MAFO - 06/2023

ISSN 1614-1598 66527 Volume 19

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY Connect, discover, stay up-to-date

6/2023 ▶ Special topic: Go Digital!

Lens production going digital

TRULY SMART LENS GENERATING

Chat GPT and other AI´s -‒ a new language for the industry ▶ Technology Overcoming the gas age ▶ Live on site A breath of future at VEW 2023 Silmo Paris 2023 ▶ Market Survey Lens printing Laser engraving systems

VFT-ORBIT-2i MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE MEETS AI

Witness what happens when unmatched lens generator performance - ultra-fast milling, voice coil technology & auto-calibration - meets the power of AI in the new VFT-orbit-2i. With the seamless integration of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, we´re revolutionizing ease with advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance.

SMART

CONNECTED

INTEGRATED

Minimizes unexpected breakdowns due to AI powered predictive maintenance

Delivers diagnostic data to best analyze performance and identify issues

MES-360 Lite included to establish KPIs & track machine utilization, throughput, errors

Contact us for more details on VFT-orbit-2i!

Eyepress Fachmedien GmbH Saarner Str. 151 45479 Muelheim a. d. Ruhr 66527 Germany

01_Titel.indd 1

satisloh.com

03.11.23 09:12

CHC1000 - Maximum Output, Minimum Effort The CHC1000 is the ultimate unit for large scale cleaning and hard coating of lenses for customers that need to produce high volumes easily.

When fully loaded, the CHC1000 is capable of producing up to 1100 lenses per hour, with the system comprising of 10 stages of effective cleaning and drying, followed by a twin dip coating system for hard coating and if required, anti-fog.

Unleash your full potential with the CHC1000

t: +44 (0) 1462 491616 e: sales@optimal-technologies.com www.optimal-technologies.com

MAFO Advert_CHC1000.indd 1 !AZ.indd 2

12/04/2021 16:57 18.10.23 16:53

LETTER

No need to follow every trend, but know about them!

A

t this year's Vision Expo West

been impressed. Some people even turn this

it was plain to see: the future

skill into part of their business model, allowing

has a rrived in opht ha lmic

customers to watch what is going on in the

optics on every conceivable

workshop through a glass partition.

level ‒ from sales to the production process.

Things that have always worked in the past

The same applies in the Lab. Even the production

are now being rethought. Products that have

of lenses in the region, or responding to very

been under development for a decade have

specific customer requests, is clearly a unique

finally made it to market.

selling point (USP) which can leave a lasting impression.

It all starts with eye testing, which is now being

Hanna Diewald Chief editor Tell us your opinion, ideas and suggestions: hanna.diewald@mafo-optics.com

offered digitally by several providers and it is

That said, the current trends that can be seen

proving increasingly reliable. It continues with

in the industry are extremely exciting. Not

choosing spectacle frames for instance by using

everyone needs to jump on every bandwagon

virtual try-ons. And before choosing the lenses

right away, but it makes sense to understand

one can try out different lens designs with VR

the direction of travel and start getting prepared.

glasses or the perfect lens design can be found with the help of artificial intelligence.

The world which is evolving also calls for a new infrastructure. Machines that only

And in the lab of the future, of course, everything

function efficiently thanks to large databases,

is fully integrated and state of the art: in the

need to be fed with appropriate data. To ensure

machining area with block-free generators, for

this, even collaboration with competitors may

example. When it comes to coating, the first

prove worthwhile.

hard- and photochromic coatings can now be applied by additive manufacturing, whereas

The increased sophistication of modern

technical films can be used for AR-coatings.

machines, combined with the lens design and other factors, in turn calls for standards to

However, those who are most "hip" go straight

help labs orient themselves, so that they don’t

for the latest smart glasses, for streaming live

get lost in a jungle of innovations.

videos online via social media platforms.

This and other topics are discussed in the But, of course, all those single steps can be

interview “ChatGPT and other AI’s – a new

done completely different also – more simply

language for the industry” and in the article

or by hand. And that’s not necessarily

“Lens production going digital”, in line with

a bad t hing, choosing a nd

Save the date

the main focus of this issue, “Go Digital!”

producing glasses in the traditional way.

And it is precisely these trend topics – with all the challenges and opportunities they offer –

February 02, 2024 in Milan (one day before Mido)

Anyone who has ever seen

that will be the main focus of the upcoming

an optician working alone

‘MAFO – The Conference 2024’, on February 2

in his workshop, not only

in Milan, one day before Mido. Take a look at

fitting each lens individually

the program starting on page 10, and don't

into the frame by hand but

miss this opportunity to exchange ideas with

also having mastered the rare art

like-minded professionals about the way things

of making frames himself, will have

MAFO 6-23

03_Letter.indd 3

are developing in the industry.

3

03.11.23 17:43

CHANGE

Embrace the light

Revolutionizing Vision Care for Childhood Myopia

Let’s work together!

Anything is possible when we combine your vision and expertise with our research and technology.

See the difference

www.iotlenses.com IOT offers advanced ophthalmic technology solutions from the initial design and development to the industrial manufacturing process. Their products create added value and offer a boost of innovation for any company or laboratory, regardless of size.

!AZ.indd 3

23.10.23 09:54

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023

Content Topics in this edition MAFO issue

November / December 2023

Page 26

Page 30

Page 14

At a glance

Technology

Live on site

6

20

14

All about you

Overcoming the gas age

A breath of future at VEW 2023

News from the international ophthalmic industry

By Mandy Gebhardt, Robin Zimny,

By Hanna Diewald

7

Claudia Radelow

All about markets

30

Data in graphics

Lens production going digital

8

By Jens Buergin

All about products Innovations and products for your lab

18 Special Topic

Silmo Paris 2023

By Silke Sage and Frank Sonnenberg

Surveys Spotlight

34

42

10

Suppliers Guide

Program and preview of MAFO – The Conference 2024

36

22nd edition

Survey laser engraving

47 Closing Words Mark Mackenzie – an industry veteran retires

48

26

Survey lens printing

Special Topic

Chat GPT and other AI´s ‒ - a new language for the industry An interview with Philipp Schmid

Outlook

MAFO 6-23

05_Content.indd 5

5

03.11.23 09:18

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

All about you News from the international ophthalmic industry Vision Expo East will move to Orlando as of year 2025

New Lens Product Description Standard (LPDS) completed

The Vision Council and RX,

The Vision Council is pleased

co-owners of Vision Expo,

to announce the completion

announced that Vision Expo

and approval of Version 1.00

East 2025 will take place in

of the Lens Product Descrip-

Orlando, Florida at the Orange

tion Standard (LPDS). Created

County Convention Center

by The Vision Council’s Lens

(OCCC) February 19–22, 2025.

Product Description Standard

Vision Expo East’s final show in New York, celebrating and com-

Committee, this standard serves as an eventual replacement for the

memorating nearly 40 years of achievement and growth within the

Lens Description Standard v2.2 (LDS v2.2), which has long been

optical industry, will occur March 14–17, 2024 and kick off Vision

the industry standard for lens manufacturers to provide technical

Expo’s dynamic next chapter.­­­

information about their lenses and lens blanks.

Vision Expo East will debut in Orlando in 2025 with a re-imagined

Building on the strong foundation of technical information of the

show experience and abundant opportunities for exhibitors to

LDS v2.2, the LPDS has a new, extensible format that allows for the

engage with attendees in a more centralized environment. In addition

flexibility to define digital designs independent of lens blanks, the

to offering attendees a multi-year, preferred date pattern of

ability to describe unique processing parameters, and the structure

­Thursday–Saturday, the show venue, hotels, meeting spaces and

to deliver base curve charts for lens selection.

special events will all be located within a walkable area, ensuring a better connected and community-like experience.

First flō platforms will be installed in 2024 in three US-labs

The Vision Council appoints Suzanne Krauss as new Director of Shows The Vision Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Suzanne Krauss as the organization’s new Director of Trade Shows. In her new role, Suzanne will collaborate closely with The Vision Council’s strategic partners at RX, who

flō at Vision Expo West in Las Vegas

co-organize Vision Expo East and West,

The israli start-up flō is happy to share that it has signed agreements

with a focus on driving opportunities for

with three laboratories that will acquire, install, and assist in evaluating

growth and development at these events.

the first flō platforms to be released in 2024. These labs will be the

Krauss brings great expertise to managing

first to have access to flō’s cutting edge technology, where Additive

this partnership from her previous role

Manufacturing (AM) technology is being applied to generate optical

as Industry Relations Manager on the

coatings on lenses. These three ophthalmic labs (all located in North

Vision Expo RX Global team, where she spent the past 16 years cultivating

America) are: Cherry Optical Lab, Encore Optical, and Superior

relationships with top optometrists and opticians.

