CN117466058A

CN117466058A - Automatic wire adhesive tape winding system

Info

Publication number: CN117466058A
Application number: CN202310927027.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: N·卡洛罗; 裘健良; M·曼特瑞斯
Original assignee: Delphi Technologies Inc
Current assignee: Anbofu Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-07-27
Filing date: 2023-07-26
Publication date: 2024-01-30
Also published as: GB2620951A; EP4312232A1; GB202210946D0

Abstract

An automatic wire tape winding system includes a tape winding robot having a tape winding head mounted on a robot arm that winds a tape winding cable or collection of cables in use. A tape cartridge includes a roll of tape rotatably mounted to a cartridge body and includes at least one releasable connector for connecting the cartridge to a tape winding head. A storage device comprising a holder for receiving a cartridge and release means arranged to automatically operate the at least one releasable connector to disconnect the cartridge from the tape winding head when the cartridge is received in the holder.

Description

Automatic wire adhesive tape winding system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an automatic wire tape winding system including a tape winding robot and a cassette system for automatically changing a tape roll.

Background

Vehicle harnesses or wiring are bundles of cables used in automotive applications to transmit power or data signals around a vehicle. The harness is preassembled with the cables arranged in the correct wiring length and configuration and restrained together using straps, clamps, cable ties, or catheters, etc. The terminal end of the cable is provided with a connector element for electrical connection to an associated vehicle component. The harness is also provided with body clamps at various locations along its branches for mechanically connecting the cable harness to various structures within the vehicle.

In a typical assembly process, the wire harness is manufactured on a harness assembly plate or table. The wire harness assembly panels generally include a schematic view of the wire routing and a label indicating the components required for each associated location along the wire harness. A series of wire forks mounted on the wire harness assembly plate support the wire harness. The electrical components are held in a mount on the assembly plate for connection to the cable. The harness assembly plate further includes a body clamp holder for maintaining the body clamp during assembly.

A wire bundle includes a plurality of cables. The adhesive tape is used to bond the cables together along their length, along a common routing section of the harness. A robot (taping robot) may be used to automate the taping process of the cable. A tape winding robot includes a multi-axis robot having a tape winding head. The tape winding head includes a tape roll and a winding mechanism for winding the tape roll on the wire bundle to wind the cable. The winding mechanism includes a rotating plate and a feeding mechanism that feeds the ribbon from the ribbon roll to the rotating plate. The rotating plate rotates around the cable to apply the strip to the cable. When the rotating plate rotates in the first rotation direction, the robot moves the tape winding head axially along the wire bundle in the second direction, thereby applying the tape along the given length of the cable. Once the taping process is completed, a cutter mounted on the tape winding head cuts the tape.

The tape winding robot can automatically tape-attach a series of wire bundles without manual intervention. However, when the strip is depleted or a different color strip needs to be used, the roll of tape must be replaced by the operator. When the tape roll is replaced, the tape winding robot must be stopped, which requires the entire assembly line to be stopped. Then, the operator must manually disconnect and remove the tape roll from the tape winding head and replace it with a new tape roll, which is manually loaded onto the tape winding head. Typically, the time to change the coil is between 1-3 minutes. During this time, the assembly line is not running. For the case where the color of the tape must be replaced multiple times during the assembly of the wire harness. This can lead to excessive downtime, thereby limiting the operating efficiency of the assembly line.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved automatic wire tape winding system for wire bundles, and/or a method of assembling wire bundles, that addresses the above-described problems and/or provides an overall improvement.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present disclosure, there is provided an automatic wire tape winding system (tape winding system) as described in the appended claims.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an automatic wire tape winding system comprising:

a robot having an arm and a tape winding head (tape winding head) mounted on the arm, the tape winding head configured to wind a tape around one or more cables;

a tape cartridge comprising a main body, a rolled strip rotatably mounted to the main body, and at least one releasable connector for connecting the cartridge to the tape winding head, and

a storage device comprising a holder for receiving the cartridge, wherein the storage device comprises a release device arranged to automatically operate the at least one releasable connector to disconnect the cartridge from the tape winding head.

The storage device is a docking station or any other suitable device that releasably holds and maintains the cartridge. The use of a tape cassette releasable from a robotic tape winding head enables the tape roll to be automatically separated from the tape winding head when the tape roll is exhausted or a replacement tape is required. In prior art arrangements, the tape roll is mounted on a spindle that is permanently connected to the tape winding head, so the tape must be manually removed from the tape winding head and replaced, which is time consuming. In contrast, the removable cartridge of the present disclosure may be docked in the storage device and automatically disconnected from the tape winding head, leaving the tape winding head free to automatically retrieve another tape cartridge from the storage device.

