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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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