Specs
Night Shift specs
Night Shift specs record the plate code, ink sequence and press settings that must stay fixed after handover. They are written for overnight flexo runs where the next crew needs clear limits on impression, drying and splice handling before the first reel change.
Working specs behind Night Shift jobs
Night Shift specs set out the details needed when a flexo job runs outside normal day-floor routines. Note plate requirements, ink behaviour, substrate risks, and any press checks the night crew must follow on South African packaging work.
Night runs need tighter limits on substrate variation, drying and handover detail than day work. On the Highveld, dust around reels and plates can change print stability, while Durban humidity can slow solvent release and affect ink hold-out. Include generator procedures, doctor blade condition, anilox volume and dispatch cut-offs in the spec so the crew can keep South African packaging jobs consistent through the small hours.
Capture the first approved print sample and the press display while settings are still fresh. The spec sheet should sit at the machine with anilox references, viscosity targets and any doctor blade change point marked in pen. That gives the incoming operator one place to check register drift, ink draw-down and web tension before waste builds up.
Overnight handover pack
Leave the crew with a job-specific running sheet, sign-off points and naming that matches the SKU, cylinder or plate sleeve on the order. One set of numbers for pH, viscosity, dryer temperature and rewind tension is more useful at 02:00 than a long note full of options.
Link the Night Shift spec to the correct press path record and the matching ink reference before any extra changes are approved. Check the job bag against substrate width, plate version and ink batch before the courier departs. Name your press and the job on it, and we will put together the consumables for the run.
- Viscosity range written for the shift
- First-off sample logged at startup
- Handover notes attached to the job
South African night-run variables
Night Shift specs must account for dispatch timing from major hubs such as OR Tambo, Durban port traffic and warehouse cut-offs around Elandsfontein and Montague Gardens. Older presses in areas like Crown Mines often need firmer notes on drying limits, gear marks and restart order than newer servo lines. Keep urgent export work on a separate instruction so the overnight crew do not confuse it with standard weekly production.
Coastal humidity can push solvent balance and extend the time between first print and stable colour. Inland dust means more frequent checks on photo-eyes, edge guides and unwind brakes during the shift. After a power interruption, record the restart sample, oven setting and web tension again before the run returns to saleable stock.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Records that support traceability
Apply Night Shift where overnight runs need stable ink, clear handover notes and fewer stop-start adjustments at changeover.
Log the Night Shift spec on the day the run is prepared so plate version, ink batch and substrate lot can still be verified against the job card. When a buyer or QA team asks for evidence, the record should line up with the run sheet, approved sample and any deviation note kept for that packaging order.
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