Belgium company Luxexcel launched its 3D printing technology for ophthalmic lenses at Vision Expo East in New York.
The technology enables very small droplets of liquid to merge together, forming a lens fully compliant with industry standards and compatible with other laboratory processes like tinting, coating and edging.
Lens design is controlled by a tablet app and four unique lenses can be constructed concurrently over a period of one hour.
Luxexcel announced it will deliver the technology to selected US lens laboratories in September. The initial uses will centre around specialty lenses including prisms, tri-focals and slab-offs.
‘We have the ability to make any lens but specialty is good place to start,’ said Guido Groet, chief marketing and sales officer at Luxexcel. ‘There have been many challenges in developing this new technology but our mantra has been to take one step at a time. It greatly simplifies the manufacturing of lenses and there are many exciting application to explore in the future.’
Look out for the full story on Luxexcel’s technological breakthrough and other reports from Vision Expo East in upcoming issues of Optician.