Edgework
Shift Cards
A practical floor note on shift cards that tell the next operator what changed and what matters.
A shift card should do more than note a job number. The next team needs tool details, material used, vacuum issues, offcuts kept, and anything that changed at the machine. Shift Cards gives shops a cleaner way to pass cutting-cell information from one crew to the next.
Shift Cards are written for handover at the machine, not for office filing. The note must show what cutter was fitted, which sheet was on the bed, what vacuum zones were blanked off, and which offcuts were kept for the next batch.
Handover details that must land
- Current tool number recorded
- Photo of bed layout and hold-down
- Program name and revision shown
- Operator name written for the next crew
Pair this note with the linked cutting topics, then use it on the next shift start. The journal article explains what to capture at changeover, while the related pages cover the cutter, material behaviour, and machine setup that caused the note in the first place.
Where shift cards prevent repeat mistakes
Shift Cards should tell the next operator what changed on the cell before the first sheet is loaded. Record tooling swaps, setting changes, stock issues and any edge behaviour that needs watching on the next run.
Most trouble starts when a night crew changes a knife, drops vacuum on one zone, or substitutes board stock without leaving a useful trace. A proper card catches those small changes before the next operator runs the first sheet. In South African shops, that matters even more when stock batches vary or power interruptions break the rhythm of a long nesting run.
Write the card while the machine state is still visible. Note burr on the edge, fibres lifting on one side, chatter at corners, or a spoilboard area that stopped pulling properly. Those details save time when the next team checks cut quality against the previous run.
What the next operator needs first
The useful version is short enough to read at the control, yet specific enough to restart the job without guesswork. It should name the material thickness, tool position, feed or spindle change, vacuum concern, and any exception on sheet size or grain direction. That record matters more than a tidy job number with no machine history.
Before the next batch opens, match the Shift Cards entry to the active program and the tooling in the holder. Then check whether the issue belongs with the linked machine notes under Edgework or the wider process notes under Applications.
- Built around shift change reality
- Shows first-sheet risk before restart
Site conditions worth writing down
Johannesburg dust can load filters and dull the reading on sensors near the bed. Durban humidity can change sheet behaviour overnight, especially with boards that were stored badly. A shift card should mention those site effects when they altered vacuum grip, cut finish, or cleanup around the cell.
Stock substitutions also need a line on the card, even when the nominal thickness stayed the same. Different face papers, cores, or coatings can change drag, edge fray, and how the part lifts from the sheet. If the run paused for load-shedding or generator changeover, record where the restart check was done.
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Notes worth capturing at the cell
A practical floor note on shift cards that tell the next operator what changed and what matters.
Record what changed, what was watched, and what must not be repeated on the next shift. Include kept offcuts, scrap reason, tool wear seen, and any temporary workaround used to finish the batch. When procurement or production asks why the setup moved, the card should answer without a long chase through messages.
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