Walking into the production floors of SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and other elite aerospace and defense manufacturers. When you step into those facilities, where every board must perform flawlessly in the harshest environments known to aerospace — one constant stands out:
8mm SMD reels keep the lines moving.
No matter the machine brand or feeder configuration, 8mm reels dominate SMT automation because they deliver the smallest, most essential components at extreme production speeds, without compromise.
Industry data, confirmed by what I observed in those high-security environments — shows that 8mm reels account for roughly 60% to 75% of all reels in circulation today. These reels carry the components that appear everywhere on a board:
Our reels are qualified across:
On a SpaceX avionics line, I watched a pick-and-place machine ripping through these components at speeds exceeding 40,000 CPH, with zero feeding interruptions. The engineers there don’t guess — they choose what works.
In every facility I visited, engineers confirmed a common truth:
If 8mm reels don’t feed perfectly, the entire line stops.
That’s why Sierra Electronics focuses on durability, consistent geometry, and feeder-ready precision. Our reels are built to:
And by offering both 178mm and 330mm diameters, we give OEMs and contract manufacturers the ability to scale output with fewer changeovers — something every aerospace team pointed to as a critical uptime factor.
In the U.S. defense supply chain, where every shift counts, squeezing just one more board per hour is strategic value. And by leveraging 8mm reels:
The result is what I saw firsthand: leaner lines, faster output, fewer operator touchpoints, and higher mission readiness.
From Panasonic lines in satellite control systems…
to ASM/Siemens powering high-mix defense boards…
to Hanwha/Samsung in consumer-to-military dual-use operations…
Our reels fit. They feed. They deliver.
Sierra Electronics manufactures reels with a simple mission:
We work directly with U.S. aerospace and defense contractors, ensuring fast delivery, full traceability, and supply chain confidence.
Sierra Electronics — Santa Fe, NM
The only U.S. tape splicing and reel manufacturer
Ready-to-ship availability across North America
