Method and apparatus for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses

A method for manufacturing contact lenses comprising the steps of:

• molding in a mass production process a plurality of lenses having different properties;
• and
• transferring the molded lenses that have the same properties to a respective intermediate buffer so as to store therein a bulk of lenses having the same properties, wherein the intermediate buffer comprises a tube-like container, wherein the diameter of tube-like container is chosen such that the lenses are stored therein one above the other, wherein the tube-like container is closed at one end and is open at the other end to allow for the storage of contact lenses with a suitable amount of preserving liquid contained therein to prevent the lenses from drying and to allow for the molded lenses to sink downwardly and self-orient during sinking with their convex surface facing downwards.