Aspects of an ultrasonic polishing system include an ultrasonic actuator and a polishing arm. The ultrasonic actuator is configured to generate ultrasonic vibrations and the polishing arm is coupled to the ultrasonic actuator. The polishing arm includes a horn and a polishing ball. The horn has a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is coupled to receive the ultrasonic vibrations and the horn is configured to propagate the ultrasonic vibrations from the proximal end to a distal end. The polishing ball is attached to the distal end of the horn, where the polishing ball vibrates in response to the ultrasonic vibrations for polishing a surface of an optical element. The polishing ball is configured to provide a polishing area on the surface of the optical element that is smaller than an aperture of the optical element.

A method of making a plurality of optical devices repeatedly slices, at a first specified angle, a first wafer of light transmissive material having a diffraction surface, to form at least one first wafer slice, and repeatedly slices, at a second specified angle, a second wafer of light transmissive material, to form at least one second wafer slice. An end portion of the second wafer slice is ground to form an interconnection surface. A plurality of illumination guides may optionally be affixed to the interconnection surface along a length of the second wafer slice, and a first wafer slice is affixed to the second wafer slice to form a sheet. The sheet is repeatedly sliced along a width of the second wafer slice to form a plurality of optical devices.

A manufacturing method for manufacturing a spectacle lens is disclosed. The method includes: obtaining prescription data descriptive of an ophthalmic prescription of a user in the plus prescription range; obtaining frame data descriptive of a perimeter of a spectacle frame in which the lens is to be mounted; providing a lens blank having a convex front surface and a back surface; determining a final cutting surface to be machined on the back surface of the lens blank in a final cutting phase; and determining an intermediate cutting surface to be machined on the back surface of the lens blank in an initial cutting phase. Further, it is provided that the intermediate cutting surface is different from the final cutting surface; and the final cutting surface comprises a prescription zone in which the final cutting surface together with the front surface fulfills the ophthalmic prescription of the user.

A method for polishing a workpiece in the production of an optical element, in particular for microlithography, wherein a relative movement takes place between a polishing tool (300) and a workpiece surface (110, 120, 210) being machined. A polishing tool surface (215, 315) of the polishing tool (300) is formed by a viscoelastic polishing medium (303), wherein the polishing tool surface has an average diameter which is less than 50% of the average diameter of the workpiece surface being machined. The polishing tool surface during polishing is guided by an overrun distance beyond at least one edge (110a, 110b, 120a, 120b, 210a, 210b) delimiting the workpiece surface being machined, wherein the average diameter of the polishing tool surface is at least twice the overrun distance.

A compensating pad for applying to an ophthalmic lens blank to be blocked, or for interposing between an ophthalmic lens blank and a block piece. The compensating pad comprises a main body that is designed to be elastic having a maximum thickness corresponding to a maximum layer thickness difference of the ophthalmic lens blank, in order to locally compensate for the layer thickness difference of the blocked ophthalmic lens blank.

A polishing pad or polishing tape with abrasive particles (e.g., diamond, aluminum-oxide, silicon-carbide, etc.) having an average particle size of between approximately 0.5 micrometers (m) and 5.0 m, which are strongly adhered with water-insoluble binders to a flexible and lens-conformable substrate having a cushion so that there is little-to-no shedding or release of the particles from the substrate.

A polishing pad or polishing tape with abrasive particles (e.g., diamond, aluminum-oxide, silicon-carbide, etc.) having an average particle size of between approximately 0.5 micrometers (m) and 5.0 m, which are strongly adhered with water-insoluble binders to a flexible and lens-conformable substrate having a cushion so that there is little-to-no shedding or release of the particles from the substrate.

This disclosure includes methods and systems for producing ophthalmic lenses. Some methods include identifying a plurality of zones within a spatial representation of a lens blank, selecting, for each of the zones, one or more parameters for producing the lens, and producing the lens by removing material from the lens blank according to the one or more parameters of each of the zones.

A system and a method for processing of optical lenses in which the processing takes place by means of different processing apparatus between which there is a respective transfer apparatus. The transfer apparatus are used both for longitudinal and also cross conveyance. Each processing apparatus has its own conveyor apparatus which is controlled by the processing apparatus itself. The transfer apparatus are controlled by a central transfer control.

A manufacturing method for manufacturing a spectacle lens is disclosed. The method includes: obtaining prescription data descriptive of an ophthalmic prescription of a user in the plus prescription range; obtaining frame data descriptive of a perimeter of a spectacle frame in which the lens is to be mounted; providing a lens blank having a convex front surface and a back surface; determining a final cutting surface to be machined on the back surface of the lens blank in a final cutting phase; and determining an intermediate cutting surface to be machined on the back surface of the lens blank in an initial cutting phase. Further, it is provided that the intermediate cutting surface is different from the final cutting surface; and the final cutting surface comprises a prescription zone in which the final cutting surface together with the front surface fulfills the ophthalmic prescription of the user.