Will “Contact Lens Manufacturer” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. Assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements. Includes precision lens polishers or grinders, centerer-edgers, and lens mounters.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-9083.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 34,220.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 16.00
• Currently, there are 28,570 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians”.

Also Known As…

• Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
• Surfacing Technician
• Polisher
• Optical Technician
• Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician)
• Line Operator
• Lens Grinder and Polisher
• Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician)
• Grinder
• Finishing Lab Technician
• Edger Technician
• Test Technician
• Surfacer
• Surface Room Shop Optician
• Surface Grinder
• Spotter
• Spectacle Truer
• Prism Measurer
• Prescription Eyeglass Maker
• Precision Optical Goods Worker
• Precision Lens Polisher
• Precision Lens Grinder
• Precision Lens Generator
• Precision Lens Centerer and Edger
• Optical Worker
• Optical Mechanic
• Optical Laboratory Mechanic
• Optical Instrument Assembler
• Optical Goods Drilling Machine Operator
• Optical Goods Drill Operator
• Optical Element Coater
• Optical Coating Technician
• Ophthalmic Technician
• Lens Silverer
• Lens Shaper Grinder
• Lens Polisher
• Lens Mounter
• Lens Mold Setter
• Lens Maker
• Lens Grinder
• Lens Generator
• Lens Finisher
• Lens Fabricating Machine Tender
• Lens Edger
• Lens Dotter
• Lens Cutter
• Lens Coating Technician
• Lens Cementer
• Layout Technician
• Laboratory Operations Coordinator (Lab Operations Coordinator)
• Laboratory Monitor (Lab Monitor)
• Hospital Laboratory Technician (Hospital Lab Technician)
• Hand Lens Polisher
• Hand Glass Cutter
• Glass Silverer
• Glass Frame Fitter
• Glass Cutter
• Eyeglass Maker
• Eyeglass Lens Cutter
• Eyeglass Cutter
• Eyeglass Assembler
• Edge Grinder
• Driller
• Dotter
• Diamond Grinder
• Cylinder Worker
• Cylinder Grinder
• Contact Lens Technician
• Contact Lens Lathe Operator
• Contact Lens Cutter
• Contact Lens Blocker and Cutter
• Contact Lens Blocker
• Beveler
• Bevel Polisher
• Benchroom Shop Optician
• Bench Hand
• Artificial Plastic Eye Maker
• Artificial Glass Eye Maker

Tasks for “Contact Lens Manufacturer”

• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.

Related Technology & Tools

• Ultrasonic cleaners
• Screw grippers
• Cutting pliers
• Chipping pliers
• Prescription lens aligners
• Soldering torches
• Optical slit lamps
• Edge polishers
• Nylon-brass mallets
• Spectrophotometers
• Optical chain nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• Exophthalometers
• Lens grinding machines
• Phillips screwdrivers
• Trial lens sets
• Soldering clamps
• Bench polishers
• Lens groovers
• Nut wrenches
• Riveting hammers
• Lensometers
• Handheld tonometers
• Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
• pH testers
• Pad removing tweezers
• Hex nut wrenches
• Soldering irons
• Bent post pliers
• Frame shaping pliers
• Argon lasers
• Frame adjusting pliers
• Electric soldering kits
• Phoropters
• Lens sizing pliers
• Keratometers
• Zylonite files
• Optical prisms
• Pupilometers
• Pachymeters
• Ball cutters
• Mini screwdrivers
• Pupillary distance rulers
• Self-closing tweezers
• Tapered eyewire closure pliers
• Drill presses
• Sagitta gauges
• Optical tweezers
• Lens cutting machines
• Corneal topographers
• Lens polishing machines
• Visual field testers
• Side cutting pliers
• Screw extracting pliers
• Rimless assembly measuring tools
• Lab snips
• Finger-piece pliers
• Retinal cameras
• Lens tinting equipment
• Lens thickness calipers
• Snipe nose pliers
• Angling pliers
• 3-way screwdrivers
• Specular microscopes
• Rimless scribe tools
• Wheel cutters
• Lens coating machines
• Potential acuity meters PAM
• Flathead screwdrivers
• Deblocking pliers
• Mini power drills
• Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet Nd:YAG lasers
• Diagnostic retinoscopes
• Stereopsis testers

• Electronic medical record EMR software
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Eyeglass design software
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word