Will “Edger 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
• 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
• Edger Technician
• 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 “Edger Technician”

• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Immerse eyeglass frames in solutions to harden, soften, or dye frames.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• 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, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• 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.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Control equipment that coats lenses to alter their reflective qualities.
• Lay out lenses and trace lens outlines on glass, using templates.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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