Will “Optical Element Coater” 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 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
• 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 “Optical Element Coater”

• 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.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• 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.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• 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.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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