The Free-form Experiment

In this OLA-sponsored article, learn how to build better business with free-form technology

By Alex Yoho, ABOM

Once in a while, every industry experiences a paradigm shift. We are witnessing just this sort of shift in our own business right now. Though there have been many advances in lens grinding through the years, it has basically been done the same way since the beginning.

With the advent of free-form technology, however, we are beginning to be able to produce more advanced lenses than ever before. With the help of a few representatives of OLA-member labs that are beginning to develop free-form grinding technology, let's take a look at what's going on in our market.

Members of this month's virtual roundtable include: Tracy Adams, Walman Optical, Minneapolis, Minn.; Bill Harding, LensTech, Greenwood Ind.; Dale Parmenteri, Balester Optical Company, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and Kathryn Gross-Edelman, Pech Optical Corp., Sioux City, Iowa.

DEFINING TERMS

Q How would you describe free-form technology?

Adams: It's customized vision in which you are able to control more variables than you could previously with “pre-fab” lenses or traditionally molded lenses. True free-form takes all of the elements from the exam into consideration and optimizes the Rx to be exactly what the patient was looking through when they were examined.

Harding: We describe free-form as a digital technology process that lands corrections to perfect powers and uses the ability to use radical surfaces to create distance/add surfaces and enhance molded blanks with radical aspheric corrections that balance distortions.

Parmenteri: Digital surfacing is a “manufacturing process” that can be applied to existing progressive designs, as well as new digital designs reducing unwanted astigmatism, eliminating Coma and other barriers to sharper and clearer vision.

NOT JUST PALS

Q Beyond progressives, what else can be done with free-form?

Adams: The technology in the single vision digital lenses is similar to that of a digital PAL. The Rx will be mapped out on over 1,000 different points. The high Rx and/or high cyl patient will benefit the most from a digital single vision lens.

Harding: Some high-power aspherics that reduce thickness without compromising vision are available.

Parmenteri: Going forward all lenses will be digitally processed eventually, in my opinion.

Gross-Edelman: Those who love “techno” can sink their teeth into the idea of grinding lenses to 1/100th of a diopter rather than rounding it off to 0.12 or 0.25. And for single vision contact lens wearers who have just never “seen as well from their glasses as contacts,” free-form can give them the pristine vision they strive for.

CHALLENGES

Q What are the challenges for a lab to produce free-form lenses?

Adams: You have a large expenditure when acquiring digital equipment. It could be a big risk for some labs to enter the digital arena.

Harding: The suppliers are doing a good job with service and quality, so what we're dealing with is mostly thickness control and slippage in the edgers with someone else's AR. Digital progressives make up over eight percent of our monthly job count.

Parmenteri: The drawbacks of digital surfacing are that it's in its infancy, the technology is expensive, and each vendor has proprietary costs associated with their processes.

Gross-Edelman: Only the technological driven labs that have the monies to invest are going to move forward with free-form customized and individualized lenses. The increase in these orders must be realized to cover the investment.

EXPECTATIONS

Q In any new technology there are rough spots that affect delivery. What should the ECP expect at this point?

Adams: If the lab they are using can produce digital product in-house, then it should not take longer than any other job ordered from that lab.

Harding: Until this technology is present in at least half the labs, the ECP needs to sell patience as much as quality.

Gross-Edelman: A high percentage of jobs going through the lab today are not “cookie cutter” Rx's. Whether they be free-form, AR coated or wrap eyewear, time needs to be taken to keep the costs affordable to the ECP (low redos) and in turn, the consumer.

ACTION STEPS

Q What steps should be taken industry-wide to grow free-form?

Adams: Education, education, education. It's a completely new process, a new product, in an established market. Most of us have been selling the same lenses for 16+ years, so undoubtedly there is going to be confusion.

Harding: The growth will come. Don't sit and watch. Be a part of it.

Gross-Edelman: Truly articulate the difference between standard lenses and free-form in an easy-to-understand format. Eradicate the barriers of price by leveraging the strengths of the technology.

A new day is dawning in this business of ours, and it looks as though it's not a matter of if we'll do it, but when. If the early bird catches the worm, we had all better get on board. A great resource is your OLA lab. Why not give them a call today and find out how you can take advantage of the free-form revolution? EB

Find your nearest OLA lab at www.ola-labs.org.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION Q How would you present the benefits of free-form to a patient? ADAMS: Most digital PAL lenses bring the add power closer to the eye. Referred to as the “keyhole effect,” you open up the PAL portion of the lens, making the visual field wider. This will minimize the “follow your nose” technique seen with traditional PALs. HARDING: If I were the ECP, I would be looking to learn as much as possible about this technology on my own. So much misinformation exists about this technology that there is no clear picture, especially on the street, in chat rooms, etc. GROSS-EDELMAN: I would position these lenses in package form—not because of price, but because of technology.

THE ECP'S ROLE Q How can eyecare professionals help labs when it comes to free-form? ADAMS: Make sure you are ordering a lens that is available; if you are not sure, call your lab. They are there to help you. HARDING: The ECP can help us by creating more demand. The ECP can also help us regarding reimbursement. If anything is causing us to drag the anchor in the sand, it's making less on a free-form than a conventional progressive. GROSS-EDELMAN: The phrase, “We sell no wine before its time” sticks in my mind. If you want the best quality in the industry, it takes time.