The release means may be arranged to operate the at least one releasable connector when the cassette is docked in the holder. The releasable connector may include a button or similar depressible mechanism for releasing the connection. The release mechanism may include a linear actuator that extends to operate a push release mechanism of the releasable connector.

The at least one releasable connector comprises a locking element reconfigurable between a locking configuration preventing release of the connector and a release configuration allowing disconnection of the tape cartridge from the tape winding head, and a release mechanism for allowing movement of the locking element to the release configuration, and wherein the release mechanism is arranged to operate the release mechanism to allow disconnection of the tape winding head from the tape cartridge. The locking element may be a ball bearing or the like biased to a locked position and the release mechanism allows the ball bearing to move away from the locked position for release. The locking mechanism may be configured to automatically move to the locked configuration when received by the tape winding head. For example, the ball bearing may be spring loaded such that it is pressed when inserted into the tape winding head and then automatically extended when aligned with a corresponding locking detent in the tape winding head.

The retainer is configured to retain and maintain the tape cartridge when the tape cartridge is disconnected from the tape winding head. This includes holding the tape cartridge when the tape cartridge is disconnected from or connected to the tape winding head. The holder may comprise a bracket or a cartridge sleeve for slidably receiving the tape cartridge. The tape cartridge may comprise a mounting element on the upper surface, which is slidably received in the holder, which may comprise a stop element for positioning and holding the mounting element in the holder. The mounting element and the holder may be arranged such that the tape cartridge is vertically inserted into and removed from the holder.

The automatic wire tape winding system further includes a plurality of tape cassettes, and the storage device includes a plurality of corresponding holders for holding each of the respective plurality of tape cassettes. At any given time, if the tape cartridge is connected to the tape winding head, at least one retainer is empty and available to receive the tape cartridge from the tape winding head.

Each holder may comprise a release device associated with the holder, the release device being arranged to release the tape cartridge held by the respective holder.

Each tape cartridge includes an upper surface upon which the tape is mounted and an opposite lower surface from which at least one releasable connector protrudes, and the retainer is configured to retain the tape cartridge in an orientation in which the lower surface faces away from the storage device for connection to the storage device by the tape winding head. The releasable controls preferably extend through the body from the upper surface and project from the lower surface to the distal end. The proximal end at the upper surface includes a release mechanism, which may be a button.

The automated wire tape winding system may further comprise a processor for operating the tape winding robot, wherein the processor is programmed with information related to the position of each holder and the position of each tape cartridge on the storage device and is operable to control the tape winding robot to place a tape cartridge on and/or connect to a selected tape cartridge held by a selected one of the plurality of holders. The processor may also include information relating to the type and/or color of tape held by each tape cartridge.

The tape winding head may include a mounting element such as a disc rotatable relative to the main body and a drive mechanism for rotating the mounting disc, and the tape cartridge is releasably connected to the mounting disc such that rotation of the mounting disc rotates the tape cartridge. Rotation of the tape spool causes the tape to wrap around the wire. The tape cartridge comprises a feeding mechanism comprising one or more feeding rollers for feeding the tape from the tape roll to an application point at the wire.

The mounting plate may comprise a first channel for receiving the cable and the tape cartridge comprises a second channel for receiving the cable, and when the tape cartridge is connected to the mounting plate, the first and second channels are aligned. These channels are open, allowing the tape winding head to be positioned around the wire.

The storage device may comprise one or more vertically arranged support structures to which the holders are mounted and which are configured to hold the respective tape cassettes such that the lower surfaces of the tape cassettes are arranged in a vertical plane and the at least one releasable connector extends horizontally away from the storage device.

The storage device may have an outer surface and a plurality of retainers are located at different locations around the outer surface and the storage device is reconfigurable to move selected retainers to a docked position in which they can be accessed to the tape winding head to dock or remove the tape cartridge. The storage device may have a base section and a drive mechanism arranged to rotate the base section to rotate the body of the support and to rotationally move the holder about the support device.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for assembling a wire harness, the system comprising:

an assembly plate comprising a plurality of wire supports for holding wires of a wire harness in place on the assembly plate;

a robot having an arm and a tape winding head mounted on the arm;

a tape cartridge comprising a main body, a roll of tape rotatably mounted to the main body, and at least one releasable connector for connecting the cartridge to a tape winding head; and

a storage device comprising a holder for receiving the cartridge, wherein the storage device comprises a release device arranged to operate the at least one releasable connector to disconnect the cartridge from the tape wrapping head when the cartridge is docked within the holder;

wherein the robot is operable and arranged to wind the tape on the wire held on the assembly plate and to pick up and/or place the tape reel at the storage device.

