Lumentum — Mechanical Engineering Intern

The plasma pen jig was requested to increase the manufacturing throughput of optical components. Before an optical component could be considered clean and ready for the next process, it needed to be treated with plasma. This operation had previously been performed by hand with a plasma pen, limiting both speed and repeatability. The jig was designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the cleaning process.

Optical components were secured with a vacuum and clamp system. A precision slot located each optic with micrometer-level accuracy, while a slide-and-carrier system allowed parts to be moved quickly and consistently beneath the plasma pen. The assembly was made compatible with a standard optical breadboard and included a second stage with macro and micrometer adjustments for aligning the pen.

Material selection was driven by the clean-room environment. Materials that could shed particles were excluded, so the design primarily used machined steel and aluminum components together with aluminum extrusions.