Cutting Edge Trends
Discover the emerging trends in retail lens finishing
By Susan P. Tarrant

Slow economic times can be cause for some professionals to freeze in their tracks, afraid to make a move in any direction. For others, it's a time to seize new opportunities by attracting business that might not otherwise have been theirs--to make a financial investment in the pursuit of a more varied, and profitable, business.

In optical, those in the latter group are embracing in-office lens finishing as a means to save money in the long run on lab bills and attract more customers due to increased service.

Retail edging equipment reps are reporting that, at a time when optical sales have not been record-breaking, equipment sales are holding their own--a reflection of the interest in offering better, cost-effective service and quicker turnaround through in-office edging.

Lisa Smith, national sales manager of National Optronics, says she sees a "divided class" among ECPs now, "those who (edge in-house) are really into it and want state-of-the-art, push-a- button-and-go type of equipment. Those who don't edge are interested in at least remote tracing as an option for quicker service."

The equipment companies have been working to engineer faster, easier, more streamlined machines to attract those ECPs interested in keeping lens jobs in-house. Here is a look at some emerging edger trends.

PUSH-BUTTON TECHNOLOGY

Today's edging systems are integrated and automatic, designed to be operated not by veteran optical technicians, but by office staff and ECPs. Take a look at the banners and pamphlets at trade shows, or scan through the new edging offerings presented on these pages, and the language is similar: "digital readings," "fully integrated," "automatic," "one-step process."

"With the increased technology available, the doctors know that they just have to push a button. It's really appealing to them," says Smith.

She points to a statistic cited at a recent sales seminar about going all-automatic: The average dispensing optician is a 21-year-old female who is a single parent.

"What that says is someone who has very little experience in working with optical equipment is now the norm of who's actually working with the equipment," Smith says.

Though equipment features may vary, Joe DeLapp, president of Briot-Weco USA, notes that ease-of-use benefits remain constant.

"You get more out of a machine with the more optical experience you have, obviously," he says. "But someone with no experience can use these machines. It saves a less-experienced person a lot of time so that they can spend more time doing something else--working the front office, up-selling customers in the dispensary, whatever."

MULTIPLE CHOICE

So given that each new design beckoning customers from a trade show booth is going to boast all sorts of "easy-to-operate" features, the next biggest trend in the equipment category is the ability to handle it all--lens materials, extreme lens designs, and customization capabilities. And it's all with the goal of arming ECPs with the tools needed to keep lens jobs in-house.

"The ECP needs to differentiate himself from the competitors and for the customers, whether it be in breadth of services, or turn-around time," says DeLapp. "There are a lot of things that have been developed to help them do that."

"As space continues to be an issue, with smaller and smaller equipment footprints becoming more important, multi-function machines are in demand," says Mark Kaplan, N.Y.-Metro territory manager for Santinelli International.

Todd Rhodes, director of product management for Gerber Coburn, says that customers looking for retail lab equipment are looking for technology to "de-skill" an office, meaning equipment that requires no specific optical skills. "They want systems that are very easy to use and are full-service," he says. "And they want it in one machine."

He says that Gerber Coburn, for one, has responded to the demand by offering an auto centration (it's in the company's Kappa system) feature during the blocking process of all lens styles. Auto centration during blocking, he says, is the "last frontier" in the finishing operation. Without auto centration, operators still have to figure out the PD and other measurements and input the data into the machine.

Because it's so new, machines with the auto centration feature are fairly pricey, he says. But if multi-functions and automatic processes continue to trend the way they have been, "it's going to go the way of digital cameras and plasma TVs; the price will eventually come down. We're working now on making it more affordable."

Equipment companies are striving to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to lens materials, to ensure their machines are able to work with the newest popular material.

"It's the question everybody asks, 'does it handle Trivex?'" says Smith of National Optronics. But it's not just new lens materials that ECPs want to process in their equipment, it's the hot new lens designs as well--super high index, high wraps, etc.

Having an edging system that can handle the emerging lens materials and designs means an ECP will be able to process all the "popular, high-end and high-profit lenses" right in his/her very own office, which saves on lab fees and helps build profits, DeLapp says.

Kaplan agrees. "The consumer benefits if the equipment can already handle the materials that are emerging in popularity," he says.

DRILL TIME

A trend emerging in some retail finishing equipment is allowing ECPs to stay current (and stay in-office) with a major fashion trend in eyewear--three-piece mounts.

