Glossary of engineered tray terms
The technical terms we use, explained in plain language.
- Functional tray
- A tray specified to perform a function in your operation, such as protecting parts, organizing the line, speeding up counting, and simplifying transport, rather than just holding the part.
- Thermoformed tray
- A tray formed from a plastic sheet into the shape of the parts it holds, custom-designed for the application.
- Tray life cycle
- How long a tray needs to last and how many trips it needs to make, from a single shipment to years of use inside a plant.
- ESD
- Short for electrostatic discharge: the sudden flow of electric charge between two objects, which can damage electronic components.
- Latent damage
- Damage caused by electrostatic discharge that doesn't show up in inspection and appears later, often in the field.
- Conductive
- An ESD material class that drains charge quickly.
- Dissipative
- An ESD material class, also called static dissipative, that releases charge gradually and in a controlled way.
- Insulative
- A material that holds charge and needs special precautions in applications with ESD-sensitive components.
- Topical anti-static coating
- Anti-static protection applied to the tray surface like a coating, with a limited shelf life, suited to single-use or short-cycle trays.
- In-resin anti-static additive
- Anti-static protection compounded into the material. It lasts for years (the so-called permanent effect) and suits trays built for many use cycles.
- Poka-yoke
- An error-proofing feature: in a tray, the cavity accepts the part only in the correct position.
- Matrix tray
- A matrix tray is an indexed, robot-ready tray in which every pocket has an exact, repeatable position, like an address.
- Pick-and-place
- An automated operation in which a robot picks up a part from one position and places it in another.
- In-plant logistics
- The movement of trays between areas of the same plant, returning to the start of the process.
- Tier 1 supplier
- A supplier that makes a component or system and ships it to the company that builds the final product.
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