A hands-on account of optimizing manual SMT soldering across dozens of boards. The author used a stopwatch to time distinct sub-tasks, discovering that batching similar components and reducing tool context switches (e.g., pre-wetting all anchor pads in one pass) cut overall work time by nearly 20%. The post also emphasizes that preventing mistakes — dropped components, reversed polarity — is more impactful than speed optimizations, since rework can easily erase any gains. Practical takeaways include maintaining a consistent workflow, using quality tools, and minimizing distractions.
