2.5 Data Logging & Repair Tickets (THT/Mixed)

InThe electronics manufacturing, documentationmanual and travelermixed-technology controlassembly formprocess—especially THT insertion, wave soldering, and high-risk rework—generates the backbonemost ofcritical quality data. This chapter outlines the mandatory logging requirements and the traceabilityRepair Ticket. Each unit's record is more than a log — it is the authoritative account of every process, inspection, and rework step,system, ensuring that nothingevery failure is hiddencontained, fixed, and notraced board goes untracked. When maintained with discipline, the traveler prevents duplication, enforces re-inspection after repairs, and provides the evidence neededback to proveits bothroot complianceprocess and(design, quality.material, or assembly). By consolidating all history intoestablishing a singledisciplined controlleddata system,flow, manufacturers turn individualisolated fixes into collectivesystematic, auditable process knowledge while safeguarding customer trust.improvements.

2.5.1 The Data Mandate: Traceability Mandatein Manual Processes

The primary goal of the traveler system (managed by the Manufacturing Execution System,System MES) is to give every unit a complete, auditable history from raw materials to the final packaged box.

• Unbroken History:(MES) Every unit (Serial Number, SN)traveler must havecapture adetailed, verifiedspecific recordevidence offor all manual and automated THT steps. This data supports repair and future every step passedCorrective and everyPreventive process recipe used.
• Rework Control: Any repair action must be logged, forcing a mandatory re-inspection route to prove the fix was effective before the unit can proceed.
• Shadow Data Prevention: The MES must be the single source of truth. No paper notes, side spreadsheets, or chat logs are acceptable for quality-critical data.

House Rule: No scan, no move. The physical movement of the board must be mirrored by an electronic scan and status update in the MES.

2.5.2 Mandatory Traceability DataAction (MES Records)

The electronic record must be comprehensive and auto-populated by machine interfaces whenever possible to create a complete genealogy for each Serial Number (SN)CAPA).

Bucket	Required The FieldsRecord Must Contain (ManagedPer bySerial MES)
Number) Identity & ContextContext:	Product & Product/Revision, Serial Number (SN), Work Order (WO)/Lot,. Genealogy: Variant.
Genealogy (Inputs)	PCB lot, stencil ID, paste lot,THT component lots for critical parts (BGAs, power), feeder/fixture IDs.
Process Recipes	Printer/PnP/Oven/AOI/AXI/Test recipe version IDs (thee.g., exactconnectors), versionsPallet ID (if used).
InspectionProcess ResultsParameters:	SPI/AOI/AXI imageWave/Selective Recipe ID, Top-Side Temperature achieved during preheat, manual assembly station ID. Inspection: AXI/AOI links, ICT/FCTvisual logs,inspection reflowcheckpoints profile(VIs). Rework plot link.
DispositionHistory:	Current statusRepair Ticket ID, Defect Code, Attempt Count, Parts Replaced, Thermal Cycles Logged (WIP/HOLD/REWORK/PASS/SCRAP),for andhigh-risk the station that set that status.components).
Rework History	Ticket ID, defect code, action, parts replaced, attempt count, and evidence images.

2.5.32 StatusTHT-Specific ControlDefect Codes

Defect codes must be granular enough to point directly to the failing process or design characteristic. THT and Routingmixed-technology

Adefects simplefall statusinto modelthree ensuresprimary automaticprocess families: Preparation, Soldering, and correct routing, preventing boards from bypassing critical re-inspection gates.Post-Solder.

StatusFamily	MeaningCode	SetSymptom Byand Root Cause	AllowedProcess Next Step(s)Owner
WIP (Work In Process)Preparation	In process; no recorded fails.FLUX-STARVED	AutoMissing onor start/stepinadequate scan.flux coverage before wave/selective.	NextFluxing/Preheat
	THERM-SHOCK	Component routed(e.g., step.ceramic cap) cracking due to high $\Delta$T.	Preheat/Profiling
NG-QUAR (Quarantine)Soldering	Unit contained; fail recorded.NON-FILL-TS	AutoPoor ontop-side test/inspectionbarrel fail.fill (THT barrel/hole design or low heat).	OnlyProcess Eng. / DFMRework
	BRIDGE-THT	Solder orbridge between adjacent THT pins (poor wave exit/angle/thief).MRB	Wave/Selective Setup
	ICICLE	Excessive solder peaks/spears on pins (peel control failure).	Wave/Selective Setup
REWORKRework	Under repair with open ticket.PAD-LIFT	RepairDamage Techto claim.copper pad/trace during manual touch-up or removal.	Re-Inspect/Re-TestRework forTech the/ failing gate(s).Tooling
MRB (Material Review Board)	Needs board-level disposition decision.HIP-REWORK	QE/PEHead-in-Pillow set.created during BGA rework reflow.	ScrapRework / Use-as-is / RTV / Rework.
PASS	All required gates cleared.	Final test station.	Pack $\to$ Ship.Profile

Routing Rule:Mandate: AfterEvery failure must be logged with a statuscontrolled code. Free-text notes are only allowed to elaborate on the context of the code, not to replace it.REWORK

2.5.3 Rework Flow and Traceability Control

When a unit fails at inspection (e.g., AOI or VI), the MES mustinitiates automaticallya insertstrict thesequence to ensure audit compliance.

