A Tight Bond: Automated Industrial Tape Dispensing Systems
High-precision industries such as automotive, aerospace and electronics take advantage of advanced robotic taping solutions to make quick work of applying adhesives for bonding, joining or sealing dissimilar materials.
This is a preferred method in high-volume processes over manual application because of the overall benefits, which range from increased throughput, repeatability and integration with automation solutions.
Proprietary Remote Feeding System
Among the robotic taping solutions, however, technologies are not one-size-fits-all. Typical systems tether the tape spool to the end of the robot arm. In the case of RoboTape, an advanced automation system designed for applying a variety of adhesive foam, the application head is attached to the robot arm, while a proprietary remote feeding system that uses bulk spools of material is positioned outside of the work cell.
“The RoboTape system consists of a head, an umbilical cord and then the payout system, explained Stephen Loftus, CEO of Innovative Automation and RoboTape. “Those systems can be about eight meters (26.2 ft) apart, which allows the product to be stationed outside your work cell and allow continuous production inside your work cell.”
The system works by using a level wound spool of tape installed on the payout or unwind stand. A lightweight application head (end effector) is mounted to a robot or cobot. The application head is programmed to peel the tape from its liner, cut the tape to length and uses pressure to attach the tape onto the receiving part or substrate. RoboTape is also equipped with an integrated wet-out attachment that ensures the adhesive makes contact with the substrate.
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These features of the system support a flexible design that is compatible with small and large industrial robots and cobots, said Loftus, before reciting a list of tape options and specifications, ranging from foam, felt and attachment tapes.
“Felt tapes are used for eliminating squeaks and noises, particularly in a vehicle, and foam tapes are used for seals,” he said. “These tapes can be anywhere from 3 mm to 16 mm in width. They have to be converted onto Level 1 spool, which is similar to a spool of wire. Our system has an accumulator, which keeps product in the system so that when we run out of tape on our spool, we have time to make a spool change without impacting the production rate.”
A Remote Feeding System That Supports Zero-Downtime Spool Changes
A single RoboTape system can apply more than 500,000 meters (1,640,419.9 ft) of tape per year, saving 3,800 hours of labor annually when compared to equivalent manual taping processes, according to RoboTape’s website.
At Hannover Messe 2025, the solution was programmed to demonstrate the application of tape on a variety of substrate shapes and geometries. The applicator moved across the surface while spooling the double-sided acrylic foam tape. The tape was automatically cut at the edge of the substrate before moving to another substrate.
Built-in Automation & Safety Protocols
According to Loftus, RoboTape was spun off as a separate business unit from Innovative Automation, a custom machine builder and systems integrator based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
In developing the platform in 2020, his team elected to work with Beckhoff Canada for advice and technical assistance for the design, ranging from TwinCAT 3 automation software programming to EtherCAT networking.
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A CP6706 economy built-in Panel PC from Beckhoff offered the required processing power for the application. The remote feeding system is equipped with a dual-core Atom processor, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB CFast card and a 1-sec. uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The IPC includes a 7-in. touchscreen for operator interface. Coupled with TwinCAT automation software, it is set up for cloud connectivity.
For real-time communication to the robot, the control system relies on EtherCAT. The openness of EtherCAT was a factor in ensuring that there would be no restrictions when integrating with a range of robots and third-party devices (such as sensors and encoders). In addition, system-integrated functional safety was achieved through TwinSAFE, triggering the remote feeding module to enter a safe state when operators open its enclosure.
Growing Adhesive Bonds Around the World
A primary driver for growth in the tape applications market is the focus on streamlining manufacturing processes, according to Johny Khoury, CEO at Dr. Shufani GmbH & Co. KG Tape Converting Machines, a machine manufacturer based near Berlin in Germany, and a distributing partner for RoboTape in Europe.
Adhesive tape saves time, money and energy costs, said Khoury. “Tapes have been used in the last 25 or 30 years in all kinds of industries, and over the next few years we’ll go up in all sectors,” he said. “Tape is used in medical sectors, automotive sectors, aerospace and white goods.”
Separately, in 2022 Innovative Automation announced a collaboration with 3M, a global leader in commercial bonding solutions. The collaboration resulted in a cobranded system that optimized the way 3M Tapes are applied in high-volume applications at production speeds and in a manner that was never achievable with manual tape application.
Automation, demand for efficient packaging solutions and industrial manufacturing growth in key regions are considered crucial factors driving market growth in tape applicator machines. The tape applicator machines market size was valued at $1.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $2.8 billion by 2033, reported Verified Market Reports.
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Related to this growth is the global adhesives tape market, which is projected to grow from $80.20 billion in 2024 to $127.50 billion by 2032, as reported by Fortune Business Insights. North America is the second largest region in the market, after Asia Pacific.
Loftus said RoboTape is building its distribution network around the world. The company is already equipped to supply equipment across North America and has established partnerships in the EU. “We will have a South American distributor shortly and we have two distributors in Asia,” Loftus said. “We want to make sure that we are spreading the word out to everybody, not sticking near home.”
