Resources
Handoff Template
Use this Handoff Template to pass a CNC job from programming to setup, cutting, edging, or dispatch with the cutter data intact. It gives each stage one place to record tool diameter, material thickness, hold-down method, and sign-off before the next operator touches the sheet.
How Handoff Template works in a shop week
The Handoff Template page is for passing a CNC job from one stage to the next without missing tooling detail. It covers production notes, cutter information, and sign-off points used on active shop floors.
Begin with the stock actually loaded on the machine, not the estimate from the quote. Include whether the run is MDF, birch ply, ACM, or aluminium, then note spindle, collet size, feed, step-down, and any power-break planning that affects the sequence in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, or smaller workshop sites.
Add the first setup photo and the first acceptable cut before the batch moves forward. A marked image of clamps, vacuum zones, tabs, onion skin, or part orientation helps the next shift see what changed without rechecking every file from scratch.
Job transfer points that matter
The template should leave a clear record of what was cut, which tool was fitted, and what still needs checking. Space for notes on edge finish, burrs, chip evacuation, coating wear, and rework decisions keeps the handover useful when the machine stops and starts across different operators.
Link the handoff to the correct drawing revision, nested file name, and any note that affects packing or the next machining step.
- Tool size, stick-out, and collet noted
- First-off part measured and photographed
- Sign-off block for each stage
Checks for South African workshop conditions
Plan handover notes around the interruptions that affect production locally. Load-shedding windows, courier collection times, shared compressors, and mixed material deliveries can all change whether a router job should continue, pause, or move to a different machine.
Coastal humidity near Durban and Cape Town can affect stored tooling, board flatness, and exposed steel components. Dry inland dust around Gauteng often shows up first in rails, vacuum tables, extraction lines, and collet cleaning, so the handoff should state what was cleaned, reset, or replaced before the next run.
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Notes worth capturing on the sheet
Use the Handoff Template to note job photos, handover timing, and any tooling or cut issues already found. Keep the subject line direct.
Record any test-cut result while the machine settings are still visible on screen and the cutter is still in the spindle. It helps to log chip colour, edge quality, noise changes, hold-down performance, and whether the rainbow-coated bit stayed in spec through the sample and production passes.