Integrated Block Piece Casting Mold for Spectacle Lens Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The traditional production of spectacle lenses involves inefficient use of materials, high logistical costs due to diverse variants, and quality issues such as optical flaws and breakage, particularly with strongly oval shapes, due to the use of glass molds and heavy metal alloys in mechanical processing.
Innovation Solution
A method using a casting mold with an integrated block piece, where the first mold serves as a holding device, allowing the spectacle lens blank to remain connected during prescription grinding, eliminating the need for additional blocking and reducing material waste by using thermoplastics like PMMA and PET, and enabling in-mold coating and precise edge shaping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass molds are used for casting and heavy metal alloys are used for blocking, then the spectacle lens blank can be held and processed, but material waste increases and environmental harm occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the casting mold and blocking function into a single integrated unit. The block piece is directly attached to the casting mold, eliminating the need for separate blocking operations with heavy metal alloys. This merging reduces material waste while maintaining holding stability during processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a block piece made of plastic or other environmentally friendly materials that can be easily attached to and removed from the casting mold. This replaces expensive and harmful heavy metal alloys, allowing for a more sustainable and less wasteful production process.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the block piece is kept small to prevent alloy smearing, then tool contamination is reduced, but lens stability decreases causing optical flaws
Solution Approach 1:
The block piece is made from plastic or environmentally friendly materials instead of heavy metal alloys. This eliminates the smearing problem entirely while allowing the block piece to be adequately sized for providing necessary support and stability during processing, thereby preventing optical flaws.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple workpiece carriers are used for different processing steps, then various prescription effects can be achieved, but process complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The casting mold with integrated block piece serves as a universal holder that can accommodate different processing steps. This eliminates the need for multiple separate workpiece carriers and frequent changes between them, reducing process complexity while maintaining versatility through the mold's design.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated block piece on the casting mold serves multiple functions: it holds the lens blank during casting, provides support during mechanical processing, and enables various prescription effects. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate workpiece carriers for different operations.
4Reliability
If a separate blocking process is used, then the lens blank can be secured for processing, but production time and effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking function is merged into the casting process itself through the integrated block piece. The block piece is attached to the mold during casting and remains in place during subsequent processing, eliminating the need for a separate blocking operation and reducing production time while maintaining processing security.
Solution Approach 2:
The block piece is prepared and attached to the casting mold in advance during the casting process. This preliminary action ensures that the lens blank is already secured and positioned correctly before mechanical processing begins, eliminating the need for time-consuming separate blocking operations.
Data Source
Figure 1A~2B
Figure 3A~4B
Figure 5A~5F
AI summary
The invention relates to the improved production of a spectacle lens for a spectacle wearer using a casting mould with an integrated block piece. The claimed method for producing a spectacle lens for a spectacle wearer comprises a first casting mould (10) and a second casting mould, said first casting mould (10) comprises a block piece (18); the first and the second casting moulds are joined together thus forming a casting cavity (34); said casting cavity (34) is filled for forming a spectacle lens blank (38); and one surface of the spectacle lens blank (38) undergoes prescription grinding for producing a prescription surface (44, 48) of the spectacle lens (42), whilst the spectacle lens blank (38) remains joined to the first casting mould (10).