship and premature failure. We repair or replace the feeder at no charge; you pay only the shipping. Email info@smtcaddy.com with your order number and a photo.