"There is a big need for drill-mount capability on the 3-O level," says Matt Vulich of AIT Industries, citing a study that ranked drilling the number-one reason why ECPs send jobs out.

Always working to stay abreast of lens trends, the equipment companies have started working on ways to allow ECPs to process drill-mounts within their automatic edgers.

Briot USA is one company that is already releasing an edging system that includes a drilling feature. Several other companies have indicated that they are close to releasing similar products.

Briot's Axcell CL-D edging system with drill is the company's response to the popularity of rimless eyewear, something DeLapp says shows no sign of decreasing. "Even in Europe, it's still on the increase."

And the customer response? "It's hot," he says, something that emphasizes the demand that some ECPs have for drilling.

Rhodes of Gerber Coburn notes, however, that some equipment companies may be hesitant to invest research and development dollars and time into a feature for what may be a temporary fashion trend.

Not all ECPs need to invest in new edgers that have drilling capabilities because, as he notes, "ECPs do have the facilities available to them elsewhere to keep their drilling jobs in-house."

Such facilities include purchasing separate drills for ECPs to "do work that is perceived as scary, precision work," says Santinelli's Kaplan.

Another equipment feature that's seeing increased popularity due to the demand for rimless eyewear is a feature that allows an operator to customize a lens shape.

"A doctor might want to add to the B measurement of a lens that's going in rimless eyewear," says DeLapp.

Kaplan calls the feature "critical to have right now, as rimless mounts are huge, and growing in popularity. It means the doctor can add a couple more millimeters for the 'read.' It's added value for the ECP, they are able to offer their customers the flexibility of a slightly larger read area, or a slightly different shape."

HOLD THE WHISTLES

Not everyone, however, is waiting for the next great development to be released. Some are happy with a basic system that's more "value-priced" than high-end.

"The majority of the market isn't looking for the latest and greatest in high technology," Vulich says. "I don't think everybody's looking for the Mercedes of office lab equipment. And the reason for that could be the amount of money involved. Or it could be because a lot of the latest and greatest in high technology hasn't really been proven yet.

"There are the customers that will always buy the latest in technology, no matter what. They've got to have all the latest devices and features," Vulich continues. "But the mainstream ECPs, I think, are more interested in the basic features in an affordable package."

On the Edge

What follows are just some of the examples of the emerging trends in retail finishing equipment that can be seen on the floor of International Vision Expo East:

The Axcell CL-D from Briot USA is an edging system capable of drilling rimless lenses as well

BRIOT USA
The new Axcell CL-D in-office edging system from Briot USA is a fully automated patternless edger that drills rimless lenses automatically, too. The system has a rimless lens drill built inside the edger, allowing edging and drilling to be executed in one machine without removing the lens between steps.

According to Briot, the drilling function is computerized and requires minimal skill to operate. The Axcell CL-D automatically identifies the exact placement of up to 10 holes or slots, utilizing Briot's PROS imaging technology. An image of the lens showing where the holes will be drilled is displayed on the LCD screen for verification, allowing the operator to make any adjustments prior to drilling.

Drill job information is communicated automatically to the edger via system software. Once the blocked lens is placed in the edging chamber, the machine completes the edging and drilling functions automatically. It takes about 10 minutes to edge and drill a rimless job on the Axcell CL-D, compared to an average of 30 minutes on separate edging and drilling machines, Briot's Joe DeLapp says.

For information, call 800-292-7468, Ext. 2, or visit www.briot-usa.com.

National Optronics' 6EM patternless edger with a new, unique cutter shaft

NATIONAL OPTRONICS
National Optronics is debuting a new concept for them in retail edging. Called the 6EM, it's a patternless edger that employs a new design in cutter shaft engineering. The three-axis edger offers multiple bevel profiles for processing lenses for safety, high-wrap, and sports frames. A standard bevel cutter comes with each 6EM, along with an additional three blade profiles of the lab's preference, including NBA cutter with sharp bevel, Fendall safety bevel, Liberty bevel, bevel and taper bevel, and lip bevel.

"The high wraps are very popular right now, safety goggles, too," says Lisa Smith of National Optronics. The 6EM was designed for those retail locations that do a high number of safety jobs or sport lenses. "If you have the 6EM, you'll have all three cutter options at your immediate disposal," she adds. The 6EM employs dry-cutting accuracy, three-axis control, and the ability to handle poly, CR 39, high index, and Trivex lenses.

