Edging Ops
A Roundup of What's New and Now in Edging
By Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC
Your once-a-year opportunity to gather up-to-date, quick-hit information on the latest edging technology is here. Cut out and keep our annual edging roundup to help guide your decision about what equipment you want to upgrade in your current in-office lab or purchase to launch your first in-office lab. Some compact examples of small-sized, advanced finishing (edging) systems include the following.
AIT INDUSTRIES
The Weco Edge 580 offers integrated drilling, safety beveling, grooving, polishing, super hydrophobic lens roughing process, high base-curve wrap frame processing, and Chemistrie sunlens processing. It integrates with many Indo tracer/blockers.
Dimensions: 20″ (W) x 24.2″ (D) x 22.4″ (H)
INFO: aitindustries.com
New in-office edging machines are small and sleek. Shown: Coburn Technologies' Excelon
BRIOT USA
The Alta Pro XL, features Briot's new high-speed motor for ultrafast processing. Other features include: auto beveling, grooving, and drilling; high-gloss polish capability; high base-curve processing; multiple drilling angles; and decreased water consumption. The Alto Pro XL can be combined with the Alta XL or Alta XS tracer blocker.
Dimensions: 20″ (W) x 24″ (D) x 22.5″ (H)
INFO: briot-usa.com
Faster and more accurate processing are found in today's edgers. Shown: AIT Industry's Weco Edge 580
COBURN TECHNOLOGIES
The Excelon highvalue, feature-rich, precision edger line's HPE-7000 has Dual CPU to deliver quality and speed, automatic 0- to 30-degree angle drilling, safety beveling, grooving, polishing, job storage, shape editing, barcode support, and intuitive, user-friendly software interface.
Dimensions: 21.5″ (W) x 18″ (D)
INFO: coburntechnologies.com
No fuss and less mess are features ECPs look for. Shown: National Optronics' 7E HLP
ESSILOR INSTRUMENTS USA
The Neptune Water Filtration System is an eco-friendly water filtration system for closed water circuit lens edging. The Neptune model supplies a continuous water flow without additional water consumption, is compatible with all tabletop edgers—fitting under any standard height cabinet—and it filters all edged material.
Dimensions: 21.7″ (W) x 19.7″ (D) x 27.6″ (H)
INFO: essilorinstrumentsusa.com
Multi-tasking in a small package makes in-office edger's retail ready. Shown: Santinelli's Le 1000
MEI SYSTEM
Concentrating industrial-level edging features into a small, manualloaded machine that suits medium and small labs, the Mei641 all-in-one edger is versatile, with a multitude of available bevel types. It has the ability to process complex shapes and every type of rimless mount, and includes an auto-adapting tool cutting angle to lens curvature.
Dimensions: 37.4″ (W) x 37.4″ (D) x 62.99″ (H)
INFO: meisystem.com
Industrial capability sized for small business use. Shown: MEI System's Mei641
Downsized, eco-friendly water filtration is one example of green in-office lens production. Shown: Essilor Instruments USA's Neptune
NATIONAL OPTRONICS
With a unique bladed cutting system, the 7E HLP has less lens slippage through the cutting process. Simple blade changes allow processing of dozens of bevel profiles and difficult bevel styles.
In addition to more than 10,000 pre-programmed popular drill mount styles, the system provides highluster polishing, grooving, and safety beveling, with dry-cut, three-axis control and no mess.
Dimensions: 25.3″ (W) x 26.6″ (D) x 28.4″ (H)
INFO: nationaloptronics.com
SANTINELLI INTERNATIONAL
The entry-level and affordable Le 1000 Lens Edger Series features soft-grind mode and chucking stabilization, which helps protect AR treatments from crazing. It edges all the latest lens designs and offers Crystal Cut polish and whisper-quiet operation. Le 1000 “S” Express model is available with safety beveling and updated, improved grooving features for pinpoint accuracy. Affordability, ease-of-use, accuracy, and quality are this line's standards.
Dimensions: 20 ¾″ (W) x 19 ½″ (D) x 13 ½″ (H)
INFO: santinelli.com EB
Systems management through automation is what today's in-office edgers are known for. Shown: Briot's Alta Pro XL
| COOL TOOLS |
|---|
| Niche-type tools rule the ancillary finishing marketplace. Here are a few new picks. DAC VISION: All Off Marking Ink Remover is a premium formulation that helps safely remove those necessary but occasionally pesky lens markings. INFO: dacvision.com OPTIWHEEL: A non-traditional grinding wheel designed to speed production and fit any finishing machine, it is engineered for edging plastic lens materials. Optiwheel features a raised abrasive surface of small carbide cutting structures placed into a repeating pattern and brazed to the grinding wheel body. Material is removed with higher efficiency and lower surface temperatures, significantly improving edging productivity. INFO: optiwheel.com |
![]({"src":"/media/jirfmnis/122011.jpg","focalPoint":null,"crops":[{"alias":"thumbnail","width":1110,"height":700,"coordinates":null}]})