Optical Labs.

Suzanne Krauss, the new Director of Trade Shows.

You have news for the ophthalmic industry? Submit your press releases to: hanna.diewald@mafo-optics.com or constanze.classen@mafo-optics.com

6

06_All_About.indd 6

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 17:22

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

All about markets Graphical data In 2022, the German spectacle lens producer Carl Zeiss accounted for

24.6% Only

32%

of China's optical lens retail sales value, slightly higher than its French competitor Essilor with 24.3%. That year, local lens producer Wan Xin took up around 8.9% of China's spectacle lens retail value, ranking third among all lens producers.

of Americans know that large language models, such as ChatGPT, produce answers based on word patterns and relationships they previously learned from text pulled from the internet.

Source: Pew Research Center

Source: Statista

One-in-three

33% US-adults say they are likely to consider purchasing smart eyewear products in the next 12 months. Males, those ages 18-44, those in urban communities, and early adopters of technology are especially likely to consider purchasing smart eyewear products.

Source: The Vision Council

MAFO 6-23

06_All_About.indd 7

7

03.11.23 17:22

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Advertisement

All about products Innovations and working materials for your lab Coburn Technologies and SDC Technologies Announce the Launch of a Breakthrough Photochromic System for Optical Labs Coburn Technologies in collaboration with SDC Technologies (SDC), has launched CrystalChrome, a breakthrough photochromic system for optical labs at Vision Expo West in Las Vegas. This novel lens coating technology brings an exciting dimension to Coburn's acclaimed spin coating offering and represents the first major product development collaboration with its new parent, SDC, combining Coburn’s spin coating know how with SDC’s coating expertise.

CrystalChrome allows optical labs the ability to transform any clear semi-finished blank or surfaced lens into a high-quality photochromic lens. "Now labs can provide high performance light-reactive lenses to their customers in less time and at a lower cost than traditional sourcing methods" stated Coburn Technologies President, Alex Incera.

Visit www.coburntechnologies.com

DBX modulo ONE: The Natural Way of Deboxing With DBX Modulo ONE, SCHNEIDER debuts a powerful and fully automated new lens deboxer for high throughput, 24/7. The innovative technology unpacks all common kinds of boxes and materials – cardboard, blisters, even sleeves – damage-free with a clean process. It requires a minimum of energy and effort. After swiftly identifying the type of box, DBX Modulo ONE opens it "naturally”: It unfolds, takes out and unwraps, entirely without touching the lens surface. The eco-friendly process avoids cutting or burning the material using sharp blades or high energy lasers – no cutting particles or dust and no fumes. All waste material is collected separately to simplify recycling and increase sustainability. DBX Modulo ONE follows SCHNEIDER's vision to provide the full solution for ophthalmic labs. Visit: https://modulo-one.com

Satisloh launches Ophthalmic Consumables Store Satisloh, a global leader in optical manufacturing solutions, launched its new online Consumables Store for EMEA, India and North American markets. Satisloh is one of the few machine manufacturers to offer its customers the option of ordering consumables online. Users can easily browse the wide range of aftermarket products for all ophthalmic processes at http://www.satisloh.com/store without registering. After registering, shoppers will see their region-specific products and availability, as well as personalized pricing. This makes ordering consumables particularly easy and convenient for Satisloh customers. The store showcases more than 1,000 products, for all lens production processes.

However, Satisloh will continue to accept all previous ordering methods – whatever is most convenient for their customers.

BispheraTBA Phoenix: The result of the 15 years long MEI experience in the lens edging industry BispheraTBA Phoenix is the new MEI lens edger perfect for any kind of small and big lab, offering excellent throughput, great flexibility, and best-in-class quality control capability, unique features in the overall edging machinery scenario.

The first version of this lens edger, born in 2006, became an icon of the optical industry and is still highly considered today. The machine is completely renewed in the exterior design, mechanical structure, and user interface. The footprint remained the same, but the active parts and the mainframe have been redesigned. In order to offer you great flexibility, the left and right edging heads of the new BispheraTBA Phoenix are now totally independent, to be able to cut in parallel also jobs having the two lens shapes different or to mark disparate logos on the lens with the engraving tools. To guarantee the MEI Total Quality Control, the machine performs all needed quality inspection tasks, analyzing 100% of the production. Discover more at www.meisystem.com www.meisystem.com.

8

06_All_About.indd 8

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 17:22

THE CONFERENCE s elegate d 3 k o Bo 3 ,y € 33 l n o r o f son ! per per

#MAFO CON24

on February 2, in Milan (one day before Mido) Under the motto:

Next Generation Catch the Early bird discount:

€ 399,- per person by booking until December 31, 2023

Highlights  Block-free generating  Myopia management designs  Smart glasses  Industry 4.0  Thickness optimization and much more ...

Stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter, to get all the news about MAFO – The Conference. For all questions and suggestions about the conference please write an email to: hanna.diewald@mafo-optics.com www.linkedin.com/showcase/mafo ticket.mafo-optics.com

09_EAZ-Konfi.indd 9

03.11.23 08:33

THE CONFERENCE

Special topic: Next Generation … … block-free generating, myopia management designs, smart glasses and much more MAFO - The Conference 2024 Date: Friday, February 2nd, 2024 (one day before Mido) Location: Fiera Milano Rho (Italy) Chairman: Peter Baumbach

Dr. Judith Ungewiß

Psychophysical evaluation of optical lenses in the Aalen Mobility Perception and Exploration Lab (AMPEL)

Stefano Sonzogni

The block-free lens generation process – an effective step ahead in preserving the environment

Dr. Michael Kreis

Opportunities and challenges of blockless surfacing technology

José Miguel Cleva

Revolutionizing myopia management – a novel approach to ­treating children's myopia

Dr. Jens Buergin & Heiko Schlump

Connectivity as enabler for Industry 4.0

Aalen University

MEI System

Satisloh

IOT

Zeiss

Dr. Gaetano Volpe & Pasquale Fanelli

ProCrea Tech

Mo Jalie

University Ulster

Arved Kampe 3D-Micromac

AI and neural networks in freeform lens design software

The minimum thickness of spectacle lenses

Shaping the future of eyewear: How to enable AR-glasses by laser cutting of high-index glass waveguides

Varsenik Nersesyan

Electronic glasses with active optics for vision correction

Jonathan Jaglom

Going digital: How Additive Manufacturing (AM) will change the ophthalmic coating industry

Dr. Marcel Mahner

Empowering the opthalmic industry with ArtificiaI Intelligence – new possibilities on the example of cosmetic inspection

Morrow

flō

Schneider

SPOTLIGHT

Speakers

Dr. Judith Ungewiß

Stefano Sonzogni

Dr. Michael Kreis

Aalen University

MEI System

Satisloh

Psychophysical evaluation of optical lenses in the Aalen Mobility Perception and ­Exploration Lab (AMPEL)

The block-free lens generation process – an effective step ahead in preserving the environment

Opportunities and challenges of blockless surfacing technology

Different approaches for the evaluation of

The reduction of human footprint on our planet

Recently there has been a lot of “buzz” around

optical lenses and other refractive correction

has become a hot topic lately. However, the

blockless surfacing. And surfacing without a

methods for the human eye are available: Ray

reduction of the environmental impact, often,

block indeed has great potential to reduce

tracing methods characterize the image quality

requires many changes. Changes of people's

complexity, time and cost by removing several

at the retina level whereby the image processing

mentality, manufacturing methods, and

process steps from the manufacturing of Rx

in the higher visual pathway is not taken into

­replacement of equipment. Sometimes also the

lenses.

account whereas questionnaires take into

global performance of the process or the

However, any developer of a blockless produc-

account the subjects’ perception in a completely

product may decrease. In the end, everything

tion system will have to overcome significant

subjective way with an inherent lack of

comes down to the cost, which normally is

challenges regarding lens quality, product range

standardization.

perceived as higher. This is what makes the

and processing speed. Dr. Kreis will elaborate

The Aalen Mobility Perception and ­Exploration

attention to the environment problematic,

on both, the opportunities and challenges of

Lab (AMPEL) offers a psychophysical test

even though it is so fascinating.

blockless surfacing based on Satisloh’s feasibility

set-up which can be used to assess individual

We always believed that the way out of this

study of the technology.

visual performance with or without optical

sort of dilemma was to look for a simpler

correction lenses.

manufacturing method. Revolution rather

Psychophysical tests such as the assessment of

than optimization.

halo areas (“halometry”), clinical examination

We devoted a large part of the R&D capability

methods of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity,

of the last decade trying to reinvent processes

and the standardized environment of a (night-

in the eyeglass production field, with a very

time) driving simulator – to be used with and

simple goal in mind: make it simpler, faster, and

without glare – are available. The latter set-up

cheaper, reduce waste, water contamination,

allows for local visual acuity and/or contrast

and footprint.

sensitivity threshold evaluation based on

The block-free technology in lens surfacing and

stimuli (usually Landolt Cs) that are presented

edging is the most prominent result of this relent-

at various locations e.g. on a projection screen,

less effort. Optimized automation systems,

an instrument panel, a navigation monitor, or

self-calibration capability, integrated quality

a rear view mirror.

controls on 100% of the machine output. Solutions that contribute to minimizing space, staff

(A lecture by Dr. Judith Ungewiß, Dr. Michael

requirement, and rejection rate. We are pleased

Wörner and Dr. Ulrich Schiefer, presented by

to explain some of the technologies available

Dr. Ungewiß)

today that can help in reducing the impact on the environment.

