LENS EDGING SYSTEM

A lens edging machine is numerically controlled by a computer to determine the rotation and displacement of a lens workpiece (16) with respect to an edging tool (10) in accordance with a lens shape stored in memory (60). The system continuously translates the lens workpiece (16) axially across the surface of the wheel (12, 14) to uniformly distribute wear across the wheel surface, reducing the need to dress the edging tool (10). The system compares the lens size with predetermined dimensions and compensates for any difference by automatically adjusting the lens trajectory during the edging of subsequent lens workpieces, permitting the edging tool to wear down without appreciable errors in lens size. The system controls the edging tool speed, the lens rotation rate, the lens axial feed velocity and the grinding force between the lens workpiece and the wheel at each discrete point during the entire lens edging operation to optimize production while preventing overheating of the lens workpiece. The optimum values for these parameters are empirically determined in a preparatory programmed trial and error learning process of the invention.