SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING DEVIATIONS IN AN OPTICAL LENS MANUFACTURING PROCESS

• US 20180290257A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 10/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Original Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Inventors: PIRAUBE, Sebastien, GELB, Brad J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 13/00 Machines or devices designed for grinding or polishing optical surfaces on lenses or surfaces of similar shape on other work; Accessories therefor edging optical work, e.g. lenses, prisms B24B9/14
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 13/06 grinding of lenses, the tool or work being controlled by information-carrying means, e.g. patterns, punched tapes, magnetic tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00 Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms grinding or polishing of optical elements B24B; constructional form of optical elements G02B; optical parts of spectacles G02C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00009 Production of simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00423 Plants for the production of simple or compound lenses B29D11/00259 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00932 Combined cutting and grinding thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00951 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00961 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/404 characterised by control arrangements for compensation, e.g. for backlash, overshoot, tool offset, tool wear, temperature, machine construction errors, load, inertia G05B19/19, G05B19/41 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45157 Grind optical lens
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A real-time calculation system capable of computing the industrial optical performance and yields of a prescription laboratory is disclosed. The system uses statistical analysis to determine the compensation factors that can be applied to given products, Semi-Finish, materials, or lens designs to increase the lab yields. Using a monitoring and configuration system, the user tracks the evolution of the laboratory'"'"'s performance and identifies areas in which yields are impacted. The user defines how the calculation system will optimize the laboratory'"'"'s performance, such as by defining how the compensation factors will be calculated and applied.

Claims

1. A system for compensating for deviations in an optical lens manufacturing process, comprising:

an analyzer configured to compute deviations in one or more surfaced optical lenses based upon nominal optical prescription values and parameters measured on one or more lenses output from lens surfacing equipment, the analyzer further configured to compute compensation factors for one or more future optical lens manufacturing runs based upon the deviations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is further configured to provide the compensation factors directly to the lens surfacing equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a Lab Management System coupled to the lens surfacing equipment, the Lab Management System configured to receive compensation factors from the analyzer and to apply the compensation factors during one or more future optical lens manufacturing runs.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the Lab Management System is further configured to apply the compensation factors by adjusting optical prescriptions or to modify lens surfacing equipment commands.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the Lab Management System is further configured to adjust an optical prescription to compensate for computed deviations in the lens surfacing equipment before sending the optical prescription to a Lens Design System.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the Lab Management System is further configured to adjust an optical design received from a Lens Design System calculator to compensate for computed deviations in the lens surfacing equipment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer component is further configured to compute compensation factors for deviations in one or more lens blanks.

8. A method for computing compensation factors for optical lens manufacturing, comprising:

automatically computing manufacturing deviations in one or more optical lenses using nominal optical prescription values and stored measurements of lenses that have completed a surfacing process; and

computing compensation factors for one or more future optical lens manufacturing runs based upon the manufacturing deviations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the compensation factors correspond to one or more of an amount of lens surfacing equipment wear, a brand of lens surfacing equipment, a brand of consumable used, and a type of consumable used.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

grouping the computed manufacturing deviations or the compensation factors or both by one or more categories comprising;

Semi-Finish, product code, optical design, design vendor, Lens Design System, and material categories.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

computing statistical deviations based upon the computed manufacturing deviations; and

computing the compensation factors for the future optical lens manufacturing runs based upon the statistical deviations.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the compensation factors to a Lab Management System for adjustment of commands provided to lens manufacturing equipment to compensate for the computed manufacturing deviations.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the compensation factors to a Lab Management System for adjustment of an optical prescription to compensate for the computed manufacturing deviations before sending the optical prescription to a Lens Design System.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the compensation factors to a Lab Management System for adjustment of an optical prescription received from a Lens Design System calculator to compensate for the computed manufacturing deviations.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying, from the computed manufacturing deviations, a substandard lens that has completed the surfacing process, wherein one or more measurements of the substandard lens are outside tolerances established for optical prescription values associated with the substandard lens; and

applying the computed compensation factors prior to repeating a manufacturing run to replace the substandard lens.

16. A non-transitive computer-readable medium comprising instructions, comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

automatically computing manufacturing deviations in one or more optical lenses using nominal optical prescription values and stored measurements of lenses that have completed a surfacing process; and

computing compensation factors for one or more future optical lens manufacturing runs based upon the manufacturing deviations, wherein the compensation factors correspond to one or more of an amount of lens surfacing equipment wear, a brand of lens surfacing equipment, a brand of consumable used, and a type of consumable used.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

grouping the computed manufacturing deviations or the compensation factors or both by one or more categories comprising;

Semi-Finish, product code, optical design, design vendor, Lens Design System, and material categories.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

computing statistical deviations based upon the computed manufacturing deviations; and

computing the compensation factors for the future optical lens manufacturing runs based upon the statistical deviations.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing the compensation factors to a Lab Management System for adjustment of commands provided to lens manufacturing equipment to compensate for the computed manufacturing deviations.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing the compensation factors to a Lab Management System for adjustment of an optical prescription to compensate for the computed manufacturing deviations before sending the optical prescription to a Lens Design System.