Manoj Kumar C

Project: 1 GWh Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Line Setup – NMC 622 Prismatic Cells
Technology Partner: International Battery Company (IBC) Milpitas, California, USA

•⁠ ⁠Contributing to the establishment and commissioning of a 1 GWh annual-capacity lithium-ion battery manufacturing line for NMC 622 prismatic cells.
•⁠ ⁠Coordinating with the technology partner, equipment suppliers, and cross-functional teams for manufacturing technology transfer, equipment integration, and production-line readiness.
•⁠ ⁠Supporting Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) to verify equipment functionality, performance, safety, and compliance with technical specifications.
•⁠ ⁠Involved in Manufacturing Execution System (MES) implementation, including process-wise requirements definition, production data tracking, material traceability, process parameter monitoring, quality integration, and electronic production records.
•⁠ ⁠Supporting equipment installation, commissioning, process validation, and manufacturing-line readiness across battery cell production operations.
•⁠ ⁠Working on process-flow definition, equipment integration, and production workflow development to establish standardized manufacturing operations.
•⁠ ⁠Collaborating with engineering, automation, quality, IT/OT, and vendor teams to resolve technical issues and support successful line integration.
•⁠ ⁠Supporting the development of manufacturing documentation, process specifications, acceptance criteria, and operational procedures for production ramp-up.

Senior Associate – Process Engineer, Ola Cell Technologies Pvt Ltd

Bengaluru | Jun 2023 - Current

Electrode Fabrication & Process Optimization:
Optimized slurry mixing parameters (solid loading, binder ratio, CNT dispersion, blade RPM) improved batch reproducibility and reduced viscosity variation by 20%, enhancing process capability and scale-up stability.
Conducted DOE studies to refine binder systems (PVDF, VDF, CMC/SBR, PAA) and to improve dispersion of conductive additives, improving electrode uniformity and reproducibility.
Led stabilization of Dürr slot-die coating process through rheology control and parameter window optimization (viscosity, flow rate, tension, web speed), achieving +/- 3% thickness uniformity and reducing coating rejection from 12% to 4%.
Engineered calendering process parameters (roll pressure, gap, tension, temperature) for electrodes, achieving +/- 0.005 g/cc density control and a 15 to 20% increase in peel strength, directly reducing winding-induced defects.
Established a coin-to-pouch cell validation framework (CR2032 to multilayer pouch) to screen LFP/NMC and Graphite/Si electrodes, correlating electrochemical performance (GCD, CV, EIS) with slurry, coating, and calender parameters to de-risk scale-up.
Engineered Boehmite coating formulation and application strategy to enhance thermal stability, edge robustness, and safety performance across cylindrical, prismatic and pouch cell configurations.
Process Improvement & Quality Control:
Led cross-functional quality and yield optimization programs leveraging DOE, SPC, Cp/Cpk, FMEA risk assessment, structured RCA (5-Why, Fishbone), OEE analysis, and CAPA deployment, achieving 10% yield improvement, 30% defect reduction, and enhanced process capability (>1.4 Cpk) in electrode manufacturing.
Scaling & Collaboration:
Collaborated with cross-functional teams and equipment vendors to commission new machinery and automate production lines, resolving bottlenecks to support the transition from pilot scale to mass production.
Trained and supported new team members, maintaining culture of collaboration.