MAFO 6-23

11

SPOTLIGHT

Speakers

José Miguel Cleva

Dr. Jens Buergin & Heiko Schlump

Dr. Gaetano Volpe & Pasquale Fanelli

IOT

Zeiss

ProCrea Tech

Revolutionizing myopia management – a novel approach to treating children's myopia

Connectivity as enabler for Industry 4.0

AI and neural networks in freeform lens design software

Industry 4.0 offers great potentials to create

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has catalysed a

value out of data and thus to impact our

profound revolution across various industrial

The global surge in myopia prevalence has

business of ophthalmic lens production. Data

sectors. For example, AI-powered diagnostic

raised concerns among practitioners, urging

generated by machines is the basis for

systems are improving medical imaging

the implementation of effective myopia

­Industry 4.0 as it is an enabler for realizing

analysis, and today, in ophthalmology, it is

management solutions.

Industry 4.0 use cases for visualizing and

possible to automatically identify retinal

The efficacy of this myopia management lens

analyzing data.

tissues in an OCT scan. We delve into the

has been evaluated in the first randomized,

Therefore, standardized machine interfaces

core principles of AI and neural networks,

double-blind study carried out, specifically in

for data exchange between machines and a

seeking to clarify their complex mechanics

a European population. After 12 months of

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data

in an accessible manner. The integration of

follow-up, the study showcased a remarkable

­Acquisition) system or a MES (Manufacturing

these cutting-edge technologies into freeform

39% reduction in axial length progression,

Execution System) are needed. As standard

ophthalmic lens design software is today

distinguishing this solution from conventional

for data exchange, OPC UA (Open Platform

possible, so it is important to understand how

single vision lenses.

Communications Unified Architecture) opens

this influences the free-form lens calculation

This pioneering solution, utilize free-form

new ways for standardization of machine

process and the impact AI has on the existing

technology and its lens geometry, is grounded

interfaces and offers further advantages like

technology. The primary objective of this

in peripheral positive/myopic defocus and

embedded security and advanced communica-

integration, in fact, is the mitigation of lateral

asymmetric defocus theories. With its utiliza-

tion methods.

aberrations, specifically unwanted astigma-

tion of free-form technology, this solution

tism, to improve visual comfort and provide

ensures enhanced comfort, superior aesthetics,

an overall better visual experience.

and a natural appearance, without the reliance on specialized semi-finished products.

Get your tickets now ticket.mafo-optics.com

12

MAFO 6-23

SPOTLIGHT

Speakers

Mo Jalie

Arved Kampe

Varsenik Nersesyan

University Ulster

3D-Micromac

Morrow

The minimum thickness of spectacle lenses

Shaping the future of eyewear: how to enable AR-glasses by laser cutting of high-index glass waveguides

One of the most important computations which is undergone by the Lens Design

Electronic glasses with active optics for vision correction In the realm of ophthalmic innovation, electronic glasses stand out as a promising alterna-

Software in a Lab Management System is that

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality

tive to conventional multifocal lenses, offering

of finding the minimum thickness for a given

products (VR) mix digital and established

solutions to comfort, safety, and adaptability

prescription which will enable the thinnest

technologies with ophthalmic technologies.

concerns in vision correction.

and lightest lens to be produced in any given

Among the most significant technological

These cutting-edge glasses incorporate active

material. In the case of a minus lens the

challenges associated with AR is the optical

optical lenses, utilizing a new electro- switch-

minimum thickness of the lens always lies at

design of appropriate devices. At the heart of

able technology based on liquid crystal com-

its optical center and is computed from a

any AR device is the so-called optical combiner

position for superior vision quality. These lenses

stipulated optical center thickness plus any

that combines the real-world image with the

can be electrically activated to enhance the

addition for prism which has to be incorpo-

virtual image generated by a display (light en-

viewing experience by focusing on a dedicated

rated in the lens.

gine). Waveguide technology offers a potential

reading zone, providing two distinct states:

Plus lenses on the other hand are more difficult

solution to this.

OFF (with the electrical switch off) and ON

to compute since the point on the edge of a

As the industrialization of waveguide-based

(activated near vision lens).

lens where the thickness will be a minimum

AR devices progresses, their design-based

As an active participant in the exploration and

is not obvious at the outset and has to be

shaping and robustness are becoming key

application of these electronic glasses, I aim

determined before the necessary center

considerations. Automated approaches to cutting

to showcase their seamless integration into the

thickness of the lens can be found. This talk

AR eyepieces made of high-index glass are a

traditional ophthalmic ecosystem. This integra-

considers these problems and shows how the

high priority.

tion ensures compatibility with existing

position of the minimum thickness of the lens

Using ultrashort pulsed lasers provides a

manufacturing processes, providing a promis-

can be determined.

promising approach for scalable free-form glass

ing solution for both consumers and profes-

cutting with high strength and precision. Schott

sionals in the field of vision correction.

and 3D-Micromac optimized a laser-based

This presentation aims to delve into the

separation process for achieving high and

technological intricacies of these active optical

predictable bending strength to guarantee high

lenses, highlighting the benefits they offer to

production yields. They integrated it into a

consumers and their smooth integration into

modular machine concept scalable from lab to

the broader ophthalmic ecosystem.

mass production.

The promise of the technology is seamless

This presentation tells the story behind this

integration into the conventional ophthal-

development project, the underlying reflections,

mic ecosystem, ensuring compatibility with

and the lessons learned.

existing manufacturing processes across the industry.

MAFO 6-23

13

SPOTLIGHT

Speakers

Jonathan Jaglom

Dr. Marcel Mahner

flō

Schneider

Going digital: How Additive Manufacturing (AM) will change the ophthalmic coating industry

Empowering the opthalmic industry with ArtificiaI Intelligence – new possibilities on the example of cosmetic inspection

flō seeks to transform the ophthalmic market by providing digitized coating solutions

To date, cosmetic inspection and the detection

through Additive Manufacturing technology

of irregularities on the lens surface has been a

via unique multi-material and multi-layering

purely manual process, highly dependent on the

techniques. This innovative approach provides

inspectors’ individual perception. The process

ophthalmic labs with new possibilities regard-

is not only strenuous but also lacks objectiveness.

ing coating options that are both improved in

As a result, it has been a desire to automate this

terms of coating performance and offered at

important quality check with the intention to

a lower price. Coatings undertaken using flō’s

facilitate decision making at a new level, based

digital process allow for endless colour

on data, to ultimately standardize the process.

schemes, gradients, and even graphic design

This has changed with the development of a

when it comes to tinting, as well as offering

fully automated system that can automate the

significant savings (example – inventory costs)

process with the help of Artificial intelligence

when applying its photochromic coating solu-

respectively deep learning. Labs have the

tions. Additional advantages rest around

possibility to teach the system by feeding it

Sustainability, Repeatability, and Customiza-

with their individual decisions.

tion. flō's vision is simple: to digitize all things

This lecture takes a deep dive into how Artificial

optical using Additive Manufacturing.

Intelligence can be leveraged to standardize the process and guarantee highest quality. First, the general AI concept is presented and detailed on the example of cosmetic inspection.

Furthermore, the benefits of an Artificial Intelligence based system are detailed by a comparison to the current manual lens inspection. Finally, the lecture will show how conclusions about root causes of defects can be drawn in combination with a global lab supervision system.

#MAFO CON24

14

MAFO 6-23

THE CONFERENCE s elegate d 3 k o Bo 3 ,y € 33 l n o r o f son ! per per

#MAFO CON24

on February 2, in Milan (one day before Mido) Under the motto:

Next Generation Catch the Early bird discount:

€ 399,- per person by booking until December 31, 2023

Highlights  Block-free generating  Myopia management designs  Smart glasses  Industry 4.0  Thickness optimization and much more ...

Stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter, to get all the news about MAFO – The Conference. For all questions and suggestions about the conference please write an email to: hanna.diewald@mafo-optics.com www.linkedin.com/showcase/mafo ticket.mafo-optics.com

09_EAZ-Konfi.indd 9

03.11.23 08:33

LIVE ON SITE

Reg

Isaa to t

Kev Sch

A breath of future at VEW 2023 Many innovations in Las Vegas In September 2023, the global ophthalmic industry met in Las Vegas as every year. At this year's Vision Expo West (VEW), visitors were able to get an exciting glimpse into the future of ophthalmic optics. Here, it became clear that the industry is in a state of upheaval ‒ at all levels: from blockless generating, to printed coatings, smart glasses with camera, online refractions or VR glasses for lifelike „test vision“ of progressive lenses. Traditional companies and start-ups alike are currently revolutionizing the industry and showing how the latest technology can be used in very different ways. Welcome to the future!

By Hanna Diewald

V

EW was held in Las Vegas from September 27 to 30,

More than 400 exhibitors

2023 and even on arrival at the fair, many visitors could

More than 400 exhibitors were on site in the large hall of the Venetian

hardly miss the huge glowing sphere that stood out

Convention & Expo Center and presented several highlights. Attendance

especially at night: The Sphere, Las Vegas's newest

was said to be the highest since 2019, but detailled numbers have not

concert venue opened on Friday night with a highly anticipated per-

been released by the organizers since regulations due to Corona.

formance by U2 ‒ their first live show since 2019. So, visitors quickly

While it looked very crowded in the entrance area at the beginning of

breathed the unique Las Vegas atmosphere, surrounded by slot ma-

the first day, the crowds thinned out somewhat over the days. Several

chines - there are said to be 140,000 in Las Vegas - countless shows

machine exhibitors reported not extremely many but qualitatively

and art worlds. On the fairground itself, of course, it looked different.

good discussions.

There were no slot machines, but many machines that generated excite-

The overall mood at the show seemed quite optimistic: „It was amazing

ment among the public in a completely different way.

to see the vision care industry come together in Las Vegas for an

14

14_VEW.indd 14

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 17:46

LIVE ON SITE

Reginaldo Ribeiro in front of the Bühler booth.

The new block-less freeform lens production system

by MEI System.

Isaac Altit, Sales Director Canada at Satisloh next to the Rx-Bot LUKE.

Kevin Cross, Vice President of Sales NA at Schneider, presents the EBC 500.

Walter Castro, Danelle Martin and Ron Kroll from Ocuco at VEW 2023.

CrystalChrome allows on-demand production of photochromic lenses

The start-up flō shows live how optical coatings are applied via additive manufacturing. Source: flō

action-packed show featuring over 400 companies across distinct

Block-free generating

neighborhoods, engaging programming at the Innovation Stage, cutting-

A very popular booth this year was that of MEI System, where visitors

edge continuing education and unforgettable exhibitions,“ said Fran

could see the first block-free generator on the market, the CoreTBA.

Pennella, vice president, Visio Expo, at RX, co-organizer of Vision Expo.

The block-less freeform lens production system, as the Italian machine

„This year was especially spectacular ‒ it truly felt like the industry was

manufacturer calls it, combines several processes in one machine, from

finally back after a few long and challenging years, illustrated by the

the digital generation, through the engraving, polishing and washing.

largest show attendance since 2019.“

Block-free machines in labs are a desirable goal, as on the one hand process steps are eliminated and on the other hand neither alloys nor adhesives

Education program

are used. So it remains highly exciting how the machines actually perform

On Wednesday already, started the comprehensive education program

in the lab in future.

and meetings for The Vision Council members in which selected topics

Of course, there were also many other machines on display at MEI, such

of general relevance were discussed.

as the EasyFit Trend, a professional lens edger, or the EasyBuddy, a robotic

For example, at VEW, the Lens Product Description Standard (LPDS)

lens loading system.

was finalized and approved, so that it now replaces the old LDS v2.2 standard. The new LPDS has a new, extensible format that allows for the

Additive manufactured optical coatings

flexibility to define digital designs independent of lens blanks, the ability

Another visitor magnet was the start-up flō. The Israeli company presented

to describe unique processing parameters, and the structure to deliver

a completely new technology in which optical coatings, such as pho-

base curve charts for lens selection.

tochromic coatings or hard coatings, are applied in an additive process.

On Thursday morning, the visitors were then directly tuned into the

„The ability to control the coating process down to the level of micro-sized

„real“ trade show with DJ sounds in the entrance area, and so most of

pixels opens a wide new range of design possibilities in terms of func-

the visitors certainly entered the large exhibition hall in a good mood.

tionality, cost, ease of use, sustainability and more“ stated the company.

Most of the world's machine manufacturers were represented here and

And indeed, many interested people came to the hourly live presentations

had not spared to present many of their machines live at the fair.

of the process.

MAFO 6-23

14_VEW.indd 15

15

03.11.23 17:46

LIVE ON SITE

Daniel Crespo and Carolina Gago from IOT.

Artist at the EssilorLuxottica booth. Source: VEW

Jim Goerges and Pete Olson from Precision Tool Technologies.

The new Alexa-powered Carrera Echo smart glasses by Safilo.

Pau Artús and Oscar Duran from Horizons Optical.

New Ray-Ban smart glasses including camera.

The VISTA, a fully automated lens inspection system

by OptoTech.

Joseph Patella, Sylvia Sadofsky-Saavedra and Will Daniels from DAC Technologies.

In the meantime, the company has announced that it has signed

More unpacking, e-ticket and film lamination

agreements with three North American labs that will install the platform

Another technology preview to unpack semi-finished lenses could be

and flō has already signed an exclusive supplier agreement with PPG.

seen at Satisloh: the Rx-Bot LUKE. The machine was especially developed to automate manual unboxing without human intervention and makes

Photochromic lenses on demand

recycling easy. It works touch-free and gets opened by a maintenance-free

For the machine manufacturer Coburn Technologies, the US-trade

laser cut, that should prevent blanks from contamination.

show is a home game, so as always, many machines were presented.

The latest coating machine 900-TLX with special sector-dome design,

A special highlight was the photochromic spin-coating system

offers more flexibility and higher speed for AR and mirror coatings for

­CrystalChrome for optical labs, that enables on-demand production of

medium batch sizes. The 3-sector-dome design allows the simultaneous

photochromic coatings. The system was developed in collaboration with

use of different sector types. There was also the opportunity to experience

the new parent SDC.

the Tech-Film AR or view the new e-ticket that can replace a paper job ticket by having the most important job information on the e-ticket.

"Natural" unpacking and high-speed processing

Furthermore the company launched a new online consumables store for

At Schneider, a large selection of machines was presented as usual. An

some markets.

innovative machine is the Deboxer DBX Modulo ONE, which opens all the usual types of boxes in a „natural“ way and thus should work very

Lens inspection and coating

cleanly. So boxes get unfold, taken out and unwrapped, thus no laser or

At OptoTech, a highlight was in particular the VISTA machine, a fully

knife is needed to open it. It also allows for single-sort recycling.

automated lens inspection system that detects and localizes cosmetic

Visitors could also see the extremely fast HSC Modulo ONE with two-

defects on ophthalmic lenses. A machine that made its debut at Mido

motor concept and ultra-fast workpiece changer, which has become even

2023 and was now presented for the first time in the USA.

more productive thanks to an update. For smaller labs, there were also

At Bühler, for example, the Boxer 1100 coating machine was on display.

compact machines on display, such as the EBC 500, a coater especially

Thanks to its new high-vacuum pumping system, it is particularly energy-

for small and mid-sized Rx labs.

efficient and guarantees easy maintenance.

16

14_VEW.indd 16

Q S F S

w p

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 17:47

6

!AZ.ind

cal.

.

d

LIVE ON SITE

And much more…

In addition to the machine highlights, however, there was much more to see and experience at Vision Expo West.

Horizons Optical was a first-time exhibitor at Vision Expo West. Highlights included the introduction of mimesys, an ecosystem of progressive lens technologies that offers two solutions: mimesys Lens, which represents a paradigm shift in the way patients perceive progressive

Sandra Fonticoli, Thomas Zangerle and ­Laurent Provost from Automation & Robotics.

Tim Smith, Ken Zappe and Matt Ramlet from Ultra Optics.

