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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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