Patent ID: 8117725

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a plurality of molded components, comprising: (a) providing a carrier to a manufacturing assembly, the manufacturing assembly comprising: a source device and an uptake device, both being adapted for winding and unwinding; and a latch, (b) forming a plurality of molded components on the carrier, the molded components comprising: a sacrificial portion being secured to a carrier and being movable along the carrier, the sacrificial portion having a bottom surface and a top surface; and a functional portion extending from the sacrificial portion; (c) winding the carrier in a forward direction onto the uptake device; and (d) unwinding the uptake device in a reverse direction such that the carrier and molded components move toward the source device, one of the molded components contacts the latch preventing the molded components from moving in the reverse direction such that adjacent sacrificial portions are moved closer together to a second distance that is less than a first distance.