Hugh McAllister and François-Charles Laberge from K&Y Diamond.

Joseph El-Hindi and Wynn El-Hindy from ­Filtertech.

lenses through gaze dynamics diagnostics and the provision of fully personalized progressive lenses, and mimesys Coach, a VR simulation tool designed to dispel misconceptions about progressive lenses.

Under the slogan „Ready for the Change,“ IOT unveiled its new international campaign for Neochromes, its flagship photochromic lens. At the same time, the company unveiled a new myopia management solution at Silmo. This lens, based on extensive research, slows the progression of myopia in children and reduces the growth of ocular

Safilo unveiled their highly anticipated collaboration with Amazon, the

elongation. The effectiveness of the Myopia Management Solution was

Alexa-powered Carrera Echo frames that combine high-end fashion

evaluated in the first randomized, double-blind study conducted specifi-

with artificial intelligence.

cally in a European population. It is not yet available in all countries.

Zenni Optical revealed a partnership with Meta to supply custom-built

Software provider Ocuco showcased its comprehensive lab management

VR Prescription Lenses, part of the “Made for Meta” accessories collection

system and used the show to unveil its 2024 Innovations User Group

for the Meta Quest 3 (a mixed realtity VR headset) These lenses make

“Seas the Day”, which will be held at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort,

VR accessible to those who wear corrective eyewear.

Clearwater Beach in April.

And several companies demonstrated how well digital eye tests now work.

So it was not boring at all at this year´s Vision Expo West and all participants

Smart Glasses, virtual vison tests and more

could leave the show after several days with a lot of new input.

Outside the machinery area, visitors could expect a few more novelties.

The next Vision Expo West will take place from 18 - 21 September 2024

For example, Luxottica showed the next generation Ray-Ban smart

in Las Vegas. And please note: 2024 will be the last time Vision Expo West

glasses, in collaboration with Meta, which also enables live video streaming

will be held in Las Vegas, from March 14 - 17, 2024, because the organizers

in social media.

QUALITY & SAVINGS FROM STOCK

recently announced the move to Orlando, starting in 2025. ◆

Advertisement

SENSOR HEADS & FEEDTHROUGHS IONIZATION, THERMOCOUPLE & INSTRUTECH CONVECTION GAUGES

GOLD STRESS-RELIEVING ALLOY® LONGER LIFE GOLD® & LIQUID PLATING CRYSTALS

www.filtech.com paula@filtech.com

617-227-1133 • 800-743-1743

14_VEW.indd 17 !AZ.indd 5

ELECTRON BEAM GUN PARTS

INFICON RATE/THICKNESS CONTROLLERS & MONITORS

704 & 705 SILICONE DIFFUSION PUMP FLUIDS

SCAN FOR OUR FULL CATALOG

ION SOURCE PARTS

03.11.23 19.10.21 17:47 12:05

LIVE ON SITE

Picture: Frank Sonnenberg

Silmo Paris 2023 The point of attraction for a dynamic industry!

Silmo Paris 2023 took place from September 29 to October 2. This year's trade show was again able to attract many professionals from the ophthalmic optics and eyewear fashion industry. With a changed layout in Hall 6 and 7, visitors were faced with new and unfamiliar walkways. No disadvantage, as this made for unexpected encounters and fresh perspectives on a trade fair that knows how to perfectly combine the topic of fashion with technology and the future. By Silke Sage and Frank Sonnenberg

T

his year, 31,437 visitors ‒ including opticians, designers,

As always, the trade show look was resplendent in bright yellow,

manufacturers and other industry professionals ‒ came

visually providing visitors with a high level of recognition in the

to northeast Paris this fall, to attend the prestigious trade

world of trade shows.

show. This represented a slight increase of 16.5% in the

number of visitors compared to the previous year. This stable high

Future of the industry in focus

attendance is an important indication of the importance of the show

At the trade show, in addition to the traditional exhibition halls as the

as a central platform for industry-wide exchange and presentation of

setting for the industry, two visitor areas stood out in particular. Slightly

new products and developments.

off the beaten track, the “Silmo Next” and the special “Futurology”

The almost equal 50/50 distribution of international and national

show took place. Here, too, highlighted by the Silmo yellow, the focus

French visitors also shows: The show plays an important role in the

was on the future of the industry.

global trade fair scene and is considered a visitor magnet for international

Smart eyewear and its current possibilities, such as the connection to

buyers. On 75,000 m², 929 companies showed the entire range of the

social media, were important topics. In addition, it was about so-called

ophthalmic optics and eyewear industry with large and small, histori-

phygital experiences in virtual reality, for instance the skillful con-

cally known and new companies and players representing the entire

nection between the analog and the digital world: the fusion of online

value chain.

and offline.

18

18_Silmo.indd 18

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 17:49

!AZ.ind

LIVE ON SITE

Focus on environmentally compatible solutions More mundane, but no less future-oriented for future products in ophthalmic optics was another topic: an environmentally compatible design. The focus here was on materials such as bio-based acetate materials, their application in collections or the recyclability of new products. In the coming years, demand by frame manufacturers for recycled and recyclable materials will increase in the industry. Some materials are already on the market, others will follow. Especially those that offer reusable solutions within the framework of the circular economy. As the range of products currently available shows: they are focusing primarily on bio-based materials in production.

Outstanding performance awarded with the Silmo d'Or. The organizers were also very satisfied: “This year's Silmo Paris has

Haute Couture by Lafont - Maison Sekmoto.

definitely confirmed that the Paris event is the place where new collections and brands as well as innovative concepts are presented on an international level,” they said. The strength of Silmo, in addition to a

show also lies in the diversity of the events that promote innovation,

wide range of presentations and events that promote innovation, creation

creation and knowledge, representing the companies that are inventing

and knowledge, also lies in the recognition of special achievements.

the optics of today and tomorrow.

To this end, the Silmo d'Or Award provides the stage for companies

This year, these included the Optical Design Contest, the Trends Forum,

that are reinventing the optics of today and tomorrow.

the International Optician of the Year Award (presented by the Inter-

The 30th Silmo d'Or 2023 award ceremony took place on Saturday

national Opticians Association), the Futurology area offering unique

evening, September 30 at the Les Folies Gruss Circus. The award is a

experiential areas where smart products could be tested, new trends

central pillar of the show and enjoys great attention. The nominated

in virtual reality could be discovered and an innovative approach to

models and technologies were announced in advance and were displayed

sustainable production could be tried out.

at noon on Saturday for the jury participants to vote.

Silmo Next is a multidisciplinary forum dedicated to the future, showcasing the latest technological innovations and advances in

An all-round successful show

smart eyewear, phygital experiences and environmentally sustainable

This year's Silmo Paris has definitely confirmed that the Paris event is

design. This and much more was part of the repertoire in this edition

the place where new collections and brands, as well as innovative

of Silmo Paris. Silmo Paris 2024 will take place from September

concepts are presented on an international level. The strength of the

20-23, 2024. ◆

Advertisement

SPECTACLE LENS TOOLING ULTRA PRECISION DIAMOND TOOLS FOR ANY GENERATOR EXCELLENT SERVICE QUICK TURNAROUND

kydiamond.ca 18_Silmo.indd 19 !AZ.indd 4

03.11.23 23.10.23 17:49 09:59

TECHNOLOGY

Overcoming the gas age Multiple photon absorption brings the laser processing for eyeglasses to the next level The production of eyeglasses requires different laser marking processes. Semi-finished and especially free-form lenses require semi-visible functional laser engraving for position marks onto the uncoated surface. Besides these technical engravings, lasers can create visible brandings on spectacle lenses. Now, a new Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) UV concept was developed by 3D-Micromac, that should merge highest engraving quality and cost efficiency.

By Mandy Gebhardt, Robin Zimny, Claudia Radelow

I

n the past, mainly excimer and CO₂ lasers covered those tasks.

In 2023, 3D-Micromac developed a new DPSS UV concept that merged

Excimer lasers' UV wavelength proved optimal for manufactur-

the highest engraving quality and superior cost efficiency for surface

ing high-quality surface markings. Recently, economic con-

markings.

siderations put pressure on the technical developed and

For more than twenty years, laser engraving has been the state-of-the-art

established technology. That happened mainly due to the recent

engraving technique in the ophthalmic industry. Whereas excimer

shortage of halogen gases. But also, intensive surveillance efforts

laser systems are especially suited for premium quality engraving, CO2

caused by environmental, health, and safety reasons played an important

lasers operate in low-cost production. These contemplations also apply

role. Therefore, several alternative processes have been developed in

to the laser system's purchase price and operation costs. While CO2

the last years ‒ unfortunately, all of them were causing cutbacks on

laser systems do not need much more than electricity and cooling water,

either engraving quality, lifetime, or material flexibility.

excimer lasers need halogen gas for operation. With halogen gases

20

20_Laser engraving.indd 20

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 08:36

TECHNOLOGY

becoming prohibitive up to temporarily unavailable on the market on several occasions in the last years, the search for alternatives began.

