Will “Spotter” 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
• 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
• 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 “Spotter”

• 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.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• 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.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• 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.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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