Catch manufacturing problems before they reach the line.
Johnson SMT Consulting reviews your design, process, and documentation remotely — so issues get caught before they turn into scrap, delays, and back-and-forth with your contract manufacturer.
The cheapest place to fix a manufacturing problem is before the build starts.
Most production failures trace back to decisions made long before the line runs — design choices, stencil and paste strategy, thermal profiles, inspection setup, and documentation. A remote review catches them while they are still easy and inexpensive to change.
Designs that fight the assembly process
Fine-pitch risk, tight spacing, thermal imbalance, weak fiducials or tooling, and footprints that make placement and reflow harder than they need to be.
Problems found at the CM, not before
Issues that surface during the build — when they mean scrap, rework, and schedule slips instead of a quick design edit.
No manufacturing-aware review
Designs checked for function but never reviewed by someone who knows what actually fails in SMT production.
Stencil and paste set up to fail
Aperture and stencil decisions made without a paste-release strategy, leading to insufficients, bridging, and voiding downstream.
Thin or missing documentation
No clear build notes, work instructions, or inspection criteria, so quality depends on tribal knowledge and memory.
Rough handoffs to your CM
Unclear requirements and missing detail that turn into back-and-forth, finger-pointing, and avoidable delays.
Remote manufacturing support, delivered as clear written work.
Built on hands-on SMT process experience, every engagement is designed to work remotely — you send the design, data, or documentation, and you get back a clear report you can act on and hand straight to your team or contract manufacturer.
DFM / DFA Reviews
A thorough manufacturability and assembly review of your design before you commit to a build, delivered as a written report with prioritized, specific findings.
Stencil & Aperture Design Review
Remote review of stencil design and paste-release strategy to reduce insufficients, bridging, and voiding before they reach the line.
Reflow & Thermal Profile Review
Review of profiles and thermal data to flag risk for sensitive components, voiding, and inconsistent solder joints.
Process & Quality Documentation
SOPs, work instructions, build notes, and inspection criteria written so your process does not depend on tribal knowledge.
Inspection Strategy (SPI / AOI)
Remote advisory to align inspection with real process risk, reduce false calls, and make inspection data actually useful.
Remote Process Engineering & CM Liaison
Ongoing remote support and a manufacturing-fluent translator between your team and your contract manufacturer.
Floor experience, applied before your build — from anywhere.
Johnson SMT Consulting brings 12+ years of hands-on SMT and PCBA process engineering to design and process reviews, so problems get caught on paper instead of on the line.
Reviews grounded in real production
We know what actually fails in SMT manufacturing: process drift, marginal designs, stencil and thermal issues, and documentation gaps that turn into defects no one can reproduce. That experience goes into every review, so the findings are practical, not theoretical.
- Find real manufacturing risk in the design, not just symptoms after a failed build.
- Explain every finding in plain language your design and CM teams can act on.
- Deliver clear written reports you can hand straight to your contract manufacturer.
- Work remotely with teams anywhere — no travel required to get started.
Request a DFM Review or Remote Consultation
Tell us what you are working on. Share the design, the process, or the documentation you need reviewed, and we will follow up to discuss scope and the best next step.
- Email: bjohnson@johnsonsmt.com
- Based in: St. George, Utah
- How we work: Remote-first, with teams anywhere
Planning a build? Get a DFM review first.
Whether you are releasing a new design, tightening up your documentation, or smoothing a handoff to your contract manufacturer, Johnson SMT Consulting can review it remotely and tell you what to fix before it costs you a build.
Request a Review