A workpiece separator system including a gripper, a heat source in thermal communication with the gripper, the heat source configured to heat a block of the workpiece causing separation of an alloy puck from the block. A method for separating alloy from a block of a workpiece including heating the block, heating the alloy through the block, melting a thin interface between the block and the alloy, and removing from the block substantially all of the alloy as an alloy puck.

An apparatus and a block mold for blocking a lens are proposed, wherein the lens is blocked on a block piece by means of a block material. The space between the lens and the block piece is laterally delimited by a block mold. The block mold is preferably plate-shaped and has a plurality of block openings for forming different block sizes and has an integrated coolant channel. This enables easy and fast changing between different block sizes and very good cooling.

Disclosed is a lens holding block for positioning and retaining a lens substrate in a processing machine, including a bottom part that is able to immobilize the lens holding block in the processing machine and an upper part. The upper part includes a chamber wherein is housed and attached a porous article so as to receive the lens substrate to be processed and which is able to be impregnated with a fluid, and a method for positioning and retaining a lens substrate onto a lens holding block.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an optical lens including the following successive steps: a step of providing an optical lens attached to a blocking piece; a step of laminating a functional film on a surface of the optical lens; a step of obtaining an assembly constituted by the blocking piece, the optical lens and the functional laminated film; a step of cutting the excess film directly on the assembly, so as to reduce the film shape; and a step of deblocking the optical lens with the film, and the blocking piece.

An optical machine (AV) for treatment and/or processing optical workpieces (L) has a machine frame (MG) on which a workpiece holding arrangement (WH) is movably supported and at least two treatment and/or processing devices (DB1, DB2, DB3) for treatment and/or processing a workpiece. The workpiece holding arrangement has a plurality of partition walls (TW) which separate and delimit at least three work spaces (AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4) from one another. The work spaces can be moved, together with the workpiece holding arrangement.

To each work space, a workpiece holder (CH) is assigned for the purpose of parallel use of the work spaces. Each work space can be moved, together with the workpiece holding arrangement, with respect to the machine frame in a movement cycle from a loading station (PS) on the machine frame, via stationary treatment and/or processing stations (DS, CS) which are spatially distanced from the loading station.

A hydraulic arrangement (HA) for an apparatus (AV) for deblocking optical workpieces (L), from associated block pieces (B), includes a nozzle arrangement (DA) for delivery of high pressure jets of pressure means for deblocking the workpiece from the associated block piece at a first pressure and for cleaning the blocked workpiece and/or block piece at least one second pressure which is different from the first pressure. Furthermore, there is a pump device (PE) which applies pressure in a defined manner to the pressure means and conveys it under pressure to the nozzle arrangement. The pump device has at least one high pressure pump (HP1, HP2) which is drivable by an associated rotary drive (SM1, SM2), the speed of which is modifiable in order to adjust the first pressure or the second pressure.

A method for manufacturing a spectacle lens according to a prescription includes: blocking or fixing a semi-finished spectacle lens blank having a first face possessing a final curvature and a second face opposite the first face on a block piece or a vacuum or holding chuck, respectively, wherein the first face of the semi-finished spectacle lens blank faces the block piece or the vacuum or holding chuck, respectively; surfacing the blocked or fixed semi-finished spectacle lens blank on the second face to obtain a final curvature of the second face; and deblocking the surfaced spectacle lens blank from the block piece or removing the surfaced spectacle lens blank from the vacuum or holding chuck prior to any subsequent coating step. The first face is coated with a top coating having a surface energy of less than 20 mJ/m.sup.2.

A method and associated implementing system eliminates much of the stress presently introduced by the bonding of ophthalmic lens blanks, or blanks to a holding device, namely a metal block. The method of attaching ophthalmic lens blanks to a blocking assembly comprises the steps of shaping a blocking assembly to take the shape of an ophthalmic lens blank surface of an ophthalmic lens, wherein the blocking assembly is not attached directly to the ophthalmic lens blank during shaping of the blocking assembly; and following the shaping of the blocking assembly, attaching the lens blank to the shaped blocking assembly.

An apparatus and a method for deblocking a lens, wherein the lens is blocked with a block material on a block piece. The block material is preheated by radiation. The blocked lens, the deblocked lens, and the deblocked block piece are handled by means of separate grippers. For deblocking, the lens and the block piece are held by opposing holding devices in a rotating manner, while a fluid jet acts on the block material from the side. After the deblocking, the lens and the block piece are cleaned simultaneously. Then, a holding device together with the deblocked lens pivot out from a working space. The deblocked lens is placed with the block side upward in a transport carrier. This makes possible a simple design and an optimized process sequence.

An apparatus for separating a first liner from a lens wafer includes: at least one air nozzle including a first open end facing an edge of the lens wafer and configured to eject a gas, the at least one air nozzle disposed proximal to a first lens wafer holder configured to hold the lens wafer having the first liner attached to a first surface of the lens wafer, a first peeling device including a second lens wafer holder configured to hold the lens wafer, a first auxiliary air nozzle facing the lens wafer and including a first opening configured to eject a gas, and a first at least one suction cup configured to contact the first liner on the first surface of the lens wafer and form a vacuum seal with the first liner, each suction cup of the first at least one suction cup being retractable in a direction away from the lens wafer.