optical drills Machines

**Dee Fogelbach** · 11-01-2005, 08:56 AM

I need to know the function of Optical Drill Machines. What are their main functions? What do opticians or optical labs look for before purchasing one?
thanks

**Chris Ryser** · 11-01-2005, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Dee Fogelbach

I need to know the function of Optical Drill Machines. What are their main functions? What do opticians or optical labs look for before purchasing one?
thanks

Basically very simple...........instead of a big drill on a stand,l they are small drill on a stand....equiped with a chuck that holds the drill. Drills are used to make holes. In the optical it is mostly holes in lenses for rimless mount frames.

The very well versed optician technician does need only a basic drill with maybe a lens clamp.

The not so versed one will use a semi of fully automatic drill who make the holes automatically.

http://www.visioncareproducts.com/16/equi_exp.html

**Dee Fogelbach** · 11-01-2005, 10:30 AM

We currently offer an Optical drill that is capable of two sided drilling. This drill can be used on glass, CR-39, and polycarbonate lenses. It has an accuracy to 0.2mm. What is it missing?

**Johns** · 11-01-2005, 05:46 PM

Digital readout.

**culland** · 11-01-2005, 07:18 PM

Dee,

I know of your company and actually purchase from you. I can tell you a number of pitfalls your drilling machine has. In my view a hand dremel is as accurate and more simple than the machine you carry.

1. If someone is going to buy a drill machine than the machine should be able to accept the lenses with the block on it in order to assure on axis drillling. Your machine has a suction cup to hold the lens.

2. Like the previous post stated. It is nice to have a digital readout to tell you the exact coordinates of you drill bit. Making sure same placement of holes on each lens as well as exact placement of the holes as per the manufacturers requirement and layout.

3. Your drill only drills one lens at a time and then you have to reload the drill with the second lens. It is nice to have a drilling platform to move the lenses along the x axis to again ensure each lens' holes match the others, as well as being able to keep the entire job on the unit to speed up the process.

4. I think that like I stated in the beginning of the post, that unless you want to spend a little more and get a more sophisticated drill unit drilling by hand with a dremel or other drill is just as accurate for an knowledgable optician.

I guess it's a case of you get what you pay for! The SmartDrill and other systems like it are around $2500. Yours is much cheaper, without the quality issues listed above. I hope I didn't sound too harsh about the drill unit you offer but it just seems to me to be lacking a number of critical features compared to most on the market. I've seen some worse but I've also seen some cheap units that offer other features that are important for not that much more than yours.

If an optician is going to do three piece mounts in-house, they are probably either going to go old school by hand or else buy a nicer drill unit with digital readouts, mounting blocks etc... Just my two cents! It is nice to see you here on OptiBoard getting info directly from the optician's that use the equipment. I hope that this info and the info from others will help you and your company improve on what it offers. :)