Automated part handling for continuous, high-volume specialty contact lens and IOL/ICL production
Every minute your DAC lathe or MLCe runs unattended is a minute of output without added labor cost. The DAC Universal 1000 Autoloader is a purpose-built, native automation solution for DAC ALM lathes and MLC Mill/Lathe Combos — designed to remove the manual part-handling bottleneck from specialty contact lens and IOL/ICL production and replace it with consistent, repeatable, high-throughput automation.
With capacity for up to 1,000 parts per continuous run and true lights-out operation capability, the Universal 1000 enables your production line to keep running through shift changes, breaks, and overnight hours — delivering the throughput consistency that high-volume lens manufacturing demands.
Up to 1,000 parts, unattended
The Universal 1000’s tray-based elevator system holds up to 10 stacked trays, each accommodating 100 lens buttons or blocked parts (approximately 300 × 300 mm per tray) — 1,000 parts total in continuous running configuration. Twenty trays are supplied with the system: 10 running at the lathe, 10 at load and unload. Trays can be inserted or removed during operation, allowing loading of fresh blanks and removal of finished parts without stopping the machine cycle.
A “pick and place” arm with dual or quad end effectors loads and removes parts from both the tray and the spindle nose. During the roughing cycle, the arm returns the cut part to the holder, picks up the next blank, and waits for the finish cut — keeping load/unload time to a minimum and all loader movement completed before the finish cut begins, eliminating vibration effects on surface quality.
Native integration — designed by the same engineers as your lathe
The Universal 1000 is not a third-party add-on adapted for DAC machines. It is a DAC-engineered, DAC-supported automation solution built specifically for the ALM Lathe and MLC Mill/Lathe Combo platforms. Integration is direct — networking with the host computer, with optional bar coding and RFI compatibility for job tracking and traceability. The system is adaptable to most blocks or arbors used in the specialty contact lens and IOL/ICL industries.
A Universal 500 version is available as an option for the DAC 2XC Compact Lathe. Standard data input from keyboard, disk, or host computer is supported across all configurations.
Part-to-part consistency at production scale
Manual part handling introduces variability — operator fatigue, inconsistent loading angles, handling-induced damage to delicate lens blanks. The Universal 1000 eliminates each of these variables. Every part is loaded by the same pick-and-place mechanism, in the same orientation, with the same timing — run after run, hour after hour. The result is the part-to-part quality consistency that both high-volume specialty contact lens production and precision IOL/ICL manufacturing require.
Key benefits
- Runs up to 1,000 parts continuously without stopping to reload
- Enables true lights-out operation on DAC ALM lathes and MLC platforms
- Consistent part-to-part quality — eliminates human handling variability
- Dual or quad end effectors for efficient blocked part and blank handling
- All loader movement completes before finish cut — no vibration impact on surface quality
- Trays insertable and removable during operation — no production stop for loading
- Native DAC integration — networks with host computer for complete process control
- Bar coding and RFI compatible for job tracking and production traceability
- Adaptable to most blocks and arbors used in the specialty contact lens and IOL/ICL industries
- Single-source support — designed, built, and supported by DAC International
Software
DAC International offers the industry’s most comprehensive lens manufacturing software — easy to use and easy to customize. Full maintenance and calibration capability is built into our software, as well as on-line editing