The system may comprise a processor for operating the robot, wherein the processor is programmed with information related to: the tape winding robot is operable to control the tape winding robot to take a tape roll from one of the plurality of holders and to control the robot to perform the taping operation using the tape roll cassette.

The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to control a root to place a tape cartridge at a selected one of the plurality of holders when the tape cartridge needs to be replaced.

Drawings

The present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following illustrative drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a tape winding robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a tape cartridge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a tape roll according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a tape cassette docking station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a tape cassette holder according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a tape cassette and release mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 7 is a view from below of the tape cassette docking station of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

The following description presents exemplary embodiments and is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the exact details of the embodiments or to the exact compliance with all method steps. Variations will be apparent to the skilled artisan and are considered to be encompassed by the specification. The terminology used herein is intended to be interpreted broadly, and includes equivalent functions and features. In some instances, several alternative terms (synonyms) are provided for structural features, but these terms are not exhaustive.

Descriptive terms should also be construed as broadly as possible; for example, the term "comprising" as used in this specification means "including, at least in part," such that, when each statement in this specification that the term "comprising" is interpreted, features other than the feature or features recited at the beginning of the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprising" will be interpreted in the same manner. Directional terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "upper" and "lower" are relative terms, and generally refer to the illustrations for ease of explanation and are not intended to ultimately limit whether equivalent functions may be achieved by alternative dimensions and/or orientations.

The description herein refers to embodiments having specific combinations of construction steps or features. However, it is contemplated that further combinations and cross-combinations of compatible steps or features between embodiments will be possible. The description of features of any particular embodiment does not indicate that the features are indivisible in relation to each other, that isolated features may function independently of other features, and that the features do not necessarily need to be implemented as a complete combination.

Referring to fig. 1, the multi-axis automated taping robot 2 includes a main body 4 and an arm 6 rotatable about an axis of rotation A-A relative to the main body 4. The taping robot 2 further includes a tape winding head 8 mounted on the distal end 10 of the arm 6. The tape winding head 8 includes a base plate 12 having a planar mounting surface 14. The mount 16 secures the proximal end 18 of the base plate 12 to the arm 6 such that the base plate 12 extends axially away from the distal end 10 of the arm 6. The distal end 20 of the base plate 12 includes a channel 22 having an opening at one end that receives a cable to be taped in use.

A rotatable mounting plate 24 is located at the inner end of the channel 22. The rotatable mounting plate 24 is a circular plate having a diameter greater than the width of the channel 22. The mounting plate 24 includes a u-shaped cut-away section 26 that forms a channel extending from the opening into the central plate 24 such that the rotating mounting plate 24 is substantially c-shaped. The u-shaped cut section 26 has a width corresponding to the width of the channel 22. In the first rotational position of the mounting plate 24, the u-shaped channel 26 is aligned with the channel 26 of the substrate and forms a continuation of the channel 26 of the substrate. The rotary mounting plate 24 is rotatably mounted to the base plate 12 within a corresponding circular aperture intersecting the channel 22. The mounting plate 24 is held in place by c-shaped locking plates 27 located on either side of the base plate 12 and secured to the base plate by fasteners 29. The bushing provides a low friction interface between the mounting plate 24 and the base plate 12. The mounting plate 24 is rotatably supported within the base plate 12 such that it rotates about a fixed axis of rotation disposed perpendicular to the mounting surface 14 of the base plate 12.

A motor 28 is mounted to the base plate 12. A drive mechanism comprising a drive chain and a series of gears is disposed on the lower surface 30 of the base plate 12 on the opposite side of the mounting surface 14. The drive mechanism is operatively connected to the mounting plate 24 via one or more gears such that drive is transferred from the motor 28 to the mounting plate 24 to rotate the mounting plate 24 relative to the base plate 12 and within the base plate 12. The mounting plate 24 includes a plurality of mounting apertures 32.

