Will “Surfacer” 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
• 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
• 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 “Surfacer”

• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• 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.
• 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.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• 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.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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