CATL Qinghai Formation & Capacity Grading System Upgrade

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Project Scope

QWmind Tech was commissioned to update and iterate the formation and capacity grading logistics system at CATL’s Qinghai facility. The engagement covered the redesign and deployment of material flow for formation ovens, capacity grading stations, buffering and sequencing conveyors, automated transfer mechanisms, and the supervisory layer that manages logistics between process modules.

The Challenge

CATL sought to raise formation and grading throughput while lowering operational cost and simplifying system management. The existing logistics layout constrained line balance during peak runs and required substantial manual intervention for sequencing, inspection handovers, and rework handling. Key objectives were to improve process continuity, reduce labor dependency, and provide clearer operational control for production and maintenance teams.

Our Solution

QWmind delivered a targeted systems iteration that combined mechanical reconfiguration, control upgrades, and operational software enhancements:

• Tailored Material Handling: Redesigned buffers and sequencing conveyors to smooth handoffs between formation ovens and grading stations, reducing idle time and throughput variability.

• Automation Upgrades: Introduced automated transfer modules and inline routing logic to decrease manual material touches and accelerate changeovers.

• Control & Orchestration: Enhanced the logistics control layer with clearer state modelling and role-aware interfaces for operators and maintenance staff, enabling faster diagnostics and reduced mean time to recover (MTTR).

• Operational Governance: Implemented process-aware rules for priority routing, exception handling, and automated rework sequencing to keep production flowing under variable conditions.

All changes were executed with careful staging to avoid disruption to ongoing production ramps.

The Outcome

The upgraded formation and grading logistics system delivered tangible operational improvements for the Qinghai plant:

• Enhanced formation and grading efficiency, with smoother inter-stage flow and reduced bottlenecks.

• Lower labor requirements, as manual sequencing and material handling were substantially reduced.

• Improved system manageability, giving operations and maintenance teams clearer visibility and faster recovery mechanisms.

• Scalable architecture, enabling CATL to extend the solution across additional lines or future capacity expansions.

The project strengthened the site’s ability to meet higher production targets while maintaining rigorous process control and operational resilience.