SHOREWOOD, Ill.--For Expert Optics, automating the lens inventory was just one of a series of upgrades the lab has undertaken in the past 18 months.

“We probably started three or four years ago with a wish list,” recalled lab president Greg Ruden. We began in February, 2004 by putting in two Kardex Lektrievers to help us pick lenses. Then in the surface room, we purchased an Autotaper (pictured top right) by Satisloh.

“We automated everything we could. Next we got two Loh VPro (pictured center right) generators, but waited on getting a lap tool picker. Then we bought all new cylinder machines and an automated lap tool cleaner (pictured bottom right).

Ruden advocates that labs stick with one main vendor, at least in the surfacing room. “One application affects the next,” he noted. “A vendor can troubleshoot a problem quicker if it’s all the same brand.”

Ruden said the upgrades have allowed Expert Optics to reduce the number of employees in its surface department from 16 to 9.

“We redeployed as many as we could,” he said. “We looked at what parts of the industry are growing and saw it’s AR and drill mounts. So we moved two people into our coating department, one into drill mounts and another to the lens department. Those people are skilled, and they’re hard to find.”

In addition to upgrading Expert’s surfacing department, Ruden also purchased a second AR coating machine. In the finishing department, he installed two automated Dimetrics layout blockers which are distributed by Gerber Coburn. “It’s not as quick as old time optician, but you can take a high schooler and their first day on job they know how to run the apparatus. Before we had a guy look at the decentration.”

To complete the finishing upgrade, Ruden bought Satisloh ES-2 and ES-3 industrial edgers. Expert runs the machines from 6 a.m. until 9 at night.

Ruden said the high-volume edgers eliminate the twisting that can result in off-axis lenses, “especially high-index lenses with super-slick AR.” The machines, which groove, polish and pin bevel, produce 30 pairs of lenses an hour.

“With these machines, the operator can adjust on the fly,” said Ruden. “He can lay out a few stacks of lenses on the conveyor, but if a job needs special hand work, he can do it. One guy can do the hand work and mount the lens in the frame. People are amazed how much he gets done.”