Traceability in the optical production is achieved through automation

The first eyeglasses are believed to have been invented in Venice, Italy, in the 13th century. Obviously, a lot has happened since. Today, the optical industry is a large industry that manufactures millions of eyeglasses every day. The production must have a gentle handling of the products, maintain a high production flow and permit traceability. In addition, the industry must live up to the customers’ requirements for manufacturing new eyeglasses within a couple of days. Automation creates higher production rates in the optical industry The optical industry is a steadily growing industry that has experienced a lot of changes over the years. Many of the manual operations have become automated and the manufacturing machines are producing more products today than ever before. A couple of years back, a factory produced around 300 to 400 eyeglasses per hour, and today, about 600 to 800. The production rate increases and so does the need for eyeglasses. Especially during the industry’s yearly peaks when, for example, school starts. The production steps are monitored by an LMS-system The lenses need to go through a number of production steps before they can be delivered to the customers. After visiting an optician and getting a prescription on what kind of lenses you need, the digital prescription is sent to the optical lab. The labs use an LMS-system (Laboratory Management System) that monitors all the incoming orders. The very first step in the production is to pick the correct lenses from the optical lab, based on the information from the digital prescription. The LMS-system assigns a specific number to the lenses before each pair of lenses are placed on an optical tray. The optical tray has a left pocket for the left lens and a right pocket for the right lens. The optical tray then transports the lenses through the production line. The next step is to attach a layer of tape over each lens to fasten a block and a chuck that allow the machines to grab a hold of the chuck and work the lens. Then, the lenses pass through a generator that grinds down the lenses so they get the right thickness and curves. The fourth step is a polisher that polishes the lenses to give them a nice and smooth finish. Step five in the process is the surface department where the lenses get for example an anti-reflecting coating. After the lenses are finalized in the surface department, they enter the finishing department where an edger cuts out the lenses so they match the frame chosen by the customer. The lenses are then melted into the frame in the mounting station before the eyeglasses

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