Board notes
Demo Day
A floor note on demo day planning around stencil setup and the first SMT slot.
Demo Day is our note on preparing an SMT machine or line presentation properly, with sample boards, correct feeders, confirmed utilities and enough floor space to show the process without improvising on the day.
Demo days work best when the prep list is written in plain factory terms. Record the stencil size, board revision, feeder count and utility checks before visitors arrive at the line. Include the line details when sending a message through the contact form.
Before the machine powers on
- Demo site and time slot confirmed
- Sample PCB ready for first placement run
- Program name and revision noted clearly
- Operator, engineer or buyer named correctly
Use this note alongside the rest of the site material. The journal entry gives the board-side context, while equipment pages point to the feeder, printer or placement platform being shown. That makes Demo Day easier to plan around the actual line, not a generic display.
How Demo Day works on a real line week
Demo Day sets out the preparation around stencil setup and the first SMT production slot. It helps teams arrive with the board, paste and program checks already aligned. That makes the first run easier to judge before more units are booked onto the line.
Start with the board size, paste type and expected component mix. In Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, transport timing, humidity and power stability can all affect how a demonstration is scheduled. A machine showing 0402 work, fine-pitch parts or double-sided assembly needs those details settled before the first board enters the line.
Prepare one untouched sample board for reference before any paste is printed. Keep the stencil, squeegee condition and feeder loading visible so guests can see the line in a production-ready state. That usually prevents last-minute changes when the first placement cycle begins.
What the day should show
A useful Demo Day leaves the team with setup notes, line observations and a clear record of what ran on the machine. The point is to judge print quality, placement accuracy and changeover effort on an actual board. That is more useful than discussing capacity without a sample build in front of the team.
Keep Demo Day tied to the relevant process notes before adding extra scope. Check labels, sample boards and feeder positions once more before anything is packed away. SMT line enquiries should name the board type, the placement volume and the machines already on the line.
- Stencil and paste matched to board
- First article checked before extra boards
- Contact route kept with the demo record
South African line conditions
Planning for Demo Day in Gauteng often means watching dispatch times, traffic to industrial areas and access control at customer sites. In Cape Town and Durban, coastal air can change paste handling and storage decisions during the visit. Where a production line is active, separate the demonstration slot from the normal build plan so one does not disrupt the other.
Humidity, dust and unstable power all change what should be checked before a machine demonstration starts. Feeders, cameras, covers and printers may need extra attention depending on whether the site is inland or coastal. A proper SMT demonstration should show the process with confirmed utilities and a workable sample board, not only the control screen.
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Checklist for the first slot
A floor note on demo day planning around stencil setup and the first SMT slot.
Write the Demo Day record while the settings, board results and questions are still fresh. Include the stencil used, feeder layout and any changes made after the first run. That note is useful when the buyer, process engineer or production team needs the same configuration reviewed later.