System and method for ophthalmic lens manufacture

A method for machining an ophthalmic lens from a lens blank comprising the steps of:

• a) machining a block with a machining platform;
• b) mounting a lens blank on the block in an orientation in which a direction normal to a front surface of the lens blank at a geometric center of a lens that will be machined from the lens blank to fit within a lens receiving portion of a spectacle frame is about parallel to a relative feed axis of a machining tool when the block is affixed to the machining platform;
• and
• c) performing machining operations on the lens blank with the machining platform, wherein the machining operations include back surface generation and edging of the lens blank without dismounting and remounting the blocked lens blank between the back surface generation and edging operations.

A system for machining an ophthalmic lens from a lens blank comprising:

• a computer;
• at least one tool;
• and
• a mounting stage, wherein the mounting stage is operative to supportingly receive a removable block, wherein the computer is operative to have the at least one cutting tool move with respect to the block to machine the block responsive to a topography of a front of a lens blank to supportingly receive the lens blank in a first orientation, wherein the computer is further operative to have the at least one cutting tool move with respect to the lens blank mounted to the block in the first orientation to machine the lens blank.

A method for machining an ophthalmic lens from a lens blank comprising the steps of:

• a) determining a location of a point on a lens blank that about corresponds to a geometric center of a lens that will be machined from the lens blank to fit within a lens receiving portion of a spectacle frame;
• b) mounting the lens blank on a block in an orientation in which a direction normal to a front surface of the lens blank at the determined location is about parallel to a relative feed axis of a machining tool of a machining platform;
• and
• c) performing machining operations on the lens blank with the machining platform, wherein the machining operations include back surface generation operations on the lens blank with the machining tool.

A method for machining an ophthalmic lens from a lens blank comprising the steps of:

• a) determining a location of a point on a lens blank that about corresponds to a geometric center of a lens that will be machined from the lens blank to fit within a lens receiving portion of a spectacle frame;
• b) mounting the lens blank on a block in an orientation in which a direction normal to a front surface of the lens blank at the determined location is about parallel to an axis of rotation of the block;
• and
• c) performing machining operations on the lens blank with the machining platform, wherein the machining operations include back surface generation operations on the lens blank during rotation of the block and lens blank by the machining platform about the axis of rotation of the block.

A system for machining an ophthalmic lens from a lens blank comprising:

• at least one computer;
• at least one tool;
• and
• a mounting stage, wherein the mounting stage is operative to support at least one block, wherein the at least one computer is operative to cause the at least one cutting tool to move with respect to the at least one block to machine the at least one block responsive to a topography of a front of at least one lens blank to supportingly receive the at least one lens blank in a first orientation, wherein the at least one computer is further operative to cause the at least one cutting tool to machine alignment features in an upper surface of the at least one block which are operative to aid an operator with mounting the at least one lens blank in the first orientation, wherein the at least one computer is further operative to cause the at least one cutting tool to move with respect to the at least one lens blank mounted to the at least one block in the first orientation to machine the at least one lens blank.