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Lens tray reject system; concept to manufacture ready design
Concept feasibility to manufacture ready design support for a lens tray reject system
- Sector
- MedTech
- Years
- 2026
- Engagement
- Subcontracted
- Role
- Mechanical design engineer
- Status
- Design and manufacturing drawings complete; released for manufacture
- Client
- End client withheld.
SolidWorks 2025
Problem
The existing line discarded good lenses along with defective ones whenever a defect was detected, an avoidable loss of good product. The client needed a pick and place concept that handled rejects more selectively so the line could keep running with good product, proven first within a tight physical envelope and then carried through to a manufacture ready mechanical design.
Constraints
- Motion had to fit within a 300 x 100 x 100 mm path envelope.
- SMC linear actuators only (multiple sizes); the concept had to demonstrate their use and freedom of head within the envelope.
- Brackets, mounting plates and hardware were out of scope for the concept phase; contact trays were representative only.
- A usable model had to be built from a large end client CAD data dump before any concept work could start.
- Design completion had to pick up mid design from an existing partial model and work to the established intent.
- X, Y and basic Z axes plus a vacuum line and cable management all had to be integrated around fixed positions.
Approach
- Resolved the incoming data first, diagnosing why the source assembly would not convert and getting a clean export before any design work began.
- Sized and trialled the actuator options inside the 300 x 100 x 100 mm envelope, then presented a concept layout showing space use, head movement, and the collision risks for client approval.
- Took the approved concept through detail design: track, spacers, mounting plates, cable management, and a basic Z-axis with vacuum line routing.
- Closed out with a full drawing pack, updating the existing drawings and bringing the new parts to manufacturing standard.
Gallery
Outcome
A concept model and layout proved the pick and place approach within the envelope and flagged the restrictive areas, providing the basis for the full mechanical design. That design was then carried through to a complete manufacturing drawing pack, brought to standard and released for manufacture. Manufacturing approval to be confirmed.
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Further detail
D1Phase one: concept and feasibility
The existing system removed good lenses along with defective ones. The proposed system used a pick and place to separate defective and good lenses more selectively, keeping good product moving on the line and handling rejects more efficiently.
I identified and trialled SMC actuator configurations within the 300 x 100 x 100 mm envelope and produced a concept layout showing effective space use, freedom of head, and the restrictive areas and collision points, for client approval.
D2Phase two: design completion
With the concept approved, I was contracted back in to pick up a partially complete design and finish it to a manufacture ready standard. That covered spacers for the test unit positions plus all other parts and mechanics.
The detailing phase then turned the model into a manufacture ready pack: checked and updated versions of the existing drawings, new drawings for the new parts, and a final pass to bring the whole set to standard for manufacture.