National Optronics will also be showing an upgrade kit for its 6ES Patternless Edger. Called the "Small B," the upgrade will allow the edger to process lenses as small as 18mm if rimless, 20mm if beveled.

For information, call 800-247-9796, or visit www.nationaloptronics.com.

The XPRESS 5000 high-speed finishing system from Topcon/ODI

TOPCON/ODI
Topcon/ODI is introducing its new XPRESS 5000 Series, an all-material finishing system that is 30 percent faster while still providing
precision accuracy to produce consistent, quality lenses. The XPRESS 5000 Series offers an exclusive Polished Cosmetic Bevel™ to add to the aesthetics of the finished lens with an illusion of eliminating the excessive thickness associated with higher-myopic prescriptions. The rolled edge surface is then processed with Topcon's Diamond-Luster Polish™ to add the finishing touch.

The color LCD screen displays the "true size" frame shape as part of the user-friendly features, and it uses a Windows^®-format operating system. The XPRESS 5000 Series can also be connected to Topcon's DS Series of Integrated Blocking Systems.

For information, call 888-551-2020,or visit www.topcon.com.

AIT Industries' Maxima/CNC 3D is an economical patternless edger and tracer/blocker

AIT INDUSTRIES
AIT Industries is introducing a system that was created to please those ECPs who want a quality edging system in an economical wrapper--something without the high-end bells and whistles, but that still delivers precise work. The Maxima/CNC 3D provides the latest in edging technology with a simplistic economical and useful tracing and blocking system.

The Maxima Edger includes three-dimensional digital technology, allowing the bevel to be viewed during edging on a high-definition color graphic screen. The edger includes four grinding wheels to handle glass, CR 39, high-index organic, and polycarbonate; automatic pin beveling, a 3D groover, four bevel programs, continuous mapping, and a mini-bevel function.

The CNC 3D is a tracer, centering device and blocker all in one. It offers the ability to trace via a frame, pattern or lens, and affords the possibility of reading only one eye and transposing for the other eye. The CNC handles the calculation of the minimum diameter needed for the lens, all on an LCD icon-based display.

For information, call 800-729-1959, or visit www.aitindustries.com.

The LEXES Lens Express Edging System from Santinelli International

SANTINELLI INTERNATIONAL
Santinelli International will be spotlighting its new LEXES, an acronym for Lens Express Edging System, providing fully integrated,
automatic tracing, blocking and edging in on seamless finishing system. The LEXES has a new high speed, direct drive motor, providing 30 percent faster edging and fully automated safety beveling, grooving, and polishing.

The system's Super Intelligent tracer/blocker automatically identifies single or multi-vision lenses (including PALs), making the blocking process faster and easier. The tracer digitizes 32,000 points of reference per eye, and the blocking head rotates to find the exact decentered blocking point without the need for a lensmeter. Using its Auto Lens Meter (ALM) function and multi-axis rotational blocking, the LEXES quickly identifies the optical center and axis. Lenses are blocked automatically, perfectly decentered with the required axis correction ready to edge. A clear, high-resolution, touch-screen display enables the operator to enter the layout and grinding conditions.

For information, call 800-435-EDGE (3343) or visit, www.santinelli.com.

The Sigma finishing system from Gerber Coburn

GERBER COBURN
If affordability is your concern, take note of Gerber Coburn's new Sigma, a simple, compact, and affordable finishing system. Similar to a previous Gerber Coburn machine, this version adds extra features--including pin beveling and grooving--while retaining its affordable price.

The Sigma employs 4-D processing technology, with traditional blocking functions and a user-friendly interface. Patented soft pin beveling accommodates all lens sizes, including small diameter lenses down to 24mm. The soft pin beveling eliminates the need for any manual pin beveling, reduces handling and decreases the potential for spoilage or breakage. With this new feature, the company states that control, consistency, and quality greatly improve. Users can choose from groove widths for a customized fit. Sigma's advanced grooving design and computer control precisely locate grooves even on very thin lenses.

At Vision Expo East, the company is also debuting its Kappa finishing system that boasts an auto centration feature that fully automates the blocking process in all lens styles.

For information, call 800-843-1479, or visit www.gerbercoburn.com.