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Thread: Qspex

  1. #1
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    Qspex

    Anyone have Personal experience with the Qspex molding system.I'm not really looking for negative statements from boarders who have no firsthand information.I just don't want to start another lengthy thread about the history of failed molding systems.
    Looking for info on patient feedback on progressive lens design,distortion,edgability and whether to purchase this specific product.Thanks for your help.

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    Blue Jumper No real info on website.........................

    There is really not much information on their website to make a decent judgement. It does not say what the used plastic material is, just that it cures in 30 minutes. Actually there is practically no technical information available on that website, so fair opinions are not possible,


    check ------------------> http://www.qspex.com/system-technology.html

  3. #3
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    He/she is looking for first hand information from people who have used the system and dispensed the system's product to end consumers.

  4. #4
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    Redhot Jumper

    Quote Originally Posted by idispense View Post

    He/she is looking for first hand information from people who have used the system and dispensed the system's product to end consumers.



    idispense.........................I am aware of that, and I started to search and came up with their website that does actually not say much. There has never been any discusssion on OB about it so its totally new to me, and probably others too. I still have a personal interest in following these in house moulding systems for the last 30 years and would like to see some positive comments about one that works..

  5. #5
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    Although they say its brand new technology, there have been various molding systems now for a while and the companies seem to come and go.... mostly go. QSpecs just has a better looking booth.

    They could not give me a net cost per pair (mold and plastic) so I lost interest. If they have not calculated that, they have not calculated anything.

    What happens if they go out of business? Its an expensive paper weight.

  6. #6
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    1.55 A.R. PAL is same price as a CR39 Natural with A.R. shipped uncut ballpark.

    $4000 for the setup, everything is replaced @NC for any defects or breakages.

    I was impressed with the business model but we surface on-site.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    idispense.........................I am aware of that, and I started to search and came up with their website that does actually not say much. There has never been any discusssion on OB about it so its totally new to me, and probably others too. I still have a personal interest in following these in house moulding systems for the last 30 years and would like to see some positive comments about one that works..


    Would the company not be happy to give references to satisfied customers if they have sold units ?

    How does a molding system like this differ from the way semi-finished CR -39 blanks are made ?

  8. #8
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    I've talked with them numerous times, but the conclusion I came to was that the parameters they offer were too narrow to justify getting into it. The "rep" kept telling me that it won't cover "all" of my patients, but it will cover many of them.

    My uncut lab DOES cover all of them.

    Nothing really negative about them, just not something I need.
    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    There is really not much information on their website to make a decent judgement. It does not say what the used plastic material is, just that it cures in 30 minutes. Actually there is practically no technical information available on that website, so fair opinions are not possible,


    check ------------------> http://www.qspex.com/system-technology.html
    They use a self invented 1.55 index which they say if perfect for drill, groove and has an abbe value higher than poly and 1.67(according to them). The now have transition, and polarization ability for the molds. I have used it in demonstration and for someone who wasn't in the business during the other failed molding systems. I cannot compare, However I can say it was very easy to use but I cant justify jumping into it since the range of Rx i.e. sph w/ cyl and/or add power wasn't wide enough. The business model is great and the upfront cost is not outrageous. Just not for me.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by idispense View Post

    Would the company not be happy to give references to satisfied customers if they have sold units ?

    How does a molding system like this differ from the way semi-finished CR -39 blanks are made ?


    Curing CR39 is an art and not that easy. You put it in a glass mold and the the curing cycle takes about 16 hours while the oven or waterbath heats up and cools off periodically. If you undercure the CR 39 it will be too hard and will tint very badly. Some cheap stock lenses are made that way, one lens will tint perfect and the other will barely take the color.

    I am always suspicious on short curing cycles to make optical lenses, will the yellow fast ? or break easy. Is the material good enough for the drop ball test?

