Will “Surfacing Technician” 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
• 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 “Surfacing Technician”

• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Remove lenses from molds and separate lenses in containers for further processing or storage.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• 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.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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