Method for post-injection lamination to add a functional film to an optical lens

A method for laminating a functional film onto an injection molded thermoplastic lens that resides in an injection molding machine having a horizontally oriented parting line, comprising the steps of injecting molten thermoplastic resin into a lens-forming cavity held closed under a primary clamp force;

• opening the mold at a time when the lens is rigid enough to retain its shape and separate from an insert;
• depositing an unpressurized full metered charge of curable glue onto the center of the horizontally oriented lens;
• introducing a functional film between the glue and the separated insert;
• and
• closing the mold to a secondary clamp force less than or equal to the primary clamp force to thinly spread the glue between the film and lens so that it cures with the heat transferred from the mold and the diminishing residual heat of the lens whereby an optically clear laminated ophthalmic lens is formed that avoids visible interference fringes.