Reflow
Starter Floor
A workable SMT setup for a starter line in South Africa, written for electronics teams that already understand the process.
How Starter Floor begins a working week
This reflow page is aimed at a first SMT line that still needs a usable daily layout. It focuses on board travel, machine order, operator movement, and the basic controls that stop mix-ups during production.
Send the board size range, expected batch quantities and the hours when mains power is most stable on site. In Gauteng, dry dust gets into feeders and printer rails, while Durban and Cape Town sites have to watch moisture on reels, paste storage and open doors near the line. Add collection times, building access limits and whether the machine is in production, training or demo use so the layout note matches the site.
Photograph the area before benches, ESD mats and machines are moved into position. Include the oven exhaust point, incoming power location, compressed air drop and where reels or stencils are being kept. That record helps when checking why boards queue at one point, why operators cross each other, or why packed assemblies end up too close to paste handling.
Bench-to-oven line map
The output is a starter arrangement for machine order, material staging and operator movement around the line. It also identifies the routine checks worth fixing from day one, such as paste control, feeder labelling, first-off inspection and where finished boards are counted before packing. One usable setup for the actual product mix is better than a generic drawing that ignores the oven, trolley access and board size.
Link this starter-line note to the matching reflow record and a Board notes entry before adding extra equipment or process changes. Check labels, traceability sheets, and packed assemblies once more before courier handover. SMT line enquiries should name the board type, the placement volume and the machines already on the line.
- Printer, placer, oven in clear order
- Photo set taken before benches shift
- Notes sent by email, not app chat
Site conditions that affect layout
Many South African electronics sites work inside older factories where aisle widths, power boards and extraction routes were never planned for a modern SMT cell. OR Tambo freight deadlines, building security rules and shared warehouse doors can decide where packed boards wait and when material can be moved. If the line is partly established, note which positions are fixed and which can still be changed without disturbing current output.
Near the coast, reels and paste need tighter control once doors are opened to humid air, especially around shift changes. Inland sites usually fight powdery dust on covers, rails and sensors, so cleaning points must be easy to reach without stripping half the line. Where power dips are common, record the exact stage for first-article capture and oven restart checks so traceability stays intact.
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First-line briefing points
Send the Starter Floor brief with floor photos, timing, and any snags already found during setup. Keep the subject line plain and accurate.
Compile the note while the setup is still visible on site. Include machine order, board dimensions, trolley positions, operator standing points and any snag found during the first trial run. When purchasing asks for support, attach the same sheet to the project file so the line arrangement and machine use are recorded together.
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