Optronics Horizon III help

[IndianaOD]

Hey members, our paternless Nat Optronics Horizon III is having some issues. It consistantly edges too small and almost always leaves gaps superior temporal and nasal. It also has a tendancy to chip the front of the lenses.

The blade is only a couple months old, but its been doing this for years. Anyone know of any way to calibrate this thing or is it a dinosaur that should be replaced (which would cost $$$)

[Johns]

Hey members, our paternless Nat Optronics Horizon III is having some issues. It consistantly edges too small and almost always leaves gaps superior temporal and nasal. It also has a tendancy to chip the front of the lenses.

Sounds like a tracer issue. Calibrating it might do the trick, but if not, I've got an extra one if you need it.

[Stylus]

We use a Horizon 3. If you increase the size correction, does it still edge too small?

[gogetter]

i have a horizon III and mine cuts small too, but its consistantly the same. when i edge a job i always do +20 and it comes out right on the money. Our edger is not made to cut theses modern frames with modern angular shapes you will almost always get a gap both nasal and temporal. Standard shapes oval round larger square cut out like a charm. Thank god my patient base is 40+. I save the trouble with some of the modern cuts and send to a lab.

My 2 cents.

[IndianaOD]

i have a horizon III and mine cuts small too, but its consistantly the same. when i edge a job i always do +20 and it comes out right on the money. Our edger is not made to cut theses modern frames with modern angular shapes you will almost always get a gap both nasal and temporal. Standard shapes oval round larger square cut out like a charm. Thank god my patient base is 40+. I save the trouble with some of the modern cuts and send to a lab.

My 2 cents.

I think you are right. Now that I think of it the more square shapes are worse.

[AWTECH]

Hey members, our paternless Nat Optronics Horizon III is having some issues. It consistantly edges too small and almost always leaves gaps superior temporal and nasal. It also has a tendancy to chip the front of the lenses.

The blade is only a couple months old, but its been doing this for years. Anyone know of any way to calibrate this thing or is it a dinosaur that should be replaced (which would cost $$$)

Try calibration. If I remember correctly there are a number of calibration variables such as size, axis etc. Did you do the 50mm round lens sizing? I can not remember all of the issues, but each movement has a way to adjust the servo motors stopping points. I don't know how the 4T differs from the Saturn tracer either. Which tracer are you using.

[fjpod]

This is a frequent problem...especially if you are using the old Saturn tracer. To cut todays small B rectangular frames, you virtually have to upgrade your tracer to the 4T. We did the upgrade 3 years ago, and the 4t was far superior. But if you do a lot of thick poly, high index, A/R, expensive lenses, you will eventually have to upgrade to something like the 7E edger. It has variable clamp pressures, feed rates, smart feed, etc., not to mention auto drilling, polishing, grooving.

[gemstone]

You should calibrate a Horizon III daily. First run it through a servo burn in. That warms everything up. Calibrate the axis using the axis calibration feature and patterns with lines on them. Then check the bevel placement using a 2.0 or 1.8 plano lens. Then check the size using a c-size gauge or a frame you have just traced. (Calibrate the tracer first). This should be a routine EVERY day. Unless you have to make a lot of adjustments it takes less than 10 minutes. Also check periodically, the tiny screws that couple the servo motors (3).
This machine does OK for a small retail operation, never sturdy enough for a busy wholesale lab. The polish feature is asinine. It just never made since to me to spray mist into a dry cut machine. I don't know how else you can get a decent polish. When it comes time to replace it, get something else. Talk to Lab rat here about one of his Santinellis. With a 9000 your groove polys come off the machine beautiful and ready to mount. (All else does as well.)

Every day.
1 Servo burn in.
2 Calibrate tracer and trace frame.
3 Calibrate axis.
4 Check and adjust for proper bevel placement.
5 Check size.

If the bevel placement is not consistent all the way around the lens, there is a repair needed on the machine.

[IndianaOD]

Thank you all for your responses, I appreciate it. Where do you order the lenses with the lines marked on them for axis calibration?

[gemstone]

Thank you all for your responses, I appreciate it. Where do you order the lenses with the lines marked on them for axis calibration?

Use pattern blanks with lines on them. You can probably get them from where ever you get your blocking supplies.