Milling device for optical lens production with two milling stations and method of use

A milling device (50), comprising:

• a first milling station (51a) with:
• a first workpiece spindle (52a) capable of rotating about a first spindle axis (A1), the first workpiece spindle (52a) intended to receive a first lens blank (100a), and
• a first milling tool (53a) with first cutters (55a) capable of rotating about a first milling axis (FA1), the first milling tool (53a) intended for machining the received first lens blank (100a);
• and
• at least one second milling station (51b) with:
• a second workpiece spindle (52b) capable of rotating about a second spindle axis (A2), the second workpiece spindle (52b) intended to receive a second lens blank (100b), and
• a second milling tool (53b) with second cutters (55b) capable of rotating about a second milling axis (FA2), the second milling tool (53b) intended for machining the received second lens blank (100b),
• the spindle axes (A1, A2) being aligned parallel to one another,
• the milling axes (FA1, FA2) being aligned parallel to one another, and
• the milling axes (FA1, FA2) being aligned obliquely with respect to the spindle axes (A1, A2),
• wherein a loading device (30) is provided and arranged to load the first and second lens blanks (100a, 100b) into the first and second workpiece spindles (52a, 52b) and the first and second milling tools (53a, 53b) are separated from each other by a space which intersects with a virtual straight line extending lengthwise from a first end point to a second end point, the first end point linked to the first milling tool (53a) and being at a position within a physical body of the first milling tool (53a), and the second end point linked to the second milling tool (53b) and being at a position within a physical body of the second milling tool (53b), and
• the workpiece spindles (52a, 52b) and the milling tools (53a, 53b) are capable of being positioned offset in relation to one another in such a way that one of the first and second lens blanks (100a, 100b) is capable of being introduced by the loading device (30) between the milling tools (53a, 53b) and through the space which intersects the virtual straight line extending from the first milling tool (53a) to the second milling tool (53b), the one of the first and second lens blanks (100a, 100b) crossing the virtual straight line between the first and second end points when introduced by the loading device (30) between the milling tools (53a, 53b) and through the space when being loaded into or unloaded from the workpiece spindles (52a, 52b).