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”

• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• 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.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• 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.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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