Free-Form FACTS
A primer on free-form technology and what it means for lenses, your patients, and your practice
By Susan Tarrant
When it comes to lenses in the 21st century, there is no bigger buzzword than free-form. The industry is embracing free-form, which really refers to the manufacturing process of precisely tuned lenses. In fact, new lens designs are popping up regularly, and its market share is growing steadily.
According to Eyecare Business’ 2012 Regional Trends study, free-form enjoyed a 31 percent market share, up nine points from 2011, and up from 21 percent in 2009.
Free-form manufacturing untethers lens designs from the traditional manufacturing limitations, allowing lens companies to create designs that can overcome many of the visual issues of traditional lenses (especially progressive lenses).
WHAT IS IT?
Free-form technology was born out of the industry’s desire to create a unique lens design for each patient, as each patient has specific needs. It works off the basic premise that the closer we can match the lens optics to the specific visual needs of the wearer, the better their vision will be. But a precisely accurate lens needs a precisely accurate manufacturing process.
The best way to understand free-form is to compare it with the design and manufacture process of a traditional progressive lens.
TRADITIONAL: Lens designers create the basic design, which is translated into a series of base curves to cover the full range of Rx’s. A mold creates the semi-finished blanks with the appropriate progressive design and add power on the front. To create the finished lens, the lab chooses the proper blank with the right base curve and add, and the back surface is ground to the desired sphere, cylinder, and thickness. An inherent problem in this system is that it involves inventories with thousands of semi-finished blanks per manufacturer.
MARKET SHAREAccording to The Vision Council’s November 2012 Market Research Report: ■ 78.7 percent of practices offer free-form PALs ■ Progressive lens sales breakdown: ■ Average free-form retail (no add-ons): $407 
Free-form technology allows for enhanced lens designs. Image courtesy of Essilor of America |
The three-axis cutting ability in free-form surfacing. Image courtesy of Carl Zeiss Vision
The process has evolved over the years, with designers figuring out how to vary the lens design by base curve as well as add, allowing them to cater lens performance to smaller groups of wearers. But there are logistical limitations to how far they can go.
FREE-FORM: Free-form technology uses a computer-aided, three-axis, diamond-point cutter that can put any curve desired on the lens. It cuts the complex lens design directly onto the lens blank (the “puck”) within 1/100th of a diopter.
Rather than using the traditional grinding method that pivots the cutter around a single point, this cutter is able to roam over the surface of the rotating lens, cutting curves where needed, and as the computer software dictates. Essentially, this advancement now allows labs to make completely individualized lenses on demand.
A free-form surface can be placed on the front, back, or both sides of the lens. Each configuration provides different benefits for wearers.
This model allows real-time production of complex lens designs. Or even regular lens designs.
TERMINOLOGY CONFUSION
Confused yet?You’re not the only one. Since the advent of the technology, there has been confusion within the industry about what to call it. The term free-form refers to the technology used to manufacture and surface the lens. The resulting lenses have been called free-form, digital lenses, direct-surfaced lenses, wavefront lenses, customized lenses, personalized lenses, and high-definition lenses.
Free-form lenses can provide better, sharper vision. Image by Shamir Insight
Various manufacturers, labs, and even ECPs favor different labels and spellings. About a year ago, the Lens Technical Committee of The Vision Council formed a subcommittee to create standardized terminology, but could not reach a consensus.
The real problem lies in the message given to the patient. Calling a lens a free-form lens can mean a lens with a high degree of customization as well as a lens with a very low degree of customization.
IS IT BETTER?
So let’s discuss what it is about the free-form process that allows for superior designs and customization.
Free-form lenses are made from a process that can produce designs for superior vision. But that doesn’t mean that all free-form lenses are great. The free-form process creates the potential for greatness, but the lens is only as good at the design, the software computations, and the measurements taken.
Though first introduced for progressive wearers, free-form lenses have proven to be useful for single-vision wearers, too. Today, several designs for single-vision wearers utilize free-form technology to give the wearer the widest, clearest vision possible without peripheral distortion.
| TALKING POINTS |
|---|
| If you believe in the merits of free-form progressive lenses, they should be presented to every patient, just like every other premium item you believe will benefit the patient. Like many things in optical, if an ECP takes the time to explain the benefits and why it’s recommended, the patient is sold.
