A manufacturing module (MM) for contact lenses comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352) arranged in a closed loop and a plurality of lens mold carriers (1, 2) which are transported through the manufacturing stations. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) comprises a frame (10, 20) having a predetermined number of mounting sites (100, 200) arranged along the frame. Each lens mold carrier (1, 2) further comprises a predetermined number of molds (112, 212) removably mounted to the frame (10, 20) at the mounting sites (100, 200), the molds being reusable male or female molds (212, 112). Two lens mold carriers (1, 2) are assigned to each other to form a pair, so that upon mating the pair of lens mold carriers (1, 2) the male and female molds (212, 112) are mated to form mold cavities defining the shape of the lenses. The manufacturing stations comprise a mold changing station (300, 301, 302) configured to be capable of removing a mold from its mounting site (100, 200) and mounting a different mold at the said mounting site (100, 200), or configured to change the rotational position of a mold (112, 212) mounted to the frame (10, 20), or both.

A method of providing a male mold half for molding a toric contact lens at a predetermined target rotational orientation is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: providing the male mold half at a predetermined rotational orientation, picking the male mold half up with a gripper having a central axis, rotating the gripper with the male mold half about the central axis of the gripper by a predetermined rotational angle (?) towards the predetermined target rotational orientation, and releasing the rotated male mold half from the gripper. Prior to picking the male mold half up, the method comprises centering the grippe and the male mold half relative to each other such that the central axis of the gripper and a central axis of the male mold half coincide.

A method for transporting a packaging shell (1) of an ophthalmic lens package comprises the steps of at a start location providing a packaging shell (1) comprising a depression (10), and a flange (11) completely surrounding the depression (10), providing a suction cup (2) having an opening (21) at a distal end thereof, which is completely surrounded by a rim (22) sized and shaped to engage the flange (11) in an engagement area completely enclosing the depression (10), positioning the suction cup (2) and the packaging shell (1) such that the rim (22) and the engagement area of the flange (11) face each other, moving the suction cup (2) and the packaging shell (1) towards each other, applying suction through the opening (21) of the suction cup (2), moving the suction cup (2) with the packaging shell (1) adhered thereto to the destination location, at the destination location releasing the suction, wherein a flexible sealing gasket (3) is arranged at the rim (22) to sealingly engage the flange (11) in the engagement area.

Apparatus and methods are described for manufacturing contact lenses by forming a contact lens mold half, and removing the mold half. The mold half can then be combined with a complementary mold half and used to cast-mold a contact lens. The apparatus includes first and second plates each carrying tool halves. The plates reciprocate between an open, spaced apart configuration, and a closed configuration in which they hold complementary tool halves in contact with one another. When the plates are opened after forming a mold half, a gripper plate removes the mold half from the first plate or the second plate.

The present invention concerns methods and an apparatus for producing contact lenses, such as silicone hydrogel contact lenses, and further relates to methods and an apparatus for producing silicone hydrogel contact lens mold assemblies, methods and apparatus for producing silicone hydrogel contact lenses using such mold assemblies, and silicone hydrogel contact lenses and lens member bodies produced using such methods and apparatus.

An automated production line for the production of ophthalmic lenses comprises: a production line front end (1) comprising: a first injection-molding machine (10) and a second injection-molding machine (12) a casting module (14) comprising a filling station (144) and a capping station (145); a stacking module (15) and a curing module (16); a destacking module (17) and a demolding and delensing module a production line back end (2) comprising: a scalable treatment module (20) comprising a number of liquid baths for a liquid bath treatment of the cured lenses (CL) carried by the treatment carrier tray (200) to obtain the ophthalmic lenses, wherein the number of liquid baths are reduced or increased pending on the number of ophthalmic lenses concurrently produced by the production lines.

A method for transporting a packaging shell (1) of an ophthalmic lens package comprises the steps of at a start location providing a packaging shell (1) comprising a depression (10), and a flange (11) completely surrounding the depression (10), providing a suction cup (2) having an opening (21) at a distal end thereof, which is completely surrounded by a rim (22) sized and shaped to engage the flange (11) in an engagement area completely enclosing the depression (10), positioning the suction cup (2) and the packaging shell (1) such that the rim (22) and the engagement area of the flange (11) face each other, moving the suction cup (2) and the packaging shell (1) towards each other, applying suction through the opening (21) of the suction cup (2), moving the suction cup (2) with the packaging shell (1) adhered thereto to the destination location, at the destination location releasing the suction, wherein a flexible sealing gasket (3) is arranged at the rim (22) to sealingly engage the flange (11) in the engagement area.

The present invention concerns methods and an apparatus for producing contact lenses, such as silicone hydrogel contact lenses, and further relates to methods and an apparatus for producing silicone hydrogel contact lens mold assemblies, methods and apparatus for producing silicone hydrogel contact lenses using such mold assemblies, and silicone hydrogel contact lenses and lens member bodies produced using such methods and apparatus.