Editorial
Board notes
Floor notes from the SMT side, written for real electronics teams.
First Photo
A quick SMT floor note on the first photo to help teams spot setup problems before start-up.
Cut Off Habits
A practical floor note on cut-off habits for electronics teams planning feeders, stock and dispatch properly.
Coastal Care
A short SMT floor note on coastal care where salt air, moisture and storage discipline affect boards and parts.
Highveld Dust
A useful floor note on Highveld dust where open reels, feeders and air paths need more attention.
Power Windows
A clear floor note on power windows so reflow, compressors and pick-and-place work are planned around supply gaps.
Courier Notes
A floor note on courier paperwork for teams moving boards, feeders or nozzles between sites.
Demo Day
A floor note on demo day planning around stencil setup and the first SMT slot.
Spare Logic
A floor note on spare logic for teams tracking reels, nozzles and machine parts.
Handoff Mail
A floor note on handoff mail covering board status, shortages and machine changes.
Night Shift
A floor note on night shift handovers with feeder checks and reflow control.
Export Week
Board notes for export packs should name the PCB finish, bag type and carton orientation before dispatch leaves South Africa. Include desiccant count, humidity card position and whether assemblies travel with fitted standoffs, loose cables or separate nozzles. Teams sending to neighbouring countries usually avoid damage by marking shock watch labels and serial ranges on the outer pack list.
Training Card
Training card notes work best when they show the exact feeder pitch, nozzle call-up and board support setting used on that build. New operators need more than machine names, especially where 8 mm reels, odd-form trays and polarity marks can be confused during changeover. A short board note can also record paste open time and the SPI faults seen on the first panel.
Soft Start
First-run board notes should capture fiducial quality, stencil underside checks and any rotation corrections made after the opening placements. On a new PCB, one line about connector keep-outs or low parts near the rail often saves rework later in the shift. Add the approved print pressure and conveyor width so the next start-up does not drift from the first accepted sample.
Audit Trail
Trace records on board notes need the reel lot, feeder slot and program revision that produced each accepted batch. When AOI flags a bridge or tombstone, note the reference designators, image number and the action taken at the line. South African teams moving jobs between shifts also benefit from recording paste batch codes and oven recipe names in the same note.
Mall Demo
Demo unit board notes should flag hand-fit parts, cosmetic faces and any labels that must sit square for public display. Shopping-centre power can be uneven, so it helps to record the input range, adapter type and start-up sequence used during test. If a unit travels between Gauteng sites, note how the assembly is braced in transit and which connectors are packed loose.
Warehouse Pace
A practical note on stock flow around the SMT line, for teams that want feeders, paste and boards in place before the first build starts.
Substrate Check
A practical note on PCB substrate checks, for teams that want to catch bow, finish and handling issues before placement begins.
First Article
A practical note on first-article sign-off, for teams that want the first board checked properly before the run opens up.
Subject Lines
A practical note on clear handover subject lines, for teams that need buyers, stores and production to see the job at a glance.
Photo Angles
A practical note on board and defect photo angles, for teams that need useful images for setup, support and traceability.
Shift Cards
A practical note on shift cards, for teams that need each SMT operator to pick up the line status without guesswork.
Seasonal Load
A practical note on seasonal loading, for teams balancing local demand, imports and line capacity through the South African year.
Humidity Tips
A practical note on humidity control, for teams storing reels, paste and moisture-sensitive parts in workable floor conditions.
Dust Wipes
A practical note on dust control wipes, for teams keeping printers, conveyors and boards cleaner on busy electronics floors.