Sleeve marks present before the FR5 pad comparison

They can. Current judgement varies with whoever holds the bench lamp.

Retain each sleeve's identity through the before-and-after check. Otherwise an attractive handled example can be compared with a different incoming sleeve without anybody noticing.

Yes. Two retained incoming sleeves already have a line near one end.

Then find that source too. Changing pads will not remove marks already arriving on the part.

And holding through the transfer. Softer is not automatically a better grip.

We once let everyone choose their own lamp for a finish trial. The supplier's sample passed, our inspector's sample failed, and we argued about the pad until somebody carried both parts to the same station. One already had a mark before the trial. Rick, I would have quality demonstrate the agreed viewing method to whoever records these results, using the same boundary examples. A short written description helps, but seeing what counts as a reject is much harder to misunderstand. Then the handling comparison can tell you which marks were added, rather than whose lighting preference won.

Does the incoming packaging touch the two marked ends?

Keep both pad candidates in the comparison. An incoming mark doesn't clear the current pads.

Priya's right. You could have two problems at once, even if finding the first one feels like enough for today.

Ask tooling to record the actual contact locations beside those appearance results. That can help distinguish a pad mark from contact with the receiving nest, without guessing from a photograph alone

Quality set the viewing method. Both incoming lines match a rough tray divider. Current-pad handling also adds a separate contact mark. Two problems, as Nick said. Comparison continues.

Has the softer candidate been through the same holding and release comparison yet, or only the appearance check?