Process and apparatus for the automatic manufacturing of different toric optical lenses

Process for the automatic manufacturing of different toric optical lenses, each lens having a front surface and a rear surface with the front and rear surfaces having a predetermined rotational orientation relative to one another, and with at least one of the front and rear surfaces having a toric portion, in which process a first toric lens is formed by

• introducing a starting material into a respective lens mold comprising a male mold half and a female mold half defining a mold cavity between the shaping surfaces of the male and female mold halves, the shaping surfaces being arranged at a first rotational position relative to one another and at least one of them being toric, wherein the male mold half is arranged in a cylindrical clamping sleeve and the female mold half is arranged in a cylindrical clamping sleeve, and
• curing the starting material in the mold cavity to form the first toric lens having front and rear surfaces having a first predetermined rotational orientation relative to one another;
• and in which process subsequently a second toric lens different from the first toric contact lens is formed using the same male and female mold halves by
• rotating the first and second mold halves relative to one another from the first rotational position so as to be arranged at a second rotational position relative to one another,
• introducing the starting material into the mold cavity defined between the shaping surfaces of the male and female mold halves, and
• curing the starting material in the mold cavity to form the second toric lens having front and rear surfaces having a second predetermined rotational orientation relative to one another;
• wherein the step of rotating the male and female mold halves relative to one another from the first rotational position to the second rotational position is performed automatically in the production line.