For a company like Innovative Automation, which has spent years developing RoboTape to automate the tape application process, the fit was obvious. Pairing contactless product transport with automated tape dispensing opened up manufacturing workflows where the product is never touched from start to finish.
How the Planar Motor System Works
PMI’s system is built around two core components: XBots and Flyways.
The Flyways are modular stator sections that form a flat surface, while the XBots magnetically levitate a few millimeters above that surface. Each XBot operates independently with six degrees of freedom, meaning it can move freely in the X and Y planes, lift or lower along the Z-axis, and rotate with full yaw, pitch, and roll control.
Because the XBots levitate above the Flyways, there is zero physical contact during transport. No rails, no belts, no bearings, and no lubrication. That absence of friction means no particulate generation, making the system particularly attractive for industries where cleanliness is critical, including pharmaceutical filling, cosmetics packaging, food processing, and medical device assembly.
The Flyways are fully modular and reconfigurable. Production lines can be expanded by adding more Flyway sections, rearranged for new product formats, or scaled down for shorter production runs—all without mechanical retooling. PMI’s XBots are wash-down capable and suitable for aseptic environments. The system also features integrated live weighing with an accuracy of ±1 gram, allowing real-time decisions based on the payload carried by each mover.
Why This Matters for Tape Application
RoboTape was designed to solve a long-standing manufacturing challenge: automating tape application. Historically, tape application has remained a manual process because feeding continuous level-wound adhesive material through complex geometries is difficult using conventional automation methods.
RoboTape’s cut-to-length feed system and lightweight robotic applicator changed that equation by enabling precise tape application along curves, complex 3D surfaces, and tight contours.
Until recently, however, one limitation remained on the transport side. Moving parts into position for tape application still relied on traditional conveyance systems such as pallet conveyors, dial tables, or manual loading. These methods introduce contact points, fixed routing, and mechanical changeovers whenever production shifts between product variants.
A Planar Motor system removes those constraints.
Each product rides on its own XBot, follows an independent path to the RoboTape station, pauses for tape application, and continues through production—all without being handled or transferred between systems.
If the next product requires a different tape length or application pattern, the software simply updates the process. No mechanical adjustments are required. Products of different sizes and geometries can run simultaneously on the same production line, each independently routed to the correct stations in the proper sequence.
The result is a tape application process with:
- No human contact during transport
- No transfer-related positioning errors
- No mechanical changeovers between product variants
- Higher flexibility for mixed-product manufacturing
Planar Motor’s History
PMI’s technology traces its origins back to 1997, when the first Planar Motor prototype was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Xiaodong Lu continued advancing the technology at the University of British Columbia before founding Planar Motor Incorporated in Vancouver, Canada, in 2016. The company’s first commercial systems were shipped in 2017.
Since then, PMI has established partnerships across the global automation industry, including:
- ABB, which offers the technology under its ACOPOS 6D brand.
- Rockwell Automation, where PMI is a Technology Partner.
- Siemens, which integrates the system into its TIA Portal and SIMATIC ecosystem.
- Beckhoff, whose XPlanar technology is based on inventions licensed from Dr. Lu’s laboratory at UBC.
- Mitsubishi Electric, which welcomed PMI into its e-F@ctory Alliance in 2024.
What This Combination Looks Like in Practice
Consider a cosmetics manufacturer producing bottles, jars, and tubes of different sizes on the same production line. Each product requires a different tape configuration, whether for label backing, sealing, or gasket applications.
With conventional automation, every product format often requires dedicated fixtures, conveyor adjustments, and mechanical changeovers.
By combining Planar Motor transport with RoboTape automation, production becomes dramatically more flexible.
Each XBot carries its assigned product to the appropriate RoboTape station, where the robotic applicator automatically applies the correct tape configuration based on the product’s identity. The line continues operating without pauses, manual intervention, or mechanical reconfiguration.
This is the type of batch-size-one manufacturing that modern production has been striving toward for years—and the technologies to make it practical are finally available.
Looking Ahead
Innovative Automation continues to evaluate advanced transport technologies like PMI’s Planar Motor system as part of our commitment to developing smarter, more flexible manufacturing solutions.
The combination of contactless conveyance and automated tape application represents a significant step forward for manufacturers looking to increase flexibility, reduce downtime, and maintain exceptional product quality while supporting mixed-format production.
To learn more about the Planar Motor system, visit planarmotor.com or email solutions@planarmotor.com.
To learn how RoboTape can be integrated into your production line, contact our team.