Review: Kappa Edger from Gerber Coburn
Product: Kappa Edger w \ 3-D Tracer\ Auto Blocker
Vendor: Gerber Coburn
Category: Lab Tools/Equipment
Reviewer: Sean
Ratings:
Quality: http://www.optiboard.com/images/5star.gif
Ease of use: http://www.optiboard.com/images/5star.gif
Customer service of the manufacturer or distributor: http://www.optiboard.com/images/5star.gif
Value: http://www.optiboard.com/images/4star.gif
Overall: http://www.optiboard.com/images/5star.gif
Review:
First off I should point out that the price is for both the edger and tracer\auto blocker. I gave this piece of equipment very high marks for it’s initial learning curve and so far…. reliability. Sales rep was in charge of delivery and setup. Company has a recommended calibration interval of once a month; this has been done, even though there has been no apparent need to. Edger can be ordered with different wheel options, glass/plastic-poly/polish. Has auto groove for rimless, as well as safety bevels front/back (all of these options can be user defined i.e. depth of groove and degree of bevel with 4 different user assigned presets each for preference. On board software has been updated since gamma series resolving issues with e-line’s. Also equipped with bar code scanners for both the blocker and edger with an initial memory of 200 orders, which can be upgraded to 400. To this day I’m impressed with the accuracy of this machine. As for company’s assumption that “Just about anyone can run this equipment” is a little off the mark. You need to have the concept of what you are doing and what you are trying to achieve. In short, to think just pushing a series of buttons will result in a perfect pair of glasses should not be the foundation to have a person start working with this piece of machinery.In fact the only thing you will achieve is damaging the machine, as the equipment does have flaws when it comes to inexperience (this can result on any piece of optical equipment mind you). Users should have a good degree of knowledge in the lab. Not unless you would like someone to start edging crown glass on the poly wheel. Yes the machine is hi tech…….but we do have a human equation to work with here. In the hands of someone with experience it is capable of producing an excellent product. I have personally cut lenses from +13.00D to –15.00D along with Bi-Concaves, Aspheric Lenticular’s, Myodisks ……….just to name a few. To consider buying this equipment, I would have to say your work volume should be at least 15 to20 orders per day to be beneficial /cost effective, as the Kappa was made and designed for high output labs. On a final note the Kappa comes fully designed to interface with their line of surfacing equipment as well.
Did I understand you correctly?
jofelk,
Did I understand you correctly? You bought a machine from Coburn (before the merger) and you renewed a warantee on that machine for 3 years (which made it a total of 4), and you expected the new company to renew that warantee for a fifth year on a machine they did not manufacture?
I just want to be clear on what your complaint is.
tx harry j
Gospel according to Sean is
Mikol,
Gospel according to Sean is: you won't need it!
Trivex............No Problem.
Unlike most edgers......the Kappa allows you to set the pressure on the lens chuck,and by doing so it will adjust the drop speed of the lens touching the edger wheels. In fact it is capable of automatically detecting a 1.0 CT and make the adjustment on it's own if need be. I have not encountered a problem with Trivex at all.:)
Question For Mr Shanbaum.
I have recently stumbled on some kind of program glitch with Innovations. It seems that if a SV stock lens order for a nylor frame is put through the kappa without first going through Innovations (as though being a order that needs to be surfaced) the kappa just plain refuses to groove. Is this a known problem or do you know of any fix ?
:confused:
It went well untill.............................
The edger went through all the steps ,cut , flat bevel .......then put a groove about 2/10"s of a mil.Then proceded to polish ........everything went fine up to that point. After the polish cycle the wheel came up to lens to groove and stalled, and gave me an error code of A8~7 :(
Hope this is what you need.......................
Groove depth .60
Groove Width .80
Groove% 40
I should have done this in a more timely manner.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by shanbaum
I'm thinking that you may be using values that are out of range for the machine. I'm pretty sure that 0.05mm is outside its resolution. That's why I'd like to know what values you're using.
I just wanted to say thank you for all your help with this matter.The values that you sent to me do indeed fix this. Again thanks for all of your time and effort.
Kappa edger/gerber products
Ive used a kappa for 3 years now. I've had to fix it 6 times now. Not a big deal, it produced great results. The motor that lifts the groove unit went out. Gerber wanted 600 bucks i think. It turns out it was just the optical encoder that mounts to the back of the motor. no big deal, it costed 60 bucks. Gerber tech support stinks...its better to figure it out yourself.
Does anyone have a recomendation on what retail software best integrates with innovations? Let me know
Thanks,
jcd