We have a new 7E edger (optronics) installed in February and we are having trouble with the lens edge finish on any rimless job (poly, trivex, and high index). It always shows up more on the right top edge and left bottom edge. I've messed around with the settings for polish, changed the blade, etc. I am getting little grooves in the lens edge from the dry blade. Even following up on the hand polish wheel, I cannot polish out the little grooves. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Usually when you see any issues affecting opposite corners of a lens, the first thing in the edger to check is the axis (I think it needs to be rotated clockwise, but I'd double check that). Also, make sure the lens isn't twisting.
Have you tried calling NO to see what they have to say? If they aren't helpful, I'd try VSI (www.patternless.com) since they specialize in patternless edgers.
We've got 2 7E's, I'll see if anyone else here has any ideas.
There are rules. Knowing those are easy. There are exceptions to the rules. Knowing those are easy. Knowing when to use them is slightly less easy. There are exceptions to the exceptions. Knowing those is a little more tricky, and know when to use those is even more so. Our industry is FULL of all of the above.
It seems like the lens is going too fast or the blade too slow, but those two corners are the corners cut while the lens is moving toward the blade while rotating. That's why it seemed pertinent to me, like maybe the lens is rotating too quickly and not getting enough revolutions of the blade per revolution of the lens.
I'll check my manual about the axis, but I'm not sure what you mean by this. Can you elaborate?
You could try using a slower setting, say one for thick poly, which will slow the lens rotation and the lens feed. I don't have a 7E, but on my 6E this works. Also you might want to check the polish setup, it might be taking off too little to eliminate the blade chatter marks. See if you can have it take just a bit more off to polish. In the old days of bevel edgers that would be referred to as the differential.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Clean your wheels really good with your wire brush then use a metal cleaner such as Neverdull or Brasso.
Clinton Tower
The intellect to live free is in short supply
ALT248=°
It's a dry cut edger with a blade, it doesn't have wheels..... (at least not for grinding).Originally Posted by scriptfiller
What happens if the edger is off axis, especially on polished lenses, is that the edger will cut/polish unevenly. Also, make sure the chuck holding the block is locked in tightly. If it wobbles, that will do bad things.
There are rules. Knowing those are easy. There are exceptions to the rules. Knowing those are easy. Knowing when to use them is slightly less easy. There are exceptions to the exceptions. Knowing those is a little more tricky, and know when to use those is even more so. Our industry is FULL of all of the above.
Yeah, but if the machine was off axis he would be having Rx axis problems, no??
I have never seen a 7E miss polishing on opposite sides of the bevel on opposite ends of the lens..Is this what you are describing? There is a calibration setting to even out the amount of polish on the front vs. back of the bevel, but this only helps if the missed areas are on one side of the bevel.
If you are truly talking about opposite sides of the bevel on opposite ends of the lens, the only thing I can think of would be you are cutting very thin polys too fast
What style of cutter body are you using?
is it possibly a lift off mark,the point on the lens where it lifts off the blade.
Wfruit,
The NOP 6e and 7e have small wheels for polishing. Polishing is not done with the blade in these creatures. Those wheels require vigilant maintenence in order to maintain their surfaces for optimum polishing/finishing efficiency and quality.
Now, if the OP is getting marks off the cutter blade, not off the polishing wheel(s), then some minor damage has happened to the blade when it was installed. I had this happen when my torx driver lightly came into contact with the blade I was replacing. Also, make sure the blade is seated properly in the spindle and clean out the cavity the blade resides in really between change-out's.
Another thing, with the 7e there's a body calibration and a cutter calibration. I would check those.
Clinton Tower
The intellect to live free is in short supply
ALT248=°
I stand educated.
There are rules. Knowing those are easy. There are exceptions to the rules. Knowing those are easy. Knowing when to use them is slightly less easy. There are exceptions to the exceptions. Knowing those is a little more tricky, and know when to use those is even more so. Our industry is FULL of all of the above.
You know, that might be the problem - if the blade is not fully set into the holder, it can tilt a bit and that for sure will produce an angled flat which would prevent proper polishing.
Good tip about the Brasso though, scriptfiller.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Ok,
I checked the axis calibration and that was dead on. I also noticed this problem is only occuring with rectangular shapes. It is not the location relative to the bevel I was describing, this lens I was cutting was a flat bevel. Even on the axis calibration pattern, the rounded side is smooth, but the side with the triangle has these cutter marks.
I called NO, waiting for call back, but I wanted to give an update.
Thanks for the help!
I think these marks are coming from the blade, not the wheel. (they are present even when I do not use the polish cycle) However, I would *think* the wheel would take them off the lens. They seem deep enough that the polish wheel will not take them out, even when I set the take-off higher and the lens rotation slower.
Is it normal to have blade marks prior to the lens going on to the wheel?
I have a job I need to do with no edge polish for a drill mount, then I will buff lightly by hand to get a satin polish, but this guy wants a smooth lens edge (don't blame him). Is this just impossible with a dry cut edger? (prior edging experience was only wet cut edgers, I'm used to a smooth lens edge)
How often do you change your blades? They will leave more chatter marks as they dull.
DragonlensmanWV N.A.O.L.
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your government or pretending you can hate your government but love your country."
Ah, now that I understand you better...check the "take off" amount during wet and dry polishing. Perhaps you are not taking enough or as others have said, your blade is dull and you are getting blade chatter.
Trade it for a Santenelli.
The 'train track effect' is from the blade, not the wheel.
The small brass wheel that polishes does a horrible job - it has since Optronics released the Horizon 3. You need to keep it very clean - your edger should have come with a maintenancekit that included a brass toothbrush and a 50mm cleaning wheel. Every morning you should clean your brass wheels with that toothbrush and every 1200 polishes or so you should preform a cleaning maintenance with that 50mm cleaning wheel.
Other things that will effect your polish:
- Water flow to the sponge - set it at max (20 I believe) and make sure you don't use too much coolant (it's a 128:1 ratio as I recall - 1oz to one gallon of water).
- Keep that sponge clean and replace it every time you replace a blade (based on the 300 cut blades).
- Check your settings - make sure CR39 and Hi Index are polishing on wheel, poly and trivex should polish on two (dry and wet). And make sure CR39 and Hi Index are not polishing on the wheel intended for dry polishing of poly and trivex.
- With poly and trivex the dry wheel should take off maybe .3-.5mm - the wet only .1mm. The wet setting should also be slower than the dry.
- DON'T use the 5000 cut carbide blades - they're worthless. IMO the 300 count are the best value and provide the best edge for polishing.
This works as well.
I've seen many a Santanelli machine that produces poly that cracks later...but that aside...
We clean our NO 7E polishing stone every time we change a blade. We use the disposable, or 300 cut blade, although this number varies depending on how many poly/trivex/hi-index jobs you do. For us, the number is 300. We are probably about 40% CR-39.
Our edgered have wheels, not blades, but I've had problems in the past where the lens was twisting enough in the roughing finishing cycles to where it was missing on the polish cycle. In my case I used a soft mode (if it's available) and switched to better blocking pads. Especially with high end ar coated lenses. that solved my problem.
I'll bet the lenses are slipping.
Try new blades, one of the new blocking pads distributed by Salem or Dynamic Labs, and crib your lenses -- especially those with slick coatings.
That's the problem with wheel machines. When the wheel dulls, it's a major expense. When a cutter blade goes, it's cheap. And if you have a pile of high end, poly or hi-index jobs, you can change out a blade for a nice shiny sharp new one and have no worries.
Optronics DO NOT polish!
Never DID!
I love them but if you want a good polish have to go with a wet edger!
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