1. Fail $\to$ Ticket: The unit is scanned to failing test stationNG-QUAR (e.g., ICT, FCT) back into the route. The board cannot proceed until that gate is successfully passed again.

   2.5.4 Rework Ticket Mandates

   The rework ticket serves as the primary log for all repair activity and must be auto-generated upon the first failure scan.

   • Essential Fields: Log the SN, RefdesQuarantine), and a Repair Ticket is auto-generated, linking the controlled Defect Code, and ActionOperator TakenID.
   • Rework Action: The Repair Technician claims the ticket and logs:
     • The Standard Work Instruction (SWI) ID used (e.g., IPC-7711/7721 trace repair procedure).
     • The Rework Tool/Profile ID (whatespecially for BGA/QFN hot-air reflow).
     • The new Component Lot/Date Code if a part was swapped,replaced what(Genealogy flux/temps were used)Update).
   • Attempt Tracking: The ticketsystem must explicitly trackincrement the attemptAttempt countCount (perfield every time a repair heat cycle is applied to a specific component or site)site. andThis enforces the number of heatmax cyclesthermal (ifcycle BGA/QFN rework limits apply).
   • Verification: The ticket must list the required verification step(s)limit (e.g., AXIBGA check,$\le 2$ attempts).
   • Verification Route: After the repair, the MES dictates the mandatory re-inspection route. The unit must pass the failing gate again (e.g., VI re-inspection, FCT spot check) andbefore linkits status is set to PASS.

Rule: A component or board must never leave the digitalrework proofarea (image/log)without beforelogging closure.the attempt count and passing the required verification.

2.5.54 GenealogyMetrics andfor ComponentProcess ReplacementImprovement

WhenThe alogged componentdefect is replaced, the unit's permanent genealogy recorddata must be updated instantlyused to maintaincalculate KPIs that drive CAPA actions and reduce the traceabilityCost of Poor Quality (CoPQ) down to the part level..

• NewFirst PartPass Scan:Yield (FPY): TheOverall measure of process stability.
• MTTR (Mean Time To Repair): Tracks repair efficiency by defect code and technician.
• Top-10 Pareto: Weekly analysis of the highest frequency defect codes. If NON-FILL-TS or BRIDGE-THT are consistently high, the problem is a newDFM design issue (Chapter 1.1) or a process setup failure (Chapter 1.4), not operator error.
• Supplier Quality: Rework materials and replacement part numberlots and(genealogy) lot/dateare codeflagged to trigger SCAR (Supplier Corrective Action Request) mustif bea scanneddefect andcode is linked to the board's SN in the MES.
• Removed Part Log: The old part's lot number should be flagged as removed, providing a completespecific recordmaterial for any future supplier quality audit or field failure investigation.
• Security Items: If unique identifiers (firmware hash, MAC addresses, encryption keys) are altered during rework, the new values must be logged and verified by the test system.

2.5.6 Final Packaging and Audit Controls

Final documentation ensures that the product shipped is the product verified, locking down the last steps of the process.

• Board-to-Box Mapping: The packer must scan all board SNs and link them to the final Box SN. The system must block pack-out if this map is incomplete or if any board has an open ticket.
• Traveler Backup: In the event of an MES outage, use pre-printed barcoded travelers as a temporary, physical backup. All data collected on paper (timestamps, actions, signatures) must be back-entered into the MES immediately upon system recovery.
• Guardrails: The MES must block actions that create shadow data (e.g., automatically importing images from AOI/AXI directly to the ticket, preventing manual upload to non-audited systems).lot.

Final ChecklistChecklist: THT Traceability and Rework Controls

Mandate	Criteria	Verification Action
Start/MoveProcess ControlGenealogy	NoPallet scan,ID, noWave/Selective moveRecipe ID, and Top-Side Temperature enforcedlogged acrossper all gates.SN.	OperatorEnsures mustevery scanassembly SNis traceable to movethe statusexact frommachine WIPparameters to NG-QUAR or PASS.used.
ReworkTHT TraceabilityDefect Logging	TicketFailures logsare logged with a controlled code (e.g., NON-FILL-TS, ICICLE) and evidence attached.	Defect codes must be granular enough to point to the correct process owner (DFM or Process).
Heat Cycle Limit	The Defect Code, Action, Attempt Count, andis Profiletracked IDper site for high-risk components (BGAs/QFNs).	TechnicianAttempt count must scanbe new$\le$ partthe lot/dateproduct's formaximum genealogythermal updates.cycle limit (e.g., $\le 2$ reflows).
Verification GateRoute	BoardUnit must re-pass the original failing test stationgate (ICT,e.g., VI or FCT) after anythe repair.	MES must automatically insertenforce requiredthe re-inspection stepssequence into the routing.
Final Genealogy	All critical part lots, firmware version, and test logs are linked to the Serial Number.	The final Board-to-Box Map must be complete and locked at pack-out.
Documentation Health	Dashboard reports Aging Tickets (open $\gt 24$ hours) and Reprint Reasons for labels.	System permissions prevent non-qualified personnel frombefore setting PASS status.
Component Genealogy	Replacement part lot codes must be scanned and linked to the SN's history.	Maintains a complete, auditable record of which component is now in the assembly.