Fundamentals of laser processing There are different laser-induced superficial material removal principles.

One of them is laser ablation. Its mechanisms depend on:

▶ optical properties of the material (transparency, surface quality, chemical compounds)

▶ laser wavelength ▶ pulse length of the laser ▶ laser power, pulse energy, and energy density As the transparent lens material must absorb the laser radiation for effective interaction between the laser and the lens material, it is only possible to engrave transparent materials with laser sources from

Fig. 1: Nearly invisible position marks on a CR39 lens engraved by DPSS laser.

­u ltraviolet (UV) to far infrared (IR) wavelengths. Meaning the recommended laser wavelengths need to be shorter than 400 nm (UV) or

process common ophthalmic materials like CR39 since their wavelength

longer than 2 µm (IR).

was too long for linear interaction, and pulses were too long for non-

In order to take advantage of linear absorption effects when using

linear effects. A new physical solution brought the possibility of multiple

excimer lasers, pulse lengths in the nanosecond (ns) range need to be

photon absorption by working with ultra-short pulses (down to 10-11

applied. By using an ultra-short-pulsed laser source, additional non-

seconds) in this wavelength region. These pulses are short enough to

linear effects occur, generating precise and high-quality markings on

compromise working at a wavelength of 266 nm. Therefore, the focus

transparent polymers. This opens the process window to higher

diameter is slightly smaller than working at 193 nm. (Figure 2, right)

wavelengths like 266 nm.

Due to the shorter pulse duration, the overall pulse effort is higher.

As a result, mainly two laser sources are in industrial use for laser engravings: excimer lasers in the UV wavelength range and CO2 lasers in the

Solutions for ophthalmic lens marking

IR wavelength range.

When in 2022 once again halogen gas became temporarily unavailable

Nevertheless, several criteria must be considered to choose the most

on the market, 3D-Micromac decided to develop a new laser engraving

appropriate laser source for engraving: the requested engraving quality,

concept in the UV range. With their new microMARK RXe BLUE,

reliability and lifetime of the laser source, and last but not least, the cost

the company provides a system that is equipped with an industry-proven

of operation.

DPSS laser source. This guarantees a significantly higher number of emitted laser pulses than similar classes of laser sources, thus ensuring

”Cold” ablation vs. thermal structuring

premium engraving quality and cost-efficiency advantages.

Thermal ablation is the conventional way to achieve cost-effective engrav-

As mentioned above, DPSS lasers have several advantages over other

ing results in well-absorbing lens materials. However, as shown in Figure

laser types, such as compactness, efficiency, costs of purchase, and

2 (left), the longer laser pulses in the IR range are, the more they lead to

reduced maintenance efforts. Furthermore, no halogen gas is required

severe thermal effects, such as melting and solidifying molten material.

to operate the laser system. As a result, customers benefit from low

In addition, a heat-affected zone of some micrometers width, thermal

investment and operating costs and fewer environmental, health, and

stresses, cracks, and delamination of coatings may occur. During laser

safety risk management restrictions.

irradiation, the top layer of material heats up, and an ionization appears.

With the new laser engraving system, engraving test rows have been

All these facts influence the engraving quality.

carried out on various commercially available ophthalmic lens materials

Laser pulses in the UV or deep UV (DUV) range typically operate by pulse

together at multiple production facilities. The result: The engraving

durations of 10-9 seconds. The energetic UV radiation and short nanosecond

quality of the new DPSS laser system has clearly achieved the same

laser pulses achieve a precise engraving result. The main advantages are a

standard as common excimer laser systems.

minimum heating of the lens surface (Figure 2, middle) and a minimum

Figure 3 compares laser engraving results on CR39. On the left side,

heat-affected zone of some tens of nanometers width, no thermal stresses,

there are engraving results shown that are created with several excimer

cracks, and delamination of coatings (Figure 2, middle). Furthermore, UV

laser systems available in the market. On the right side (last row), the

laser engraving suits all polymer and glass lens materials.

engraving result of the new 355 nm DPSS laser system is depicted. The

A rather new approach to engraving in the ophthalmic industry are

pictures visualize the engraving qualities of functional and branding

Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers. Former DPSS lasers could not

engravings on AR- and super-hydrophobic lenses.

MAFO 6-23

20_Laser engraving.indd 21

21

03.11.23 08:36

TECHNOLOGY

Fig. 2: Comparison of thermal ablation with CO2 laser working in the infrared wavelength (left) and cold ablation with excimer UV laser (middle) and DPSS laser working in the ultraviolet wavelength (right). The comparison shows the working principle of the different laser sources. The excimer and DPSS laser ablation work without thermal influences on the lens material. Coatings are unaffected. Engraving with a CO2 laser (left) heats the material.

The thermal stress leads to a robust heat-affected zone, melting of the lens material, and peel-off effects in the coating.

Fig. 3: Comparison of engraving results on CR39 (Source: HOYA Lens Thailand).

It was shown that the DPSS laser source has created high-quality engrav-

for gas supply systems nor gas safety equipment. Third, the cost for

ings with virtually no heat influence, melting, or material contamination

essential laser equipment, such as beam guidance and optical motion

on the surrounding material, making the engraving comparable in

control, can be cut off due to the different technical approaches between

quality to excimer laser markings.

excimer and DPSS laser engraving systems. Altogether, that leads to

Excimer laser engraving quality at CO2 laser costs

Furthermore, switching to a DPSS laser engraving system can

As shown above, DPSS laser engraving systems are a considerable alterna-

a gas supply system, material and labor costs for changing the gas

tive to excimer laser engraving systems quality-wise. Additionally, due

necessary for operating an excimer laser become obsolete. In ad-

to their technical characteristics, using DPSS lasers opens the door to

dition, the laser optics of DPSS lasers are more durable, which

achieving excimer laser engraving quality by ownership costs comparable

results in longer maintenance intervals. Another advantage of

to CO2 laser engraving systems.

DPSS laser sources is that no laser tubes are installed, making a

The key drivers for this massive potential cost reduction are the DPSS

change during lifetime, differing from excimer lasers, unnecessary.

lasers themselves. First, DPSS laser sources cost an average of 20% less

Moreover, the DPSS laser source has a minimum lifetime of 5

than excimer laser sources that provide the same engraving results.

billion shots, which is about 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than the lifetime

Second, when working with DPSS laser sources, there is neither a need

of an excimer laser source.

a CaPex (Capital Expenses) reduction of up to 20%.

22

20_Laser engraving.indd 22

reduce the cost of ownership significantly. It is evident that without

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 08:36

!AZ.indd 8

03.11.23 08:22

TECHNOLOGY

All these factors can lead to a reduction of ownership costs of up to 60% compared to an excimer laser system - plus reduced downtimes and higher yield - in addition to saved labor, material, and service costs, as shown above. Under the cost of ownership view, exchanging existing laser equipment at the end of laser lifetimes can return the investment in less than two years.

Conclusion DPSS lasers working in the UV range are an excellent alternative to CO2 or excimer laser systems for laser engraving of ophthalmic lenses. With these systems, it is possible to achieve high-quality laser engravings. DPSS UV lasers are suitable to engrave all polymer materials from CR39 through high-index glasses, polycarbonate, and even glass lenses. Engraving intensity and contrast can vary according to customer demands. A comparison of investment and operational costs shows a significant advantage of DPSS UV lasers over excimer lasers for lens engraving. Thus, DPSS UV systems

Example for a typical wafer-based layout of optical waveguides for AR application.

qualify as very interesting engraving method for all kinds of lenses with

Outlook AR / VR

low investment and consumption costs and high-quality engravings.

The eyeglass industry, meanwhile, is ready for the next big thing:

Furthermore, no gas is required to operate the laser system. ◆

Augmented reality (AR), or virtual reality products (VR), mix digital and established technologies with ophthalmic technologies. Displays are integrated inside glasses, allowing users to see the natural world and the virtual image in parallel. Among the most significant technological challenges associated with AR is the optical design of appropriate devices. The so-called optical combiner, which combines the real-world image with the virtual image generated by a display or projector, is at the heart of any AR device.