Here are some tips for breaking a complex lens issue down. NO JARGON. If free-form is confusing to the ECPs, imagine how it is to the patient. All patients care about is better vision. Explain these contemporary designs with… VISION WORDS. Free-form lenses provide “clean” vision without the “distortion” that came with the old style of lenses. ANALOGIES. Use analogies from technology. “Much like an HDTV delivers a far better picture than the old tube televisions, these lenses provide sharper, crisper vision.” Or use the tailor analogy: “You can buy this lens off the rack, or we can design one to fit your needs perfectly.” PRICE. Don’t worry about it. Present the lenses for what they are: the best option to give the patient the best vision possible. Some labs have been able to reduce their prices for free-form lenses, and some designs can even be less expensive than traditional PALs. So, like with so many aspects of discussing lenses and options, don’t pre-judge a patient, offer tiers, and tout the benefits that come along with the price tag. |
Progressive lenses and single-vision lenses made with free-form technology can provide a better visual experience for those patients who previously had to accept less-than-sharp vision from their lenses.
Depending on the design, the following is realized:
CONTRAST PERCEPTION. Across the board, vision is sharpened.
EASY TRANSITION. The lens offers a smoother transition from far, to intermediate, to near zones.
NO ABERRATIONS. Blur is essentially eliminated and the field of view is widened.
MORE COMFORT. Free-form lenses can be thinner, and can have less unwanted astigmatism and power error than traditional lenses. Reading images can be optimized for eye convergence. Front-surface distortion is eliminated. And visual fields are significantly improved.
New progressive lens designs can offer wider, clearer vision with easier zone transition. Image courtesy of Seiko Optical Products of America
THE HIGHS. High-plus, high-minus, and high-cylinder prescriptions usually achieve crisper vision with free-form lenses.
CLEARER VISION. Glare is reduced and oblique aberrations causing “halo effects” are eliminated.
| BETTER EDUCATION |
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| A big part of the reason that free-form is still surrounded by so much confusion on the ECP level is because the manufacturers have not done a terrific job in educating them. The lens reps we spoke to, as well as others responding to surveys, note that ECP training has taken a back seat. “We used to say lenses and optics weren’t rocket science,” says one rep. “Well, with free-form it now is sort of like rocket science. And we haven’t done a great job of explaining it.”
Ask your lens reps to provide your staff training in free-form, along with talking points to discuss it with patients. |
CUSTOMIZATION. Some prescriptions—both PAL and single vision—can be significantly compromised in traditionally manufactured lenses. With free-form, Rx’s can be digitally compensated to figure in such things as position of wear.
Additionally, some free-form PALs can offer customized corridors to fit the wearer’s specific frame size and fitting height.
PRESENT AND FUTURE
The current range of free-form lenses available is vast, and getting larger all the time.
Progressive and single-vision lens designs can be enhanced by free-form technology. Image courtesy of The Hoya Free-form Company
These new progressive designs all but obliterate the problems associated with traditional PALs: non-adapts, peripheral distortion, and swim.
Today’s free-form PALs offer wider, clearer zones wherever the wearer wants them. They are even available in flat-top designs, so patients who are comfortable with a segmented multi-focal can still enjoy free-form’s superior optical performance.
Other free-form lenses have been released addressing niche vision areas and customization, including office lenses and those for using handheld digital devices.
Because free-form lenses are so suited for people with active lifestyles who appreciate improved optical performance, some free-form designs are now available in sun lenses, photochromic, and even polarized options.
Speaking of sunlenses, the future of the free-form lens category is extremely bright. All lens experts we’ve spoken to, as well as those interviewed for The Vision Council’s 2012 Progressive Lens Report white paper, point to nothing but upward growth in market share.
The lens market representatives surveyed for that report indicate within just a few years, free-form will represent the majority of the progressive lens market; some expect it to be 80 percent or more of progressive sales.
Labs are continuing to invest in the equipment necessary to produce free-form.
In other words, if you haven’t yet become familiar with recommending free-form lenses, add it onto your “to do” list. Because, from all indications, it’s the wave of the spectacle lens future. EB
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