Why Set Up a DOJO? – Amarpreet Singh – Your EMS Consulting Partner

amarpreet41
December 28, 2025

A DOJO Training Area is a hands-on learning space for operators or engineers. It comes from Toyota and helps teams practice skills safely before real work. A DOJO teaches operators to get familiar with tools and techniques used on the shop floor, avoiding costly mistakes and producing great quality results.

New workers often make errors on the shop floor, causing waste or delays. A DOJO lets them train on fake setups without risk. It builds muscle memory for key steps and techniques. Plants see 20-30% less rework after DOJO use. Operators learn shop floor tools hands-on, so they feel ready from day one.

Space and Location Needs

Pick a spot near the work area—10×15 feet works for 4-6 work stations. Use open space for quick access.

Floor: Mark lines with tape for safety zones.
Walls: Add mirrors to watch your form.
Lighting: Bright LED lights, no shadows.
Cost: 2-5 lakh rupees to start.

Key Tools and Setup for Each Station

Build 4-6 stations, one per skill. Use cheap demo items, not real parts. Run 1-hour sessions daily.

Station 1: Paste Application

Teaches even paste on boards.

Tools: Manual printer (50k rupees), demo stencil, squeegee, test boards, paste pots.
Setup: Table with alignment jig. Apply paste, wipe clean, check even layer.
Practice: 10 boards per person— Operators get familiar with solder paste printing process and it also helps them to even set up automatic printer more effectively.

Station 2: Part Placement

For placing small components on solder paste.

Tools: Tweezers set, magnifying lamp (10k), feeder trays with fake parts.
Setup: Board holder at elbow height. Pick from tray, place on spots.
Practice: Time 50 parts—aim under 5 seconds each. This helps operators master precise handling of the components and also visualise how an actual SMT machine works.

Station 3: Heating Demo Station

Shows heating to set paste (no real oven).

Tools: Hot plate or small model (20k), timer, soldering air gun.
Setup: Track with fan heating. Run board through heat zones and melt the solder paste, understanding how soldering works.
Practice: Check joints, no burns. Helps operators to understand solder paste behaviour and how paste is converted into a good solder joint.

Station 4: Wave Process Station

For understanding through hole soldering .

Tools: Mini pot (30k) or pump setup, flux spray bottle, conveyor jig.
Setup: Flux spray zone, preheater, mini pot. Solder through hole components on a mini pot.
Practice: 20 boards—clean joints, no bridges. Clean waste often. Practice avoids bridge defects that scrap whole batches.

Station 5: Hand Soldering Station

For soldering components those cannot be soldered using wave soldering or needs to be reworked.

Tools: Iron kit (5k), tips, flux pen, clean wick.
Setup: ESD Safe mat, fume extractor, parts tray.
Practice: 50 joints—clean tip, right temp, 2-3 sec per pin. Builds steady hands to skip rework on the floor.

Station 6: Check Station

Final looks with tools.

Tools: Magnifier, scope (15k), light box, defective boards.
Setup: Checklist board. Spot bad joints, missing items.
Practice: Various inspectors inspect same faulty product and prepare a report. The report must co-relate. Trained operators here means top quality inspection every time on the floor.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Plan Stations: Match to shop floor steps. List 5-10 common errors per process.
Buy Basics: 2-3 lakh for tools (local sellers). Use scrap demo items.
Build Layout: Tape floor grid. Add safety signs, tool racks on walls. Height: standing work tables.
Make Guides: Photos + steps on boards (e.g., “Even layer, no clumps”).
Test Run: Train leaders first. Time full flow through all stations.
Daily Use: 30-min warm-up. Groups of 4 rotate. Track scores.

Training Flow Example

Week 1: Solder paste printing, component placement and reflow soldering.
Week 2: Understanding wave soldering and rework.
Week 3 : Final inspection process and repeatability.
Goal: New operator hits 80% speed/quality in 40 hours. DOJO makes them pros at shop floor tools fast.

Maintenance and Tips

Clean daily: Wipe tools, check temperature on the soldering iron, hot plate etc.
Update: Add new items yearly as per the feedback from shop floor.
Measure: Before/after tests show 25% faster work, fewer mistakes.
Safety: Gloves, goggles, no loose clothes.

Benefits of DOJO Training

DOJO helps operators get familiar with shop floor tools and techniques in a safe spot. It avoids costly mistakes like bad joints or waste that hit profits hard. Operators produce great quality results right away—less scrap, faster output, happy customers. Plants hit zero-error goals easier.