Resources
Media Guide
A media guide for South African electronics teams, showing what photos and video actually help with line planning and fault tracing.
How Media Guide helps across a production week
The Media Guide shows what to send when your team needs help on an SMT line or placement issue. Use clear photos and short video clips that show the machine, board path, feeder area and the fault as it appears on the floor.
Record the board code, machine name, and the exact time the fault appeared before anyone clears alarms or reloads feeders. In Gauteng, dust around conveyors and camera windows can hide placement detail, while coastal humidity near Durban can affect labels, packaging, and visible oxidation on parts. Include whether the clip was taken during production, first article, or a restart after load-shedding so the sequence makes sense.
Capture one wide image of the full line first, from loader to unloader, before zooming in on the defect. Then add close photos of the feeder lane, nozzle, fiducial area, or reflow exit where the issue shows up. A short phone video with machine sounds and the operator panel in view often explains more than a long written note.
Photos that help fault tracing
Teams sending media on placement errors, feeder problems, polarity mistakes, solder defects, and stoppages that are hard to describe in text should include one clear overview, two or three close shots, and a brief clip showing board movement or the alarm on screen. Keep filenames tied to the board or machine so the material can be matched to the right run later.
Before sending anything, check that labels, reel codes, and panel markings are readable in the images. Add the line route, machine model, and whether the board shown is before or after reflow when using the contact form. If several faults appear together, split the media into separate groups so one missing component is not mixed with a solder bridge report.
- Wide shot of full SMT line
- Close image of fault location
- Short clip with machine alarm visible
South African conditions to show
Media from local electronics sites should show the environment when it affects the result. A Cape Town or Durban site may need extra attention on moisture-sensitive packs, oxidation, or condensation around stored reels, while inland sites often benefit from images that show dust build-up near sensors and rails. If a board was inspected after a generator changeover or a power dip, note that with the timestamp on the clip.
Lighting matters more than most teams expect. Warehouse sodium lamps, mixed daylight, or a dim machine bay can hide tombstones, skewed parts, and paste issues unless the camera is steady and the exposure is locked. Show the feeder bank, nozzle station, and reject area if the fault appears intermittently rather than on every panel.
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Media pack before sending
Use this Media Guide to track photos, file timing, and the machine or board issues already identified before media is shared. Keep the subject line plain and accurate.
A complete pack usually includes the board identifier, machine name, production stage, and a note on what changed just before the issue started. Add one still of the operator screen, one of the affected board section, and one clip that shows motion through the relevant station. That combination gives enough context for line planning and for tracing repeat faults across shifts.