Will “Glass Cutter” 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
• Eyeglass Maker
• Eyeglass Lens Cutter
• Eyeglass Cutter
• Eyeglass Assembler
• Edge Grinder
• Driller
• Dotter
• Diamond Grinder
• Cylinder Worker
• Cylinder Grinder
• Contact Lens Technician
• Contact Lens Manufacturer
• 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 “Glass Cutter”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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