Contact Lens Dry Processing

The team was tasked with evaluating the “dry release” process to remove contact lenses from their two-part plastic molds before continuing with the final steps of the manufacturing line. As Bausch & Lomb designed their production system to release the lenses without liquid, our team explored potential solutions that would be compatible with their current design. The first half of the project was spent defining the project goals and brainstorming alternative methods to release the lens from each mold. We considered cutting the molds, centrifugal force, electrical charge, exposure to extreme temperatures, and applying an ultrasonic force. From the team’s initial testing, we were able to quickly eliminate methods that are not feasible to implement in a manufacturing environment or able to achieve lens removal. The team decided to continue investigating cut, cold temperature applications, bend, ultrasonic force, and the combination of these elements to see how they could affect the lens’s ability to be removed with minimal defects. As we tested each element's individual effects on the lenses, we compared these results to methods that combined various factors. Continuing to perform tests and analyzing the data has guided the team to propose a singular method to help effectively remove the lens from the mold while meeting quality standards. Our project culminated with designing a benchtop method to be tested on a larger scale before implementing on the production floor.