A method for manufacturing a contact lens, the method being characterised by the combined steps of: placing a picking head assembly having a single picking head and a plurality of spaced apart alignment pins into engagement with a first pallet carrying a plurality of male contact lens mold sections, each male lens mold section having a first optical surface, the first pallet having a plurality of first holes sized and positioned to receive the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins, the placing being effective so that the picking head comes into alignment with a single male lens mold section carried by the first pallet as the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins are received by the plurality of first holes and before the picking head contacts the male lens mold section; securing the single male lens mold section to the picking head; separating the picking head assembly and the single male lens mold section from the first pallet; moving the separated picking head assembly and the single male lens mold section into engagement with a second pallet carrying a female lens mold section having a second optical surface, the second pallet having a plurality of second holes sized and positioned to receive the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins, the moving being effective so that the single male lens mold section comes into alignment with the female lens mold section carried by the second pallet as the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins are received in the plurality of second holes and before the single male lens mold section contacts the female lens mold section; and placing the aligned male and female lens mold sections, in contact with each other; wherein the second pallet also has a second cavity sized and positioned to receive the female lens mold section, and a circumferential raised portion within the cavity, the raised portion being effective to assist in aligning the female lens mold section in the cavity with the single male lens mold section, without said single male lens mold section contacting the second optical surface of the female lens mold section. placing a picking head assembly having a single picking head and a plurality of spaced apart alignment pins into engagement with a first pallet carrying a plurality of male contact lens mold sections, each male lens mold section having a first optical surface, the first pallet having a plurality of first holes sized and positioned to receive the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins, the placing being effective so that the picking head comes into alignment with a single male lens mold section carried by the first pallet as the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins are received by the plurality of first holes and before the picking head contacts the male lens mold section; securing the single male lens mold section to the picking head; separating the picking head assembly and the single male lens mold section from the first pallet; moving the separated picking head assembly and the single male lens mold section into engagement with a second pallet carrying a female lens mold section having a second optical surface, the second pallet having a plurality of second holes sized and positioned to receive the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins, the moving being effective so that the single male lens mold section comes into alignment with the female lens mold section carried by the second pallet as the plurality of spaced apart alignment pins are received in the plurality of second holes and before the single male lens mold section contacts the female lens mold section; and placing the aligned male and female lens mold sections, in contact with each other; wherein the second pallet also has a second cavity sized and positioned to receive the female lens mold section, and a circumferential raised portion within the cavity, the raised portion being effective to assist in aligning the female lens mold section in the cavity with the single male lens mold section, without said single male lens mold section contacting the second optical surface of the female lens mold section.