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”

• 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.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• 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.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• 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.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• 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.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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