The tape cassette 34 is mounted to the mounting plate 24 via a plurality of connectors 25 fixed within the mounting apertures 32. The connector 25 is described in more detail below. When the tape cartridge 34 is attached to the mounting plate 24, it rotates with the rotation of the mounting plate 24. As shown in fig. 2, the tape cassette 34 includes a substrate 36 having a forward edge 38. At the forward edge 38 of the base plate 36 a channel 40 is formed, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the channel defined by the u-shaped cross-section 26 in the mounting plate 24. When the base plate 36 is secured to the mounting plate 24, the cut-away sections 26 are concentric with the semicircular ends of the channels 40. The radial center of the semicircular end sections is aligned and coaxial with the rotational axis of the mounting plate 24. The base plate 36 includes a plurality of mounting apertures 41 aligned with the mounting holes 32 of the mounting plate 24. The connector 25 is inserted into the mounting aperture 32 of the mounting plate 24 through the mounting aperture 41 to secure the substrate 36 to the mounting plate 24. The mounting apertures 41 are arranged such that when the base plate 36 is secured to the mounting plate 24, the channels 40 of the base plate 36 are aligned with the channels 26 of the mounting plate 24.

The spindle 44 is mounted to the base plate 36 and extends substantially perpendicularly away from the base plate 36. A tape roll 46 including a spool 48 supporting a length of tape 50 is rotatably mounted to the spindle 44 such that the tape roll 46 may rotate relative to the substrate 36. The tape guide 52 is located at the inner end of the channel 40. The tape guide 52 has a curved semi-circular inner surface 54 corresponding in shape to the curved inner edge of the channel 40, the inner surface 54 receiving and guiding the cable as the cassette 34 rotates relative to the cable during tape application. When the cable is located at the inner end of the channel 40 within the curved inner surface of the strap guide 52, the cable is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the cassette, which means that the cable remains a fixed distance from the surrounding base plate 36 as the cassette 34 is run around the cable.

The tape guide 52 comprises two portions arranged on opposite sides of the channel 40, which are separated by a gap 56 for receiving and guiding the tape. The roller 60 is arranged in a spatial position above the tape guide 52 between the tape guide 52 and the tape roll 46. The tape passes from the roll 46 over the roller 60 and then into the gap 56 of the tape guide 52. The adhesive tape extends from the tape guide 52 to the cutter 62. The cutter 62 includes a main body and a movable jaw including a cutting blade.

The tape winding head 36 includes a linear actuator 53, such as a rack and pinion assembly, for actuating the jaws of the cutter between a clamped position in which the tape winding head holds and constrains the ends of the tape, a closed cutting position in which the tape winding head cuts through and releases the ends of the tape, and an open position in which the tape winding head can receive the free ends of the tape when the tape is applied to the cable. The strip travels from the tape guide 52 to the cutter 62 and is held by the cutter 62 in a first state with the cutting jaws in a clamped position.

The connector 25 is a quick release connector configured to releasably connect the tape cartridge 34 to the mounting plate 24. The connector 25 comprises a push button locking connector having a shaft 64 and a head 66 comprising a release button 68. A pair of ball bearings 70 are located on opposite sides of the shaft 64. The ball bearings are spring loaded and biased into a position where they protrude above the outer surface of the shaft 64. The proximal end of the shaft 64 includes a threaded section. Each mounting hole 41 includes a corresponding threaded section on their inner bore such that the connector 25 can be threadably connected within the bore of the mounting hole 41. The length of the shaft 64 is designed such that when the connector 25 is threadably received within the mounting aperture 41, the distal end of the shaft 64 extends from the opposite side of the base plate 36. The protruding sections of the shaft 64 are received within the corresponding mounting apertures 32 of the mounting plate 24. Each mounting aperture 32 includes a pair of detents or apertures within the bore configured to receive the spring loaded ball bearings 70 of the connector 25.

When the shaft 64 is inserted into the mounting aperture 32, the spring loaded ball bearings lock within the corresponding apertures of the mounting aperture 32, thereby locking the shaft within the mounting aperture. The spring force of the ball bearing 70 is sufficient to securely retain the connector 25 within the mounting aperture 32. Thus, the connector 25 is inserted into the mounting aperture 32 to provide a quick fix that locks the tape cartridge 34 and the mounting plate 24 together. The release button 68 is located at an opposite axial end of the shaft 64 and has an end face coplanar with the upper surface of the base plate 36. Depressing the release button 68 releases the spring force on the ball bearing 70 and allows the shaft 64 to be removed from the mounting aperture 32. Thus, pressing the release buttons 68 of the two connectors 25 can quickly release the tape cassette 34 from the mounting plate 24.

