Abstract: An apparatus is described for individually inserting successive components of a series of components having mounting legs by movement of the components along an insertion direction to introduce the mounting legs into holes in a substrate at an insertion station. The apparatus includes a guide for guiding a strip of components along a feedpath generally normal to the insertion direction with the mounting legs oriented in the direction of the substrate surface. The strip is advanced stepwise after each insertion operation to position the next successive components of the strip at the insertion station. The carrier web between a components to be inserted and the next successive upstream component is centered relative to a web shearing line, a first cutting element at the insertion station being arranged for abutment against a carrier edge or line proximate to the mounting legs for preventing movement of that portion of the carrier web upstream of the shearing line in the insertion direction.