re-inventing the edger

[Dave Nelson]

Good discussion in a previous thread about eye-care in developing nations. Ultimately, a model of care based on self sufficiency is needed, so developing nations have their own personel to offer these services. One effort, has resulted in developing facilities to manufacture IOLs to reduce the cost of cataract surgery. This has helped make cataract surgery more affordable and more accessable, while keeping with the self sufficiency concept. While working in a developing country, I recognized the need for low cost edging equipment as a nessessity to keeping the cost of spectacles down, and keeping accessability high, or higher. It becomes difficult to reach these objectives when one country shares 5 $30,000 edgers, instead of 30 $1000 ones. Good used edgers can create a stop-gap solution, but access to parts and technicians to repair them could put them out of commission. I briefly thought about trying to design an edger for plastic using an ordinary router for cutting, based on a few actual designs in use today, but never persued this idea. Such a machine should be simple, inexpensive, repairable, and even buildable, from a set of plans, by someone with some mechanical skills. It may use a router bit, a grinding wheel, or anything else you can think of. This is where optiboarders may be able to help, and if not, its a fun exercise. The winning design gets to help Pete put in a new sundeck on his house. There may even be something already out there I don't know about, or it may be a stupid idea... Someone get the basic design out there so the rest of us can tell you how it will never work, 'cause...

[Jacqui]

Someone in Texas is marketing a small edger just for developing countries. Small, portable, and inexpensive. When I can find the information I'll forward it.

[Dave Nelson]

Those Texans! always trying to show the rest of us up. Thanks Jacqui, I'll watch for your post.

[HarryChiling]

If you were to attach some sort of rig to a hand stone. Use this rig to hold a lens (at optical center) and a pattern (at geometric center) . The pattern resting against the plastic on the side of the stone will prevent the lens from grinding down further than needed. The tricky part would be the beveling, but that could be controlled by hand pretty easily with a little practice.

I actually used to teach apprentices to grind down lenses by hand by applying leap pads to a pattern and attaching it to a lens with the correct decentration and then grinding untill you have the correct rough shape, of course it would still require some hand work.

See photo attached, it isn't pretty but it's a start. I have actually thought of doing a mod to a hand stone and if I ever get around to it I will document the steps along the way and put together a tutorial.

[Jacqui]

Dave:

I'm still looking on the web. I have printed info somewhere, I just can't find it.


Harry Chilling:

Why not use an old rimless edger?? AO, Shuron, B&L, etc made a bunch of them.

[For-Life]

Question is, will a small edger meant for few jobs work for those developing nations? They may need something that can handle many jobs.

[apaul]

Hi All

I'm in the UK and where I am located there is a large population of Indians/Pakistanis so I see a lot of specs made from over there, the glazing is quite dodgy to say the least!
I met an optician from Pakistan and he told me most jobs are done by hand because edgers are very expensive.

Over in the West we have an issue with speed because wages are High

My point is (finally!) is if we slow these machines down they are quite simple, after all it is only a bit of plastic they cut (sorry!)

Alan

[James Herman]

optronics, semitech, (DAC) has older models of dry cut edgers.

Bill Fox in TEXAS might be able to help you out.
his contact info escapes me.

[Jubilee]

What about the old Weco 440's. They were straight forward mechanical machines...so fairly easy to troubleshoot and repair.

That is what Harry's rig reminded me of.. a small pre-version of the Weco.

Cassandra

[OpticLabRat]

Developing nations can rely on older technology.
For example:
A horizon III system is very affordable, easy to train and parts are available. The only downfall of this system is that when it was designed, Frame "b" sizes were larger. Other than that, its one of the best designs ever.
There are many companys in Florida and S. America who refurbish older Briots and Optronics.

[Chris Ryser]

optronics, semitech, (DAC) has older models of dry cut edgers.

Bill Fox in TEXAS might be able to help you out.
his contact info escapes me.


Fox C.W.(Bill) Optical
103 S. San Jacinto
Rockwall,
Texas 75087

Tel: (972) 771-8168
Fax: (972) 722-8168

[AWTECH]

Inexpensive pattern edgers are made in China by a number of manufactures. I am sure these Chinese edger companies are bright enough to take these to all markets that might need them.

There are a lot of lenses produced in China for the masses.

[DocInChina]

Inexpensive pattern edgers are made in China by a number of manufactures. I am sure these Chinese edger companies are bright enough to take these to all markets that might need them.
There are a lot of lenses produced in China for the masses.

This is correct. All the edgers produced here are pattern edgers and inexpensive compaered to edgers in the USA. For that matter, all optical equipment I have seen here is relatively inexpensive. The only downside is most (I would even say all) do not meet UL standards.