Hidden Cost: Copper Shims in Imported Splice Cartridges
Most imported stapler-style splice cartridges use cheap copper shims. Copper is harder and abrasive against steel cutting edges. As operators splice hundreds of tapes per shift on SMT pick-and-place machines, this friction dulls cutter blades rapidly, creating a silent wear pattern inside the tool – a major hidden cost in SMT production.
The result?
The tool doesn’t just need a new blade –
the entire SMT splice tool becomes scrap.
Competitors don’t replace cutters… they force you to buy a brand-new tool, often at 2× the price of a U.S.-made Sierra tool.
There is nothing fair about that business model – especially for OEMs running high-strength SMT splice tape, splicing clips, and splice tape for SMT machines on a 24/7 SMT assembly line.
Sierra Electronics engineers precision-punched soft brass that protects both:
Our materials advantage is rooted in a fully traceable Made-in-USA alloy supply chain. Soft brass coils are sourced exclusively from U.S. suppliers AllFoils and Wieland, ensuring:
✔ Guaranteed composition
✔ Burr-free punching consistency
✔ Stable feed geometry under high CPH
✔ No unknown alloy contaminants
Invisible splices = invisible wear. Cheap tools undermine SMT system reliability and uptime. Smart buyers demand premium SMT splice tape and splice tools made in the USA.
Every splice impacts precision mechanisms:
Copper shims chip edges and deform sprockets, especially on automatic splices.
Soft brass preserves the entire SMT line feed path.
You can see material quality at first glance: If it looks cheap – it behaves cheap.
And cheap never belongs anywhere near high-speed SMT feeders.
We cut zero corners on raw materials:
Engineered for zero downtime, maximum yield – and invisible splices that your SMT production line never notices.
When throughput, yield, and traceability define profitability…
Buy SMT splice tools and tape in the USA.
Buy Sierra Electronics.
