Retail edging equipment is easier to use than ever before. Today�s latest technologies allow just about any employee to edge lenses after some basic training. As a result, eyecare practitioners are keeping more jobs in-house and increasing their profits.

Some lens jobs, however, do require a bit more hands-on attention than others. Some lens materials and treatments, such as AR and polarized lenses, or designs, including high Rx wraps, can present small challenges to the edging tech.

Edging equipment experts Matt Vulich of AIT Industries, Andrew Bumerts of Briot-Weco USA, and Russell Gagain of Gerber Coburn have provided the following tips for dealing with the the jobs that pop up sometimes and create challenging situations.

Polarized Lenses

Because of the polarized lamination within these lenses, they can present special challenges in two key areas when edging: grooving and fitting. Consider the following when approaching these tasks.

Groove. When edging lenses for semi-rimless lenses, it is not recommended to use very thin lenses because the automatic groove process will hit the lens right where the lamination lies.

The operator usually must move the groove spot on his or her own to avoid the lamination. That can become very difficult when dealing with a thin lens.

Fit. It is imperative that the polarized lens fits the frame perfectly (that means VERY careful tracing and edging). If the lens sits too tightly in the frame, delamination around the edges can occur.

Make sure you�re using a high accuracy tracer, and trace the left and right eyes individually. Keep in mind that just doing one and creating a mirror image for the other will not ensure absolute fit in the frame.

Markings. After the lens is cribbed, the 180� line marking is usually gone. Therefore, it�s a good idea for the operator to mark it himself before the job begins so that he knows where it is.

High Wrap Lenses

High wrap lenses provide a multitude of challenges because of their extreme shape.

Tracing. If edging these lenses, be sure you�re using a tracer that can handle them. Some tracers may have difficulty getting the stylus all the way around these lenses. A tracer capable of tracing in binocular mode is recommended, with high and full Z movement. The tracer will need to capture very accurate H box, V box, and Z data.

Beveling. Operators can input the exact curvature they want the bevel to have, and, when doing so, it�s recommended that they match the bevel curvature to the base curve of the frame instead of the lens base curve. That way, the bevel will be accurately placed even if the lens and frame are different base curves.

Small Frames

With the popularity of smaller eyewires, tech experts have designed machines that can handle small frames fully. This applies to single vision lenses as well as progressive addition lenses.

When cutting a lens for a small frame, all the wheels get very close together and run the risk of collision. The newer technology has made all the wheels smaller to solve this. Just make sure your edger is indeed designed to handle small lenses.

AR Coating

Lenses with AR coating can be too slippery for the edging machines to handle when either dry or wet. To avoid slippage, operators must use blocking tapes that go between the leap pad and the block. In addition, our experts recommended using less lateral torque on the lens to avoid slippage during the edging cycle.  EB

While training to operate today�s equipment is easier than ever, it is still a necessity. To ensure complete coverage in your practice, train several staff members to run the equipment with efficiency and comfort so vacations and absences don�t throw off lens delivery schedules.