Will “Hand 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
• 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 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 “Hand Glass Cutter”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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