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Blue Filter Holder System
Project Type
Mechanical Design & Manufacturing
Client
Ultium Cells, LLC(UC1 Factory)
Timeline
May 2025 - July 2025
Status
Completed; 40 units deployed and operational in Coating and Drying Section of the Factory (Anode side).
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Solely led the complete redesign and implementation of the Blue Filter Holder System to eliminate recurring filter misalignment issues in the vision inspection setup.
2. Performed on-site evaluation of production lines, took critical space measurements, and analyzed mounting constraints to ensure the redesigned structure would fit within the existing bar light assembly.
3. Conducted root cause analysis identifying heat exposure and degradation of zip ties as the primary cause of filter instability and inspection inaccuracies.
4. Designed a robust, heat-resistant aluminum mounting structure in PTC Creo, incorporating adjustable slot features for precise alignment and easy filter replacement.
5. Generated CAM toolpaths, and G-codes using Creo CAM and independently manufactured all components using a 3-axis CNC milling machine.
6. Established and operated a small-scale anodizing system to anodize all manufactured aluminum components, improving surface durability, corrosion resistance, and heat tolerance.
7. Personally handled installation and alignment of the redesigned holder on the production lines, validating positional stability under real operating conditions.
8. Standardized and deployed the finalized design across all 10 production lines, ensuring uniformity and ease of operation for production personnel, allowing quick adjustments.
9. Successfully reduced downtime, inspection errors, maintenance frequency, and rework/scrap costs while significantly improving long-term reliability of the vision inspection system.
10. Demonstrated full technical ownership from concept, design, machining, surface treatment, installation, and production rollout under active manufacturing conditions.
Technologies Used
1. Design: PTC Creo
2. CAM: Creo CAM
3. Manufacturing: Haas TM-2P (3-axis CNC Milling Machine)
4. Material: 6061 Aluminum
5. Surface Treatment: Black Dyed Type II Aluminum Anodizing
6. Testing: Production line - Optical diffraction setup with lens-camera alignment system.
Key Highlights
- Eliminated recurring blue filter misalignment issues in automated vision inspection systems caused by heat-degraded zip ties.
- Designed and implemented a robust aluminum mounting structure across all 10 production lines.
- Led complete workflow — on-site measurement, CAD design, CAM programming, CNC machining, anodizing, and final installation.
- Manufactured all components in-house using 3-axis CNC milling and self-developed anodizing setup.
- Improved inspection accuracy by ensuring stable and precise filter positioning under continuous high-intensity lighting.
- Reduced downtime, false NG detections, rework, and scrap costs through enhanced mechanical stability.
- Standardized the mounting system across production lines for consistency, durability, and operator-friendly adjustments.
- Delivered a long-term, heat-resistant solution that enhanced reliability of the vision auto-adjustment system.
The Blue Filter Holder System supports an automated vision inspection setup where a blue optical filter enhances contrast for accurate overlay and insulation detection. Initially secured with zip ties, the filter shifted due to heat exposure from high-intensity bar lights, leading to inaccurate readings, false NG results, rework, and production downtime. To resolve this, a dedicated aluminum mounting structure was designed to firmly secure the filter in position. The new design provided improved heat resistance, long-term stability, and included adjustment slots for precise alignment and easy replacement. All components were CNC machined, anodized for durability, and implemented across 10 production lines. The solution significantly improved inspection accuracy, reduced downtime and maintenance, and standardized the mounting system for consistent and reliable operation.
