Our small lab is looking to go digital and do AR, anyone using Coburn,Satisloh, or Easyform? We currently now use a SGX and love it, but digital is catching up with us and we are outsourcing some work. Any suggestions on a AR machine would be very helpful also. Thanks
The first question is what brands of lenses do you plan to surface? The problem is that many generators are not approved for many lenses.
Schneider for digital surfacing and Quantum or Leybold for AR.... I agree with Sharpstick777 (Van Rue) you need to make sure your surfacing equipment is approved for the digital design you are planning to use.
Sola is our main supplier, but we are open to a new company. Do you have any suggestions for a good generator and lens combo?
Schnieder offers the only generator that is approved to make Sola Free-form lenses.Originally Posted by chevypow
Is the small one also approved?
Yes, I believe so, but you can ask them to be sure...
We are toying around with the same idea. Satis is marketing a complete freeform / ARC package http://www.satisloh.com/home/ophthal...l-compact-lab/ that looks pretty attractive to us. There is also a small lab ARC coming soon by Quantum http://qtmi.net/products/equipment-made-in-usa/unity-m/ . Both ARC systems use sputter technology. The folks at Leybold think that sputtering has a ways to go before it offers good quality. They are coming out to visit us in the beginning of November. Problem is, I am not sure I can quite cost-justify a full box coat system yet. I also like the DSC Prolab by Schneider http://www.schneider-om.com/products...sc-prolab.html . Gonna have to do some homework. Like chevypow, I am all ears if people have opinions!
One thing to add into the equation is what VSP will be doing. They recently began to pay independent ODs to do finish work in house. I think it is one of the best steps they have taken to help independent ODs compete with LC, Pearl, etc. If we purchase digital and ARC equipment, we need to be sure that if they begin to pay for in office surfacing and arc, we will have equipment that is certified for Unity PALs and ARC. Thoughts?
Jarhead Daddy,
1- If you are doing less than 40-50 pairs of AR a day investing in AR unit will be a loss for you.
2- You do also realize the cost of stocking all the semi-finished lenses. I used to stock 22,000 semi-finished lenses (lens design-brand-base curve-material). If you do less than 60 pairs a day you will be losing quite a bit money for the first 3 years.
3- AR unit also requires permits from your state and city depending on your location before making any commitment check with your state on laws for disposing chemicals.
Last, good luck competing with LC and Pearl while all you sell is Lux products. They can discount it as much as they want but you can't so there won't be any competition in my opinion unless you start selling independent eyewear that is not at LC and Pearl.
Satis will limit you do to doing Essilor and Shamir lenses, just so you know. No other manufacturers will work with them because they are owned by Essilor. Scheider will give you everyone but Essilor. So choose the lenses you want to do inhouse first.
VSPs uncut program is not very effective, and not widely used even though its been around a few years now. So pls don't depend on it for new business...
All good advice GokhanSF...
Thanks for the advice folks!
The Schneider Prolab comes with the pre-installed lab management and lens design system, Has anyone tried that progressive?
http://www.schneider-om.com/fileadmi.../DSCprolab.pdf
One of those units hooked up with some thing like this??
http://www.schneider-om.com/fileadmi..._freestyle.pdf
Now what about AR ??
Last edited by Jacqui; 02-03-2013 at 02:25 PM. Reason: Added, subtracted, multiplied
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