Considering the Freeform Option
2024.08.19
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While lenses with freeform designs hold enormous promise for patients, freeform technology itself could open up new avenues for optical laboratories. Using a freeform surface generator programmed with a “points file” containing manufacturer’s lens design data, a lab can transform a blank, plastic “hockey puck” into a ready-to-polish, uncut prescription lens. This would enable labs to become primary manufacturers of lenses rather than just the manufacturer of the prescription. As more labs take on this role, lens manufacturing could eventually become decentralized, a significant shift from the current production and distribution model.
Currently, Essilor is using freeform technology at its own, in-house facilities to produce both Varilux Ipseo and Definity lenses. Meanwhile, manufacturers of freeform surfacing equipment such as Schneider Optical Machines, Satisloh, DAC International and Optotech are pushing ahead, trying to convince labs that they need to be ready for the new technology.
Although the possibilities of producing individualized progressives are tantalizing for labs, manufacturers of lens surfacing equipment are stressing the broader capabilities of their machines, particularly direct surfacing, which incorporates freeform. While traditional progressive lenses have a cast surface, direct surfacing allows a lab to produce a standard progressive lens in-house. This type of “substitution manufacturing” allows labs to reduce their inventory of existing progressives.
Direct surfacing also allows a lab to make an optimized in-house progressive. With this scenario, an eyecare professional can choose and adapt a progressive design for a specific patient with the help of a few additional parameters.
Finally, individualized in-house progressives offer a truly unique mathematical design for an individual patient, much like a fingerprint). This design requires data measurement from the eyecare professional.
Still, the Schneider generator and polisher costs between $400,000 and $450,000, making it one of the most expensive investments a lab can make.
Although larger labs will probably the first to move into direct surfacing and freeform, it seems inevitable that most labs, regardless of size, will embrace the technology. GLP221, Gladwin freeform polisher adapted from traditional polisher, helps your lab smoothly transit from traditional to freeform.                                                       
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