Super Systems/Fast Grind would have been good except their machines can't do Poly which is important for me.
Anyone have any other ideas?
Super Systems/Fast Grind would have been good except their machines can't do Poly which is important for me.
Anyone have any other ideas?
First off....why are you interested in adding surfacing to your practice?
I've done it. It's not for everybody.
save $ that would otherwise go to outsourcing uncuts.Originally Posted by fjpod
1.The margin on SF blanks compared to what you can get u/c's for is extremely small. (very little in real savings)
2. Due to the costs associated with stocking all perimeters, most small retail labs only carry 1 progressive, making you a 1 size fits all optical, outsourcing u/c's allows you to have a full menu of choices.
3. You will have a dinosaur lab in 5-7 years unless you go digital on your lab today.
There's not a lot of reasons other than same day service to putting in a surfacing lab now a days. Plus if you're selling house brands you're not selling premiums (AR as example)
Well, FastGrind isn't going to save you much...and as you have seen, you cannot do a lot of the more expensive materials, and you have to use their brands of progressives...so, you will have to order from a traditional surface lab at times... It might have an advantage in that you could do certain jobs the same day. Please don't get me wrong. I am not trying to bash FastGrind. They are a worthy company.
You could put in a small traditional surfacing operation, but I wouldn't do it unless you are doing at least $1.5 to $2 million in gross sales annually. If you can find some used equipment, and have space to put it in without going out to rent more space, then you might save some money. Be prepared to spend more on staff to operate it. Be prepared to fix your own equipment.
We were just discussing whether or not to open a surfacing lab within our practice. Any imput on if it's a good idea or not, please speak up! I managed an optical lab, and am proficient with equipment maintenance and repair. So, that part doesn't scare me. It's whether or not it would be cost-effective for small practice to go that route. Any input would be greatly appreciated!!!
You guys rock, by the way
"You can't think about it, you just gotta let your brain do the work....."
my dad
That's a very bad reason to add surfacing. Look around, and you can find very well-priced uncut lenses. Let others do the surfacing, and you have a greater choice of lens options.
2 reasons to add surfacing lab
1. to produce cheap low quality lenses
2. to produce a generic FF lenses cheap
A lot depend on volume if it makes sense or not. Volume and the lenses you sell. How many pair a day will you be averaging?
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
Also depends on how much free form and premium coatings you sell.
You can do digital surfacing and premium coatings in house, but the initial investment is quite large, and there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get certified to do them. And after all is said and done, you'll need to do the volume of a small wholesale lab(100-150 jobs per day) in order to make it worth it, unless you can afford to take a loss for 3-5 years.
We use FAst grind, have for many years. Their new brand of progressives (advantage) is actually quite nice. The optics are fairly decent! Obviously I'm not compairing them to a Free form like IDLS2 or such. Despite most of the feedback you've recieved, it does come in quite handy. The cost is extremely low, making for higher profit margin of course. And if you are doing any In House insurance then its a must have unless you want to farm it all out. We offer "specials" and I wouldnt be able to offer the price I do unless I could surface here. I sure wish we could a decent AR though, so only uncoated clear or photochromic. Not a poly fan so that doesn't bother me.
Good luck!
~Follow Your Bliss~
Kaypaula. Thanks for the kind words. We do have blanks with AR, front side only obviously. Have had negligible complaints on durability.
We are a 4 office practice with surfacing. The only way it remains cost effective is through cultivating the right relationships with your lens vendors. I've had the most success with Essilor. Our lab has other partners with 4 offices and our combined buying power allows us to see prices a single office can't. I would suggest you consider asking other practices to join together with you. Free Form, while more expensive to acquire, is the way to go. Our conventional line is now idle more times than not. Look at Satisloh's Micro Line.
I have used the Fast Grind system and it is very cost effective for a small to medium size practice. As mentioned, the ADvantage progressive is as good as any free form we have used. They recently got approval from EyeMed to process jobs so that has been a huge plus. The other thing mentioned in a post was maintenance. We have had no issues with this system. Yes, we still use an outside lab for poly and a few other jobs but we have cut our lens cost considerably.
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