A mandrel for holding and positioning an intraocular lens blank during manufacturing includes a shank portion having a central axis and a lens blank holding section configured to hold the lens blank. The holding section includes a central cavity formed concentrically with the central axis of the mandrel. Projections are formed on a surface of the central cavity and are configured to support a first surface of the lens blank at a fixed distance from the surface of the central cavity. A ring fits within a peripheral portion of the central cavity to hold a second opposing surface of the lens blank. A method for making an intraocular lens using the mandrel includes filling the space formed under the first surface of the lens with a liquid, such as water, freezing the liquid, and then machining and/or milling the second surface of the lens blank.

A supporting device and method for a large thin-walled part is disclosed. The supporting device comprises a processing device and a supporting device. A workpiece is positioned between the processing device and the supporting device and is clamped at a periphery in a flexible clamping mode. A cutter in the processing device is connected with an iron core. A coil is wound on the iron core. When the coil is energized, a magnetic field is generated around the coil. A blade part of the cutter is in contact with a processing side of the workpiece. The supporting method combines the magnetorheological fluid technology with the jet supporting technology, and uses a jet impact force to offset part of a milling force. The current magnitude and winding mode of the coil are changed to control magnetic field intensity. The magnetorheological fluid is cured instantly to support the workpiece.

A freezing support device and method for a large thin-walled part, which belongs to the technical field of machining support. The present invention realizes freezing support for a large thin-walled part by a freezing system and an auxiliary system, wherein the freezing system comprises a heating source, a freezing source, flexible films, support plates, etc., and the auxiliary system comprises a rotating device, a moving plate and guide rails. The present invention utilizes ice with a certain thickness formed on a support side of a machining area and supports a workpiece through the ice, and the ice is always used as a support along with the progress of machining to have an effect of follow-up support. The present invention simplifies a support structure, and has the advantages of low cost, no contamination to a machine tool, and convenient use; plays a function of clamping the workpiece.

A core support system includes a support structure. The support structure includes a frame and a support member having a saturatable engagement layer disposed over the frame. A method of machining a core material incudes applying a fluid to an engagement layer of a support structure and saturating the engagement layer with the fluid, disposing a core material on the engagement layer, causing the fluid to freeze to secure to the core material to the support structure, machining the core material, melting the frozen fluid to release the core material from the support structure, and removing the core material from the engagement layer.

A mandrel for holding and positioning an intraocular lens blank during manufacturing includes a shank portion having a central axis and a lens blank holding section configured to hold the lens blank. The holding section includes a central cavity formed concentrically with the central axis of the mandrel. Projections are formed on a surface of the central cavity and are configured to support a first surface of the lens blank at a fixed distance from the surface of the central cavity. A ring fits within a peripheral portion of the central cavity to hold a second opposing surface of the lens blank. A method for making an intraocular lens using the mandrel includes filling the space formed under the first surface of the lens with a liquid, such as water, freezing the liquid, and then machining and/or milling the second surface of the lens blank.

A magnetorheological support method for blisk processing is disclosed. In the method, a fork structure and a soft film are used to wrap magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological fluid is used for flow filling under certain pressure. The bulged soft film can conduct shape matching on the surface of a blisk blade. The magnetorheological fluid can be cured through magnetic field excitation, thereby ensuring the flexible support for a weak rigid component. Electric permanent magnets are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the fork structure to construct a uniform magnetic field that can realize a global excitation of magnetorheological fluid, so that the magnetorheological fluid works in a shear mode to achieve damping force controlling by magnetic field. The solid-liquid conversion of the magnetorheological fluid is controlled by an electric permanent magnet field.

A core support system includes a support structure. The support structure includes a frame and a support member having a saturatable engagement layer disposed over the frame. A method of machining a core material includes applying a fluid to an engagement layer of a support structure and saturating the engagement layer with the fluid, disposing a core material on the engagement layer, causing the fluid to freeze to secure to the core material to the support structure, machining the core material, melting the frozen fluid to release the core material from the support structure, and removing the core material from the engagement layer.

A magnetorheological support method for blisk processing is disclosed. In the method, a fork structure and a soft film are used to wrap magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological fluid is used for flow filling under certain pressure. The bulged soft film can conduct shape matching on the surface of a blisk blade. The magnetorheological fluid can be cured through magnetic field excitation, thereby ensuring the flexible support for a weak rigid component. Electric permanent magnets are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the fork structure to construct a uniform magnetic field that can realize a global excitation of magnetorheological fluid, so that the magnetorheological fluid works in a shear mode to achieve damping force controlling by magnetic field. The solid-liquid conversion of the magnetorheological fluid is controlled by an electric permanent magnet field.

Disclosed is a method for machining a component, comprising: installing the component on a fixture, causing a medium of the fixture to solidify to encase a first portion of the component, applying a toolset to a second portion of the component that is outside of the solidified medium, and subsequent to applying the toolset, extracting the component from the fixture when the medium is in one of a liquid state or a semi-liquid state, where the medium has a melting-point temperature that is less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Disclosed is a fixture for machining a component, comprising: a medium configured to encase a first portion of the component when the medium is in a solidified state, and a toolset configured to be applied to a second portion of the component that is outside of the solidified medium, the medium having a melting-point temperature that is less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Methods involving adding a removable fixating material to a partially manufactured workpiece to stabilize a plurality of partially formed objects therein for subsequent manufacturing. In one example, a workpiece of interconnected structures is manufactured comprising precursors to the discrete objects as a function of a workpiece computer model. Manufacturing the workpiece further includes forming valleys between adjacent partially formed objects so that interconnecting portions remain to interconnect the partially formed objects. Further, the methods include removing the interconnecting portions so as to liberate the plurality of objects from one another. In some embodiments, a temporary frame is formed from the workpiece along with the plurality of objects during manufacturing.