Alcon, Inc.

Shu Zong

Roger Biel

Matthias Schwab

Matthias Braun

Peter Hagmann

Axel Heinrich

Nicholas Gollas

Nils Schweizer

Susanne Fechner

Stephan Pirl

Thomas Leibold

Stephan Piri

An automated production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses comprises:

Production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses

A manufacturing module (MM) for contact lenses comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations () arranged in a closed loop and a plurality of lens mold carriers () which are transported through the manufacturing stations. Each lens mold carrier () comprises a frame () having a predetermined number of mounting sites () arranged along the frame. Each lens mold carrier () further comprises a predetermined number of molds () removably mounted to the frame () at the mounting sites (), the molds being reusable male or female molds (). Two lens mold carriers () are assigned to each other to form a pair, so that upon mating the pair of lens mold carriers () the male and female molds () are mated to form mold cavities defining the shape of the lenses. The manufacturing stations comprise a mold changing station () configured to be capable of removing a mold from its mounting site () and mounting a different mold at the said mounting site (), or configured to change the rotational position of a mold () mounted to the frame (), or both.

Manufacturing module for the manufacture of ophthalmic lenses

A modular production line for the production of contact lenses comprises at least three separate modules: The modular production line further comprises fixedly arranged transfer interfaces between the individual modules (MM, IM, PP) for transferring the lenses from a preceding module to a subsequent module. The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations () which are grouped to form a plurality of individual manufacturing units () arranged in a closed loop. Reusable male and female molds () are transported through the manufacturing stations of the manufacturing units, and each manufacturing unit () comprises a plurality of the manufacturing stations (). A plurality of transfer robots () is provided, each transfer robot () of the plurality of transfer robots () being arranged at a location between two manufacturing units () to transfer the reusable molds from one manufacturing unit to the other manufacturing unit.

Modular production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses

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Cumming, GA, United States of America

Shu Zong