Gerber Coburn Adds Automated Edging System to Finishing Product Line

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. – In keeping with its mission of developing innovative products for the wholesale laboratory, Gerber Coburn has combined a robotic pick and place device with its industrial Titan edger to create an automated edging solution – Titan Pick and Place. Targeted at medium to large wholesale laboratories, the Titan PNP is ideal for labs seeking to automate their operations but without the costly expense of a massive automated system.

Capable of edging all materials, including glass, Titan PNP applies the company’s proven expertise in four-dimensional edging to automation solutions for the second time, said Todd Rhodes, director of product management, Gerber Coburn.

“We developed Titan PNP to address the industry’s growing request for an alternative product that would automate the edging process. While we already offer a fully automated finishing system, it is better suited for the largest laboratories processing lenses 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, not for the medium to large labs processing less than 1,000 jobs per day,” stated Rhodes.

“Choosing and integrating the right Titan PNP components were critical to the system’s design. The core of the system is the Titan edger. Titan offers the best patternless edging technology on the market today with advanced features, such as circumference checking, grooving, pin beveling and polishing options; high-grade industrial components; and OMA-compliant software to provide the outstanding finish quality, superior productivity, and reliability required by high production labs,” advised Rhodes.

“The system also includes a pick and place device and can be configured to work with almost any flexible conveyor system. The pick and place device mounts directly to the front of the Titan and it includes a 3 foot conveyor. The conveyor integrates seamlessly with a conveyor system, so for labs looking to link and automate their finishing workflow, the Titan PNP is an outstanding solution,” Rhodes noted.

Rhodes went on to explain, “Titan PNP includes a software program called The Supervisor. This software controls every aspect of the edging process, enabling Titan to edge and finish lenses according to the prescription. When the edging cycle is complete, Titan signals to the Supervisor. The Supervisor instructs the PNP arm to remove the lens from Titan and place it in the job tray, then instructs the PNP arm to pick the second lens for edging. Because there is no operator intervention, lens handling and the potential for spoilage from scratching and mishandling is greatly reduced.”

“Titan PNP is a real workhorse; a major step forward in unattended edging operations. We believe it is an ideal solution for large wholesale labs seeking an economical way to increase accuracy and productivity through automation,” stated Rhodes