Eye glasses are made with very specific requirements in mind. The design and shape of the lens, as well as UHV sputter deposition coatings it may receive, contribute to the user’s overall visual quality. A lens that is shaped incorrectly, or one that is easily scratched, can quickly degrade a user’s vision and sometimes cause headaches and other side effects.

Cutting

First, the lens must be cut from a resin block called a lens blank. The size and shape is not unlike a hockey puck. The doctor dictates the cut of the lens, and gives a prescription that technicians translate into instructions for a computer. The lens is shaped according to those precise instructions, curving the front and back of the lens to bend light accordingly.

Fine Shaving

The lens is rough after this process, so the lens must be thoroughly polished. The lens is placed on a polishing block, where the convex end is rubbed with a fine grit to make it transparent. Of course, this is just the shaping and polishing of the lens. It must still be cut to size. A lens edger utilizes a diamond cutting wheel to trim the lens to the desired size.

Coating

Optical coating systems are used to add an anti-reflective coating to the lenses. The lenses are placed in a dust-free chamber, where they may receive up to sixteen separate layers of coatings designed to reduce scratches and glare. Some of these coatings even repel oil and water. Once the lens iscoated, it is fit to the glasses the customer ordered.

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Bio: Denton Vacuum, LLC makes a thermal evaporation system for use in coating medical apparatuses. For medical manufacturing machinery, visit Denton Vacuum, LLC.