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Optical Lens Handling Conveyors

Optical lens manufacturing is precision work with fragile product. Lenses move through cutting, bevelling and finishing in trays, and every handling step is another chance to scratch one or present it to a machine the wrong way round. LVP Automation builds tray handling lines for lens production, feeding finishing machines and taking work away from them without an operator lifting a tray.

The line below is at a lens manufacturer in Altrincham, Manchester, and follows an earlier system we installed for the same site in 2010. Where a conveyor has to interlock with process machinery, the control work matters as much as the steelwork: see PLC programming and control panel building, with layout under conveyor system design. We are based in Finglas, Dublin 11 and work with manufacturers in Ireland and the UK.

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Lens Tray Handling Line, Altrincham
Handling Delicate Product Without Touching It
Common Questions

Lens Tray Handling Line, Altrincham

A leading optical lens manufacturer in Altrincham, Manchester needed lens trays delivered into and out of their Bisphera finishing machines automatically. LVP Automation built the handling line, following on from a system we installed for the same site in 2010.

Plastic trays carrying the lenses run on aluminium Carryline 140mm plastic chain, so the conveyor carries the tray and never touches the lens itself. Pneumatic rotating turntables set each tray’s orientation before it reaches the machine, which is what lets the cutting and bevel etching be done accurately. The conveyors interlock with the lens machines, so the two are synchronised rather than running to a timer. Control is through a mild steel panel with an Allen-Bradley PLC and inverter control, commissioned on site, with machine guarding and maintenance access designed into the layout rather than added afterwards.

What the Line Delivers

  • Automated Lens Tray Delivery: The system provides fully automated delivery of plastic trays carrying delicate lenses, ensuring they are transported to and from Bisphera machines with minimal handling.
  • Precise Orientation: The use of pneumatic rotating turntables allows for accurate orientation of lens trays, which is crucial for the finishing machines to perform cutting and bevel etching effectively.
  • Seamless Integration: The conveyor system features interlocking with the lens machines, enabling synchronised operations and improving overall workflow efficiency.
  • User-Friendly Controls: Equipped with a mild steel control panel featuring AB PLC and inverter control, the system allows for easy operation and site commissioning.
  • Modular Design: The system's low-maintenance and modular design ensure that it remains aesthetically pleasing while meeting rigorous operational standards.
  • Maintenance Accessibility: The design allows for easy access to maintenance areas, promoting quick servicing and reducing potential downtime.

Handling Delicate Product Without Touching It

Almost everything that goes wrong with delicate product happens at a handover: where it is lifted, turned, or passed from one machine to another. The way to avoid it is to reduce the number of times anyone touches the product at all.

Carrying lenses in trays does most of that work. The conveyor handles the tray, not the lens, so the product is only touched when a machine is actually working on it. The rest is timing and orientation: presenting each tray the right way round, and making the conveyor and the machine wait on each other rather than run to a clock. Get those right and the handling stops being a source of damage.

The Principles Behind It

  • Trays, Not Loose Product: The conveyor carries the tray, so the lens is only touched when a machine is working on it.
  • Orientation Set Before the Machine: Turntables present each tray the right way round, removing a step that would otherwise be manual.
  • Interlocked, Not Timed: Conveyor and machine wait on each other, so a slow cycle does not turn into a collision.
  • Guarding and Access Designed In: Machine guarding and maintenance access are part of the layout rather than additions to it.
  • Modular Sections: Sections that can be reached and removed keep servicing quick on a line that runs continuously.

Common Questions

Does the conveyor touch the lenses? No. The lenses travel in plastic trays, and the conveyor carries the tray. The product is only handled when a machine is working on it, which removes most of the opportunities for damage.

Why turntables rather than a fixed layout? Because the finishing machines need the tray presented in a particular orientation. Pneumatic rotating turntables set that on the conveyor, which removes a step that would otherwise fall to an operator.

Can the conveyor interlock with our process machines? Yes, and on a precision line it is worth doing properly. The Altrincham system is interlocked with the lens machines so each waits on the other, rather than both running to a timer and relying on the timing holding.

Who builds the control panel and writes the programme? We do. That line runs on a mild steel panel with an Allen-Bradley PLC and inverter control, commissioned on site by the same team.

Do you work outside Ireland? Yes. This installation is in Altrincham, Manchester, and it is the second system we have installed for that site, the first being in 2010.

What about getting at it for maintenance? Access was part of the layout from the start. On a line that runs continuously, how quickly a section can be reached matters more than it looks on a drawing.

Where do you cover? We are based in Finglas, Dublin 11, and work with customers across Ireland and in the UK.

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