Reworking the fixtures, methods, and transfer process behind precision lidar assembly—from a single lens operation to an offshore production line.
My roleSenior Technology Engineer · Sep 2019–Jun 2020; Jan 2021–Sep 2023FocusOptical alignment · process improvement · CM transfer
Concept illustration; not an actual product or factory photograph.
80 sRemoved per D-Lens-to-PCBA attach
3Product lines transferred to a contract manufacturer
$40kScrap reduction per quarter from epoxy consolidation
01 / THE CHALLENGE
Precision has to survive the production floor.
A lidar sensor combines optical, mechanical, and electronic subsystems. Small alignment errors upstream can appear as failures at final test. The manufacturing challenge was to make precise assembly repeatable while supporting new builds and a running production line.
I supported NPI with manufacturability feedback, assembly and alignment flows, fixtures, and procedures. The same methods then had to work across operators and at contract manufacturers.
02 / THE DECISIONS
Change the method. Change the result.
Redesign the lens-attach operation+
The constraintThe D-Lens-to-PCBA attachment operation needed a faster, repeatable method that preserved optical alignment.
My responseReworked the fixturing and attachment method, removing 80 seconds per D-Lens-to-PCBA attach.
The scopeThis is an operation-time improvement. It does not establish the same percentage gain in total factory output.
Address defects at their source+
The problemsEpoxy scrap and persistent QFN solder voiding required different interventions.
My responseConsolidated epoxies across the line, removing $40k of scrap per quarter. Moved affected QFN assemblies to vacuum reflow to resolve the solder-voiding issue.
The disciplineDiagnosed line and test failures, traced contributing causes, and drove corrective actions into the process.
Transfer a capability, not just an assembly+
The challengeA process must retain its precision when it moves to another factory.
My responseTransferred and ramped the VLS-128, VLP-32, and TROSA product lines to an overseas contract manufacturer without production interruption. Developed active-alignment lens and precision mirror attach processes on FiconTEC platforms, alongside fixtures and procedures for repeatable assembly.
The responsibilityScaled optical-bench component attachment while holding yield and output targets.
03 / EXPLORE THE OPERATION
What does 80 seconds change?
Explore cumulative operation time removed using the confirmed reduction of 80 seconds per D-Lens-to-PCBA attach. The attachment count is an illustrative input, not a claim about a particular sensor configuration.
PER ATTACH
80 seconds
Operation time removed
CUMULATIVE REDUCTION
133.3 min
Across the selected attachment count
Attachment count × 80 seconds ÷ 60. Excludes other operations, parallel work, downtime, and rework. This is not total sensor lead time or a factory throughput percentage.
04 / THE IMPACT
Faster attachment. Repeatable precision.
The process change removed 80 seconds per D-Lens-to-PCBA attach. Epoxy consolidation delivered a separate $40k quarterly scrap reduction.
The broader contribution was developing methods that could be repeated across operators and transferred to manufacturing partners—from NPI assembly feedback to active alignment and production troubleshooting.
