How They're Made (Lenses and Coatings): Inside The Optical Lab

How many pairs of lenses are you able to process a day?

That lady was using a Unicomp keyboard for data entry, I approve!

For those students who study Optics, these videos are excellent.Thanks for sharing.

I finally found a video to explain to people what I do for a living lmao

Hello John Thank you for everything you explain. I noticed that you referenced the fact that any coatings may reduce a lense's ability to withstand being shattered. What are your thoughts about coatings and air bags. Thank again for being kind enough to share your thoughts.

Is there a way to put the videos in order and watch them in order?

Now I understand why my lenses are costly 😂

excellent production, pace, sound levels ...

Talk about dream jobs.

When I was a kid, my lenses had to be made in Germany. No lab in the States could cut my script. Took forever to get them. They were also expensive.

I would like to ask for your confirmation on something.I recently went to the doctor to get my intermediate , number and I was wondering if you could confirm if it is correct or not?

This is my number
OD - SPH -0.50 CYL -0.75 AXIS 80 ADD 1.25
OS - SPH -0.50 CYL -0.50 AXIS 80 ADD 1.25

My doctor calculated and provided me with the intermediate power.

intermeidate
R : -0.75CYL X AXIS 80
L : -0.50 X ASIX 80

Can you please confirm if the intermediate power calculation is correct?However, before converting to Crizal Prevencia. Could you please verify if the intermediate calculation is accurate?

Man this is fascinating. I sure wish I were 45 years younger.

John, question for you. I ordered Zeiss lenses and asked the optician if they could be indexed so that they're thinner. I've had this done several times with another brand and have always been happy with the thinner lenses. He told me that Zeiss will not allow indexed lenses out of the factory in the United States. He said that only their factory in Europe can index lenses. No optician has ever told me this before. Is this true with Zeiss lenses? Sounds fishy to me.

Really excellent video. Had no idea that so many steps went into making glasses. Thanks for creating and sharing.

How dangerous is lense coating flake into food or eyes?

Made in America 🇺🇸

I still don't see how these lenses are fitted into frames

Very interesting! Where does one go for training for this type of work, especially the lens mappers???? This type of job is never mentioned by career job training people!

Certainly explains why glasses cost what they do, especially progressive prescription blue mirror sunglasses 😎

This is very interesting I have been wearing eye glasses ever since I was a kid Thank you for the video on how eye glasses are made for people that need Eye glasses

A good friend had a terrible accident with a lens grinding machine. He made a spectacle of himself.

Very long and hard processing

Speaking of The Lab. I think that the lab is off the hook just a bit too much when it comes to placing lenses in a pair of glasses that are not brand new but in great shape. Customers always get that waiver form stating that if the frame breaks, and is over a year old, it's not the responsibility of the lab. What kind of incentive does a lab tech have to do great work if he or she knows that the bottom line is that they're not responsible if they break a frame that isn't brand spankin' new? And how is that fair to the paying customer? I'm sure there are MANY lab techs that are great, but in life, at most jobs, we're not usually protected by waivers if we screw up. Now that said, sometimes a frame may be in terrible condition. But in that case, just don't put the lenses in. It seems to me that a trained lab technician should know when a frame is too brittle to work on. And if a frame in good shape gets broken, the customer should be compensated for the frame.

Lots of upgrades to these machines since this video was created. So much more is automatic now. Ccu/lazer/polisher/dba/tsa/44r the only thing that looked the same is the spin coat mr3.

Aawweessoommee!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥰🥰🥰💓💓💕💞💛💛💗💗😍😍💖💖❤️

I live in Australia and have been wearing glasses since I was about 8yrs old. I am now 61 yrs old.
I am sure most of my glasses haven't benefited from this technology. In the last 10 years I have gone to multifocals which this tech may apply to. Thanks for the explanation.

I'm pretty sure none of my lenses have gone through such rigorous processes and testing, but it is cool to get an idea of what it takes to make prescription eyewear.

This video is well done. I'm pleasantly amazed at the technical innovations in labs these days since I began designing lab equipment 50 years ago, equipping labs and setting them up, and beginning the computerization of lens processing. Some of my designs are shown in the clips in this video, glad to see they still provide useful functions!

The one guy was wearing a wife beater shirt.

Hi John, how do they do photochromatic process or transition process? Can elaborate a little bit? Thanks

Can you still do Zeiss?

Hello,
I wonder what would happen if for some reason they don't do the coating right? is there any flaw that is not visible to the eye that might occur during the coating process? if there is, would you kindly explain? thank you

This is one of the most concise and "eye-opening" informational and well done manufacturing process walk-throughs I've ever seen. Really nice job.

So coatings are applied on the outside, not sandwiched? Does that mean that transition lenses, once scratched, cannot be polished without damaging the coating?

Thank you for this detailed content that finally answered my questions regarding how my lenses are done!

I just had some new coated bifocals made in high index material, due to deteriorating age-related eye sight. Despite all this machinery here in the UK as well the new glasses had a error in the right lens meaning everything was out of focus. Did the lab mis-read the optician's prescription or was there an error in manufacture? Everything seems so fully automated it is hard to imagine where it went wrong. Anyway they lens are being re-made.
C'est la vie.

This is soooooooo amazing! I’m a new wearer of glasses and always wondered how this part was done. Thank you for this information!

Excellent video and explanation of how surfacing lab works! As an opticianry educator in Canada, this video is an excellent tool to help students learn about the intricate prescription lenses are made. Thank you.

Makes you wonder how they made lens back in the day. Thanks for this!

Ok, am I really going to be the only one who brings up how impressive that woman was with the keyboard when typing in the data entry into their computer program? 😮 That was fuckin insane 😅

Is it glass? Just looks like plastic.

Hello from Canada, There is a pair of "Oakley sunglass" frames I want, and Oakley won't make a prescription beyond 4. Thus I wonder if I bought them with plano rx, and sent them to you, could you make a 4.5-4.75 and prism 2 each, and cylinder -0.75, BUT the catch is, the lens curve is around 9. The Oakley model is NEW Wire Tap 2.0
Money going to homegrown business' is what I like, more than the mega mega MEGA companies like Essilor/Luxxottica

Very informative.

Why do you use a lead alloy?? Lead is not good to use. Does not comply with RoHS either and when you can even substitute lead with bismuth that is non toxic and has similar properties I find this very weird and strange.

Just watch a video prior to this that was 15years old how nikkor lens are made- what a difference technology has advanced the process- but theres some about those old nikkors thats special

Opticians are the biggest crooks and robbers of people