As shown in fig. 3, a mounting block 43 is also connected to the base plate 36, as will be described in further detail below. The mounting block 43 includes a front locating plate 45 and guide channels 47 located at opposite lateral sides between the locating plate 45 and the base plate 36 along the lateral edges of the mounting block 43.

Referring to fig. 4, a storage device is provided that includes a docking station 72 for storing a plurality of tape cassettes 34a-34c. Docking station 72 includes a base 74 and a tower section 76 that includes a plurality of upstanding walls 78. The first upstanding wall 80 includes a plurality of retainers 82a-82c for slidably receiving and retaining the tape cassettes 34a-34c, respectively. Each holder 82 includes a bracket configured to slidingly receive the mounting block 43 on the base plate 36 of the corresponding tape cassette 34.

As shown in fig. 5, the bracket 86 includes a main body 88 secured to an outer surface of the upright wall 80. The outer surface of the bracket 86 includes a slot 90 extending vertically through the body 88. The slot 90 is configured to slidingly receive the locating plate 45 of the mounting block 43. The vertically extending guides 92 are located forward of the slots 90 located within the corresponding guide channels 47 of the mounting block 43. A stop member 94 projects forwardly from the front surface of the bracket 86 and is located at the lower edge of the front surface. The stop element 94 is arranged to engage the base plate 36 of the tape cassette 34 to hold and vertically constrain the tape cassette 34 and prevent the mounting block 43 from sliding completely through the slot 90.

The mounting block 43 is mounted to the outer surface of the base plate 36 of the tape cassette 34. Thus, when the tape cassette 34 is inserted into the cradle 86, the outer surface of the base plate 36 faces inwardly toward the tower 76. Thus, the section of the shaft 64 of the connector 25 that extends rearward through the rear surface of the base plate 36 projects outwardly and horizontally away from the tower 76.

In use, the robot 2 is operated to move the tape winding head 8 towards a desired position of the tape cassette 34 on the docking station 72. The arm 6 is rotated to orient the base plate 12 of the tape winding head 8 such that the mounting surface 14 is vertically oriented and faces the rear surface of the corresponding tape cartridge 34. The substrate 12 is moved into engagement with the tape cassette 34 such that the shafts 64 of the connectors 25 are received within the corresponding mounting apertures 32 of the mounting plate 24. When the substrate 12 is moved into further engagement with the tape cassette 34, the ball bearings 70 of the connector 25 are positioned within corresponding detents of the mounting aperture 32, thereby locking the substrate 12 and tape cassette 34 together. The base plate 12 is moved vertically by the robot 2 to lift the tape roll cassette 34 such that the mounting blocks 43 slide out of the corresponding slots 90 of the brackets 86. When the mounting block 43 has been vertically moved away from the bracket 86, the robot 2 can move the tape cassette 34 from the docking station 72 to the harness assembly plate for bundling the harness.

When the tape cassette 34 needs to be replaced, either because the tape roll has been fully used, or a replacement color of tape or type of tape is required, the robot 2 returns the tape roll 34 to the docking station 72 and inserts the tape roll 34 into an empty holder 86, which may be the holder 86 in which the tape cassette 34 was originally removed, or may be a replacement holder 86. The mounting block 43 slides into the slot 90 of the bracket 86 until the base plate 36 contacts the stop member 94. In this position, end face 66 of connector 25 faces inwardly toward tower 76.

Referring again to FIG. 4, a plurality of linear actuators 77 are mounted on the tower 76, each actuator being positioned adjacent a respective bracket 86. For each holder, the respective linear actuator 57 is arranged such that the piston rod 79 is extendable to an extended position in which the piston rod 79 engages the end face 66 of the connector 25 and presses the button 68 of the connector 25, as shown in fig. 6. This causes the ball bearings 70 to release and unlock the shaft 64 of the connector 25 from the corresponding mounting apertures 32. The linear actuator continues to press the button 68 to hold the ball bearing 70 in the unlocked state while the robot 2 moves the substrate 12 away from the tape cassette 34 to disconnect the substrate 12 from the tape cassette 34. The substrate 12 is then moved by the robot 2 to connect to another support 86 on the docking station 72 and to retrieve the second tape cassette 34 from the support.