Already well known to the industry for decades, such combiners have not been suitable for consumer all-day use regarding especially their form. Waveguide technology offers a potential solution to this: Flat substrates made of optical grade glass serve to guide the image parallel to the waveguide’s surface while simultaneously allowing light to

Mandy Gebhardt

pass through perpendicular to the waveguide’s surface. Thus, a large portion of performance-defining parameters depend on the waveguide material and its specifications, such as refractive index, specific density, transmission, homogeneity, flatness, warpage, etc.

Although still in its infancy, the AR industry needs to consider lifetime and reliability issues, which are tied to product robustness

Robin Zimny

Claudia Radelow

This article was written by a team of authors working at 3D-Micromac.

on the one hand and processing yield on the other hand. In 2023, Schott and 3D-Micromac have optimized a laser-based separation process for cutting augmented reality (AR) eyepieces made of

Mandy Gebhardt (Team Leader Marketing Scia systems and former Team

high-index glass that achieves high and predictable bending strength.

Leader at 3D-Micromac), Robin Zimny (Head of Customer Service) and

Combining competencies in material science and equipment building

Claudia Radelow (Team Leader Marketing). With almost 200 laser engrav-

significantly advanced the understanding of high-strength and

ing systems installed worldwide since 2004, 3DMicromac has an extensive experience in ophthalmic lens production. A worldwide available service team supports customers throughout the life cycle of the systems. In addition, the company has a fully equipped application laboratory with experienced process engineers, which support customers in feasibility

high-throughput cutting of high-index glass and other transparent materials used in AR eyepieces. 3D-Micromac integrated the process into a modular machine concept scalable from lab applications to mass production.

tests, process development, and realization of customized solutions.

24

20_Laser engraving.indd 24

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 08:37

!AZ.indd 7

31.10.23 09:42

Go Digital!

SPOTLIGHT

Chat GPT and other AI´s -‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ a new language for the industry An interview with CSEM Machine Learning expert Philipp Schmid Since the free launch of the ChatGPT chatbot in 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undeniably become a hot topic. More than 50% of ChatGPT users reveal that they utilize AI in their personal lives to streamline daily tasks. With such widespread consumer interest in AI, it prompts a natural inquiry into the current role of AI in the industrial landscape. Philipp Schmid, Head of Industry 4.0 and Machine Learning at CSEM, an internationally recognized Swiss technology innovation center, provides insights in the following interview. Schmid addresses, among other topics, the general significance of AI in the industry, the untapped potential of predictive maintenance and why the industry would do well to rethink its handling and attitude toward data. The following interview was first published at netzwoche.ch

26

26_Interview Schmid CSME.indd 26

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 18:04

Go Digital!

SPOTLIGHT

ChatGPT and other AI´s have recently caused a furor in virtually

all these data are rarely processed and used. In general, I would give

all professions where people write, program or design. How

Swiss industry a rather poor report card in the area of digitization.

much dust are these supposedly general-purpose AIs stirring up in the industry?

What is the reason for that?

The general-purpose AIs are kicking up an enormous amount of dust.

I attribute a key factor to the restrained pragmatism exhibited by Small

But unlike 2016, this time I am convinced: it will also have a strong

and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). While this approach shields

direct economic impact in the industry. The situation is comparable to

companies from unnecessary expenses, it concurrently hinders their ability

the big AI hype in 2016, when AlphaGo beat South Korean Lee Sedol,

to assume a pioneering role in technology. Historically, there has been an

one of the world's best professional players, in the board game Go.

excessive focus on ROI (Return on Investment) alone, neglecting the

Go is considered the most complex board game. Suddenly, AI was on

broader array of benefits flanking the path to digitalization. In numerous

every­one's lips and everyone did not want to miss out under any cir-

projects, the most significant value for companies did not arise solely from

cumstances. However, thanks to ChatGPT, this time AI is not an impres-

achieving the initial goal, but rather from capitalizing on incidental out-

sive opponent, but is experienced in a simple way for everyone.

comes. Presently, however, there is a noticeable surge in companies expressing keen interest, and I firmly believe that it is not too late!

What benefit does ChatGPT bring to the industry?

GPT stands for “Generative Pretrained Transformer”. Generative means

In which areas do you currently see the greatest potential?

something new is created (a matching response in the case of ChatGPT).

I currently see three exciting areas that can also be directly implemented

This property of neural networks has been used in the image domain for

in industry: quality and process control, predictive analytics (maintenance,

a few years now also for industrial applications, be it via AI-assisted image

digital twin, forecasting) and cognitive robotics (intelligent robots, human-

rendering functions or as deepfake to generate training data for improved

robot interaction, awareness of the environment). The selection of ap-

classification. Transformers are a special architecture of neural networks,

propriate technologies depends on the market segment and the degree

which were first introduced back in 2017. Text is comparable to sensor

of automation. From a technological standpoint, all three pillars are

data from a machine: it needs an understanding of the current situation

ready for industrial applications; however, the choice of implementation

and there is a temporal dependency, similar to the thread of a story. This

should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Initiating the digitization

makes these powerful transformer algorithms suitable for typical industrial

journey promptly is crucial; there is no need to delay any further.

problems like predictive maintenance/quality or process optimization.

What is holding companies back from realizing this What has happened in data analytics in the last five years?

potential?

These technologies are about extracting insights from data to identify

I think it is a mixture of skepticism, ignorance and risk aversion. Often,

trends and solve problems. It involves all the processes, tools and techniques

at the beginning of an AI project, the resulting performance cannot be

used for this purpose, including collecting and storing the data. In order

guaranteed. The results depend on very many different parameters.

to successfully implement data analytics solutions in industry, three

Without practical experimentation in a specific case, experts rely on gut

critical success factors are needed: annotated data (data that has been

instincts. Many managers prefer a clear run-through of use cases to

manually labeled by experts), algorithms (suitable neural networks) and

eliminate deployment risks, but in the area of AI solutions, this has

(affordable) computing power. In all three areas, we have made tremendous

hardly been possible to date.

progress in the last five years. Thanks to modern machine controllers and

Companies that have relied on the hype too early have also been disap-

powerful databases, it has never been easier to store vast amounts of data.

pointed in the past; they need to regain confidence and understand that

AI-powered annotation tools help human experts with the tedious labeling

the technological progress of recent years has been tremendous.

process. New algorithms like transformers have made it into programmers'

It is also enormously important that there is a certain level of expertise

standard libraries. And thanks to gamers and crypto miners, GPUs

within the company. It is like a new “language” and proven concepts

(graphics cards) have become extremely powerful and at the same time

from software development have to be adapted. However, more and more

attractively priced today. The combination of these three developments

young people are bringing this specific know-how with them, and this

means that there is now a large number of industrial applications that

can also ensure long-term implementation. Companies should dare to

were too expensive or not performant enough five years ago.

take small steps and not be deterred by the big mountain ahead.

In your opinion, how well are Swiss companies already digitally

There seems to be a trend towards predictive maintenance.

positioned?

Has this trend already arrived in the manufacturing

My daily experience in industry shows a wide spectrum: from simple

industry?

assembly machines without any sensors to highly integrated fully auto-

Excluding simple rotating systems (pump, fan, motor), I regret to say

matic machines that store millions of data points every day. However,

that, until today, I have not come across a solution in the industry that

MAFO 6-23

26_Interview Schmid CSME.indd 27

27

03.11.23 18:04

Go Digital!

SPOTLIGHT

truly deserves this name. The algorithms to offer “predictive” exist today.

companies are just now discovering the potential of predictive quality

This is proven daily by various text and voice applications like DeepL

and I can literally feel the enthusiasm. I expect great growth in this area

or ChatGPT. But for machine applications in industry, the data basis is

over the next few years.

usually missing. We have been looking for an industrial partner for a long time, who would provide us with 1,000 machines, all of which we

In order, to fully exploit the potential of Machine Learning, data

would be allowed to break down. This would probably be necessary to

is existential. Is there a general need for better access to data

acquire the required training data.

and data sets?

I see predictive maintenance as a vision and umbrella term for modern

I currently sense a real war in the industry over data sovereignty. Everyone

maintenance solutions. Condition-based maintenance is now technically

thinks data is the new oil and no one wants to share it. The big added

feasible. If this is combined with real-time evaluation and trend analysis,

value of data-driven approaches is the fusion of different data sources.

we are very close to predictive maintenance. The local manufacturing

The algorithms and computing power are ready to process even large

industry still has a lot of catching up to do in this field, as we notice from

data sets efficiently. Solutions need to be developed here that encourage

many inquiries. However, establishing a sustainable business model

data sharing and not the opposite. Anyone who shares their data openly

appears to be anything but straightforward.

and makes it accessible via a suitable interface should also share in any success. Currently, a lot of things are done twice or the party with the

At CSEM, one of your research topics is predictive quality. What

greater negotiating power wins.

does that mean in concrete terms?

