AUTOMATED APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONSOLIDATING PRODUCTS FOR PACKAGING

摘要

An automated apparatus for controlling the automatic packaging of contact lenses in a contact lens fabrication facility. A first robotic transfer device is provided for periodically transferring a first predetermined amount of individual packages from the first station to an intermediate consolidation buffer. The packages are deposited on the consolidation buffer. A controller tracks down and identifies each individual contact lens conveyed form an inspection station to the consolidation buffer. The controller includes a memory and a logic for storing the identity of individual packages containing contact lenses, predetermined as out of specification by the inspection station, and generates a signal to cause the first robotic device to discard any individual package identified by the controller as being out of specification. A second robotic assembly periodically transfers a second predetermined amount of individual packages from the consolidation buffer to a second processing station. The controller enables the first robotic device to provide sufficient amount of individual packages to the consolidation buffer to enable the second robotic assembly to continuously transfer the second predetermined amount of packages to the second processing station in every period.