The processor is programmed with information regarding the color and/or type of tape roll mounted on each tape roll cassette 34 and the position of each tape roll cassette 34 on the docking station 72. The processor is also programmed with sequence information specifying the tape cassettes 34 required for each assembly stage. The system may further comprise a sensor arranged to determine when the roll of tape has expired and the processor is operative in response to signals from the sensor to control the robot 2 to replace an empty roll of tape 34 with a full roll of tape 34.

Docking station 72 includes additional brackets 86 mounted to other upstanding walls on other sides of tower 76. As shown in fig. 7, the base 74 of the docking station 72 comprises a rotational drive mechanism 76, which rotational drive mechanism 76 is arranged to rotate the base 74 and the tower 72 to provide an additional upstanding wall to the robot 2 to provide an additional tape cartridge 34. The processor is programmed with information regarding the circumferential and vertical positions of each support 86 and the rotational movement required to rotate the tower 72 to provide a given tape cassette 34 to the robot 2.

Claims

1. An automatic wire tape winding system comprising:

a robot having an arm and a tape winding head mounted on the arm, the tape winding head configured to wind tape around one or more cables;

a tape cartridge comprising a main body, a roll of tape rotatably mounted to the main body, and at least one releasable connector for connecting the cartridge to the tape winding head; and

2. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 1, wherein the release device is arranged to operate the at least one releasable connector when the cartridge is docked within the holder.

3. The automatic wire tape winding system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one releasable connector comprises a locking element reconfigurable between a locking configuration preventing release of the connector and a release configuration allowing the tape cassette to be disconnected from the tape winding head, and a release mechanism for allowing the locking element to move to the release configuration, and wherein the release means is arranged to operate the release mechanism to allow the tape winding head to be disconnected from the tape cassette.

4. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 3, wherein the release mechanism comprises a linear actuator.

5. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 3 or 4, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to automatically move to the locked configuration when received by the tape winding head.

6. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 4 or 5, wherein the retainer is configured to retain and maintain the tape cartridge when the tape cartridge is disconnected from the tape winding head.

7. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 6, comprising a plurality of tape cassettes, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of corresponding holders for holding each of the respective plurality of tape cassettes.

8. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 7, wherein each holder comprises a release device arranged to release the tape cartridge held by the respective holder.

9. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 8, wherein each tape cartridge includes an upper surface and an opposing lower surface, a tape roll is mounted to the upper surface, the at least one releasable connector protrudes from the lower surface, and the retainer is configured to retain the tape cartridge in an orientation in which the lower surface faces away from the storage device for connection to the storage device by the tape winding head.

10. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 9, further comprising a processor for operating the robot, wherein the processor is programmed with information regarding the position of each holder and the position of each tape cartridge on the storage device and is operable to control the tape winding robot to place a tape cartridge on and/or connect to a selected tape cartridge held by a selected one of the plurality of holders.

11. The automatic wire tape winding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tape winding head comprises a mounting disc rotatable relative to the body and a drive mechanism for rotating the mounting disc, and the tape cartridge is releasably connected to the mounting disc such that rotation of the mounting disc rotates the tape cartridge.

12. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 11, wherein the mounting plate includes a first channel for receiving a cable and the tape spool includes a second channel for receiving a cable, and wherein the first channel and the second channel are aligned when the tape spool is connected to the mounting plate.

13. The automatic wire tape winding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the storage device comprises one or more vertically arranged support structures to which the holders are mounted and configured to hold the respective tape cassettes such that the lower surface of each tape cassette is arranged in a vertical plane and the at least one releasable connector extends horizontally away from the storage device.

14. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 13, wherein the storage device has an outer surface and the plurality of holders are located at different locations around the outer surface, and wherein the storage device is reconfigurable to move a selected holder to a docked position in which the selected holder is accessible to the tape winding head for docking or removal of a tape cartridge.

15. The automatic wire tape winding system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an assembly plate having a plurality of wire supports for holding wires of a wire harness in place on the assembly plate, wherein the robot is operable and arranged to wind a tape around wires held on the assembly plate and to acquire and/or place a tape reel at the storage.

16. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 15, further comprising a processor for operating the robot, wherein the processor is programmed with information related to: the tape winding device may further comprise a tape winding robot configured to control the tape winding robot to take a tape roll from one of the plurality of holders and to control the robot to perform a taping operation using the tape winding cassette.

17. The automatic wire tape winding system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to control the robot to place the tape cartridge at a selected one of the plurality of holders when the tape cartridge needs to be replaced.