  11. #11
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    QSpex came in to my office just last week. I sat down to talk to the rep who was also with her regional sales manager so I figured I could get pretty technical with them. Overall I was very impressed. I am quite familiar with other casting systems so I must admit I came into it pretty skeptical. We surface all our own jobs but are always interested in the latest. Their motto is "it's all in the mold" and they couldn't be more literal. Each lens has a 2 part mold that you scan to ensure you get the right cross and power curves for the Rx. As you scan them they are uploaded to their main lab who then sends you replacement molds. With every mold they also send a pack of polymer. They recommend you keep most or all the molds on site to ensure job fulfillment depending on your job demands. From what they reps told me they are targeting offices who are looking for alternatives for conventional surfacing, they are not looking to compete with free-form lenses yet. After talking with them for about an hour they offered to bring in the machine she had in her car for a demo, and I agreed. They brought the machine in and it would defiantly fit on a common table top in any closet or "lab" as some people call them. They were really nice and let you jump in on the demo. One thing I did like is you could adjust the thickness of the lens by adding a ring between the seats of the mold which was nice for the higher plus lenses. I then pumped the polymer into the mold and was surprised at how consistent the polymer flowed. I quickly noticed an air bubble, and thought I had them stuck in their tracks. But this air bubble floated to the top rather quickly. The rep was realistic to tell me that if somehow a bubble did form that they are generally close to the edge and cut out. I also forgot to mention that I asked if they could demo a polarized lens so I could look for flaws easier. The next step was the hit it with this UV light to quick set the lens. Next I removed the lens and set it on a tray at the top to anneal the pair for about 15-20 min. I will point out that you can at this time begin on your next pair if you were in a hurry. When the time was up I was ready to get my hands on this lens to inspect. The first thing i noticed was that there was backside AR (the clear lens is front and back) and that it was virtually clear unlike an un-index matched house AR, also there were no "newton rings" either since these are obviously not dipped coated. The polarized layer was set close to the front which is great for edging some pesky sunglass frames. I also noticed that the front mold also housed the progressive marks which were not as noticeable as i expected them to be. So then I took them to our lens mapper for the true test. It was very interesting to see the clarity in the distance was right on power and had a wide field of vision that would be close to edge to edge in most frames. I wasnt as impressed with the intermediate (but then again most conventional lenses aren't that great either) and the reading zone was pretty moderate. I then got down to brass tacks and asked how much and they said it was an initial investment of about $4,000. It became obvious that they would basically give away the machine cause they will make their money on the polymer and molds that you exclusively get from them, not to say that you couldn't make money. My main draw back was the range of RXs you could do, it was something like -5 - +4 and a max 2 cyl. Our in house lab can meet ALL our Rx needs. I also wasn't thrilled that the material and options wasn't as extensive as you can get with our lab. I could see someone needing this for the one or two hour job if you lived in a rural area cause the quality is definably there but it wasn't for us. And that is my unbiased opinion of the system.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by DMdrummer13 View Post
    My main draw back was the range of RXs you could do, it was something like -5 - +4 and a max 2 cyl. Our in house lab can meet ALL our Rx needs. I also wasn't thrilled that the material and options wasn't as extensive as you can get with our lab. I could see someone needing this for the one or two hour job if you lived in a rural area cause the quality is definably there but it wasn't for us. And that is my unbiased opinion of the system.
    I agree. There's nothing inherently wrong with it. Even with the small footprint, I don't want to utilize space for something that is so limited in it's offerings.
    Ophthalmic Optician, Society to Advance Opticianry

  13. #13
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    Thanks everyone for your comments and questions on the QSpex system. I have been a dispensing optician for over 20 years working in both retail and private practice throughout my career. I began with QSpex on a consultant basis in 2007 and after seeing the technology I decided to join them full time in 2010 heading up Professional Services and Technical Training. I would like to take the opportunity to answer some of your questions with factual information and dispel any untruths about our system.

    Since 2007 I have personally made 1000's of lenses through R&D work and QA. The system should not be compared or confused with outdated systems that were problematic and hard to use.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    There is really not much information on their website to make a decent judgement. It does not say what the used plastic material is, just that it cures in 30 minutes. Actually there is practically no technical information available on that website, so fair opinions are not possible,


    check ------------------> http://www.qspex.com/system-technology.html
    Our parameters are -4.25 to +2.00DS, Cyl up to -2.00 and adds up to 3.00 all in 0.25 diopters. We are a mid-index material. Our recyclable or disposable molds are a onetime use with all treatments on the surfaces of the molds so there are no additional steps in the molding process.

    The steel tooling used to make our molds, as well as the progressive design are both digitally produced giving you an accurate prescription every time. We are more impact resistant than CR39 and lighter weight with a specific gravity of 1.15g less than CR39 or Poly. The material produces great optics with an ABBE value of 40 and a tensile strength strong enough to drill, notch, groove, and apply any type of edge treatment.

    We have a general purpose progressive with a suggested SH of 18 and short corridor releasing this quarter with a suggested SH of 15.

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    With regards to the parameters offered, we studied over 2 million RX combinations from lab data and we believe that the power range of the QSpex system covers about 85% of all prescriptions. However it does depend on the demographics of your area.

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    I tried to post the technical info and it did not show up so I will try again-if the other shows up I will delete one or the other.

    Our parameters are -4.25 to +2.00DSm Cyl up to -2.00 and adds up to +3.00 all in 0.25 diopters. We are a mid-index material. Our recyclable or disposable molds are a onetime use with all treatments on the surface of the molds so there are no additional steps in the molding process. The steel tooling used make our molds and the progressive design are digitally produced so the prescription is accurate every time. The material is more impact resistant than CR39 and lighter weight with a specific gravity of 1.15g less than CR39 or poly. The material produces great optics with an ABBE value of 40 and a tensile strength strong enough to drill, notch, groove, and apply any type of edge treatment.

    We have a general purpose progressive with a suggested SH of 18 and short corridor, releasing this quarter, with a suggested SH of 15.
    Last edited by QSpex1; 04-09-2012 at 02:15 PM.

  17. #17
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    Recyclable? Do you take them back and recycle them for reuse? Or recyclable in terms of putting them into the recycling waste stream?

  18. #18
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    They are not reclaimed and recycled by us. You can recycle them the same as any household item.

  19. #19
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    Ok. Not trying to be snarky or anything, but there's a push for labs (and offices) to be more "green". Why not offer a recycling service to turn the molds around for your customers?

    And unless these molds are marked with the recycling mark as well as the type of plastic it is, they CANNOT be recycled, they instead get tossed into a landfill.

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