A real-time calculation system capable of computing the industrial optical performance and yields of a prescription laboratory is disclosed. The system uses statistical analysis to determine the compensation factors that can be applied to given products, Semi-Finish, materials, or lens designs to increase the lab yields. Using a monitoring and configuration system, the user tracks the evolution of the laboratory's performance and identifies areas in which yields are impacted. The user defines how the calculation system will optimize the laboratory's performance, such as by defining how the compensation factors will be calculated and applied.

A tool path generation method includes inputting a first function derived from a polynomial expression including a plurality of coefficients representing a first curved surface, generating a first tool path based on the first function, inputting the first tool path to an NC device of a machine tool and machining a workpiece by relative movement between a tool and a workpiece along the first tool path, measuring the shape of the workpiece at a plurality of measurement points on a surface of the machined workpiece, calculating, for each of the measurement points, a symmetrical position with respect to the first curved surface in a direction perpendicular to the first curved surface as a correction point, obtaining a second function representing a second curved surface based on a series of position data of the correction points, and generating a second tool path based on the second function.

A processor of a control apparatus, which controls an eyeglasses lens machining apparatus, performs a check operation execution step (S14, S17, S19, and S21 to S23) and a result output step (S24), based on a state management program. In the check operation execution step, the processor causes the eyeglasses lens machining apparatus to execute a check operation for checking a state of the eyeglasses lens machining apparatus. In the result output step, the processor outputs information indicating a result of the executed check operation.

Disclosed is a machining method by turning at least one surface of an ophthalmic lens, using a turning machine having at least one geometrical defect. The method includes a step (101-104) of determining a turning configuration for machining by turning the at least one surface of the ophthalmic lens, the turning configuration including turning parameters and machine defects parameters associated to the turning parameters.

Described are systems and methods for controlling an ophthalmic lens edging machine are disclosed. The ophthalmic lens edging machine uses an edger code to select a macro or speed for a requested lens edging job. A system for creating and using the edger code may include a Lab Management System (LMS), a lens calculation system, and a lens edging machine. An edger code may be generated using lens data received from a lens management system and edging machine information identifying lens edging machines. The edger code comprises a plurality of characters. Each character is associated with a different feature of a requested edging job. The features of the requested edging job may include, for example, one or more of: a material type, a lens thickness, an edge type, a frame type, a lens coating, a lens shape, a lens ratio, a lens treatment, and an edging machine block type.

A system that can analyze and modify a point map file corresponding to a lens design is described. The lens design is optimized to meet a patient's ophthalmic prescription. However, a digital surfacing machine may not be physically capable of producing on a lens blank a lens curvature required by the prescription and defined by the point map file. The system takes into account limitations of physical characteristics of the digital surfacing machine, such as the diameter and speed of movement of the cutting tool, and modifies the point map file so that the digital surfacing machine can produce the lens curvature on the lens blank.

Disclosed is a method for deducing geometrical defects of an optical article turning machine, including a defect value deducing step, during which at least one geometrical defect value is deduced based at least on an indicative information of an optical and/or geometrical data related to an optical and/or geometrical characteristic of a checking piece (10).

A method for numerical control milling, forming and polishing of a large-diameter aspheric lens to solve the problems of long time-consuming and severe tool wear in the machining of a meter-scale large-diameter aspheric surface is disclosed. An aspheric surface is discretized into a series of rings with different radii, and the rings are sequentially machined through generating cutting by using an annular grinding wheel tool; the rings are equally spaced, there are a total of N rings, and the width of any ring is jointly determined by the N.sup.th ring, the (N?1).sup.th ring, positioning accuracy, and a generatrix equation of the aspheric lens, and the n.sup.th ring has a curvature radius of Rn=sqrt(R0.sup.2?k*(n*dx).sup.2); and the aspheric surface is enveloped by a large number of rings.

A polishing machine is described in which a surface treatment tool is moved across the surface of a workpiece in accordance with a predefined tool-path, in order to carry out the desired treatment process. The tool-path is non-periodic and preferably pseudo-random. Various techniques are described for generating data representing the tool-path to be followed. A technique is also described for determining optimum control parameters used to control the polishing machine for a given tool-path. The surface treatment may be a shaping technique in which material is removed from the surface, or a technique for adding material to the surface of the workpiece, or a technique for modifying the surface or a region under the surface of the workpiece.

A method and apparatus for blocking an unfinished optical lens member on a blocker for manufacturing an optical lens from the unfinished optical lens member, the latter being provided with a finished surface having a first reference frame, the blocker having a second reference frame, includes: placing the unfinished optical lens member on the blocker; measuring the relative positioning of the first reference frame of the finished surface of the placed unfinished lens member with respect to the positioning of the second reference frame of the blocker; comparing the measured relative positioning with a predetermined relative positioning to determine a relative positioning shift; moving at least the blocker and/or the lens member to change the relative positioning of the first reference frame with respect to the second reference frame to compensate for the relative positioning shift; and blocking the unfinished lens member on the blocker at the changed relative positioning.