In the whole discussion, a distinction must be made between sensitive,

Modern maintenance is all about the availability of the machine. It is

personal data and machine/process data. Especially with health data

seldom possible to prevent component failure; the added value lies primar-

and personal data, I advocate a very restrictive approach. There has to

ily in the early detection of a malfunction. Depending on the industry,

be a very good balance between the individual benefit and the potential

this can hardly result in a major cost advantage. However, long before

risks. Neural networks in particular offer a whole arsenal of new possibili-

a component - such as an axle or a motor - fails, the quality gradually

ties for deanonymizing data and further perfidious attack scenarios.

declines. The quality of a final product depends on the interaction of the

Advanced language models, like DarkBERT, exclusively trained on data

individual production steps and the condition of the components used.

from the darknet, are already in circulation. As is so often the case, there

In addition, product use and the subsequent field of application must be

are two sides to the coin with these new technologies. Legislators should

taken into account.

approach this matter with caution and foresight.

The concept “predictive quality” tries to predict the quality of a product during production using data-based methods and neural networks. For

How would your solution for regulated access to data look like?

example, it answers the question: At what degree of vibration of an axis

Especially for the Swiss/Europe economy, close cooperation in the data

does the machine produce only rejects? It also takes into account whether

domain, even with its competitors, is absolutely essential. However,

the product is intended for a highly critical market such as aerospace or

there's a significant hurdle: it's a “heavily untrusted environment” where

medical technology, or whether it is “merely” supplied to the consumer

mutual trust is lacking, despite the essential need for data from one

goods market.

another. CSEM, together with various companies, has developed a comprehensive concept called DEMON. The central idea is an encrypted

What are the strengths of predictive quality?

data lake in combination with a highly automated crypto key exchange,

The concept is very comprehensive, and takes into account all production

which manages the access to the data sources as well as the time period.

steps, condition of all components and continuously estimates the final

All companies, machines, devices and components can securely store

quality. It offers a large variety of direct business models and price ad-

their data in this encrypted data lake and request easily access from

vantages. A very big plus is that you do not need to destroy 1,000 machines

other users when necessary.

to get the training data. Common quality checks can generate the valuable ground truth data at any time. We have already successfully validated

What opportunities arise from this?

the concept in an industrial use case in concrete production. The

If a manufacturing company wants to implement the concept “predictive

implementation is challenging, but it is possible to start with first smaller

quality,” it needs data from all systems in its facility. The supplier of a

plants and then expand step by step to the whole production. Many

subsystem, aiming to enhance its products, requires data only from its system but from all facilities worldwide. In the event of a malfunction

I expect great growth in this area over the next few years.

28

26_Interview Schmid CSME.indd 28

in a facility, permissions for the service specialist can be immediately activated, providing temporary full access. It is even possible to make data available for training a neural network without effectively sharing it; the AI service provider receives the trained network without the raw data used. Technically, a lot is possible today, but the question remains:

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 18:04

!AZ.ind

Go Digital!

SPOTLIGHT

who has the market power and the finances to proclaim such a solution?

analytics (BA). The shortage of skilled workers will force many companies

The benefits would exponentially increase with the number of participants.

to map the experience of long-serving employees in software and thus

For now, there seem to be only isolated solutions, and the battle over

make it available as a support system for young, inexperienced employees.

data sovereignty continues behind the scenes.

Those who consistently follow this path and cooperate with the right partners will see their companies flourish in 10 years. ◆

What, in your opinion, will distinguish a successful industrial company in 10 years?

In addition to the consistent automation of routine tasks, I am convinced that software will play a significant more important role. An intuitive user interface, condition-based maintenance, encrypted data interfaces and comprehensive quality concepts will become significant unique selling points. Suddenly, the question will no longer be, do I make money with “predictive maintenance”, but rather: can I sell machines at all without it? Mechanical systems and components are becoming increasingly similar, copiers from low-wage countries are catching up with us faster

Philipp Schmid

and faster and patents are expiring - differentiation in the future will be determined by comprehensive software solutions. This will have an impact

Philipp Schmid is Head of Industry 4.0 & Machine Learning at CSEM.

not only on the production and machine level, but also on Business Analyt-

He is responsible for the scientific and economic excellence of this

ics (BI). The shortage of skilled workers will force many companies to map the experience of long-serving employees in software, thus providing a support system for young, inexperienced employees. Those who consistently pursue this path and collaborate with the right partners will see their companies flourish in 10 years.machine level, but also on business

domain. Before joining CSEM he worked in several industrial companies including Roche and spent one year as research fellow at the CSIRO Robotics group in Australia. He has a broad technological background in automation and holds an MBA degree from ETH Zurich. He is member of various expert committees and in 2023, he was again awarded as "Digital Shaper".

Advertisement

Leading coating technology and services for the ophthalmic industry.

Experience the UMBRA Photochromic Coating machine in combination with our new LEYBOLD OPTICS CCS 700 vacuum coater for premium quality anti-reflection coatings on top of the photochromic layer.

Got a question? Let’s talk about it. leyboldoptics@buhlergroup.com

Innovations for a better world.

!AZ.indd 3 Schmid CSME.indd 29 26_Interview

05.10.22 18:04 16:20 03.11.23

Go Digital!

TECHNOLOGY

Lens production going digital Industry 4.0 creating business impact Industry 4.0 offers new potentials impacting our business of producing ophthalmic lenses. Having realized automated mass production of individualized ophthalmic lenses with freeform technology developed by Zeiss and introduced in the year of 2000 is not the ending of improvements in lens production, but just the starting point of the fourth industrial revolution. Data generated by machines and where needed gathered as input by operators is the basis for Industry 4.0 with its target to create value out of data. By Jens Buergin

30

30_Industry 4.0_Buergin.indd 30

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 09:16

Go Digital!

TECHNOLOGY

control based on data Mold Making

Mold Opening

Casting

Mold Making

Casting

collect data

Photocoating

Mold Opening

Surfacing

Photocoating

Hard and Antireflective Coating

Cut, Edge and Fit

control based on data

Hard and Antireflective Coating

Surfacing

Cut, Edge and Fit

Delivery

Level 5 AUTONOMY

Level 4 PREDICTION

collect data Level 3 UNDERSTANDING

Level 1 CONNECTIVITY

Delivery

Level 2 VISIBILITY Level 3 UNDERSTANDING

Level 5 AUTONOMY

Level 4 PREDICTION

Level 2 VISIBILITY

Level 1 CONNECTIVITY

Fig. 1: Industry 4.0 levels and closed loop.

Industry 4.0 levels and use cases

Fortunately, it does not require to achieve the highest level of Industry

The implementation of Industry 4.0 cannot be mastered in one big step

4.0 for creating business impact. Industry 4.0 use cases can be defined

but needs to be developed from one level to the next (Fig. 1) . First of

on each level. In order to select use cases for implementation it is helpful

all, data generated along the value chain of ophthalmic lens production

to prepare a business model for each use case and, as far as possible,

needs to be collected and stored in data bases which requires

to make a business case calculation.

“connectivity”.

The value created by each use case should be in line with the business

The data then can be used to gain “visibility” about what is going on in

need such as putting focus on quality, cost or service. Moreover, it has

the value chain and on the shopfloor by e.g. creating reports or imple-

to be elaborated how value is created by each Industry 4.0 use case.

menting dashboards with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), quality

What Industry 4.0 use cases have in common is, independent of their

control charts and condition monitoring. Visibility allows to see more

Industry 4.0 level, that value is created out of data by controlling produc-

than what is visible on the shopfloor and to speak with data.

tion based on data and thus closing the loop to production. In particular,

Based on it, “understanding” of dependencies and root causes can be

the loop to production is closed either on a single process level, along

gained by analyzing the data. For example, the data can be used by Six

several steps of the value chain or even along the complete value chain

Sigma experts to solve problems in production by following the DMAIC

which might even be distributed among various locations globally.

process: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.

So, the basis of all Industry 4.0 use cases is to collect data which is why

In a further step, “prediction” of defects as well as machine errors and

“connectivity” is so important for realizing Industry 4.0 use cases and

downtimes is possible.

thus for creating business impact.

[1]

Multiple regression or Artificial Intelligence can be used for predicting quality characteristics based on various influencing factors and thus

Connectivity as enabler for Industry 4.0

for optimizing the parametrization of influencing factors in order to

The requirements for “connectivity” go far beyond plug-and-produce.

avoid defects. Also, predictive maintenance can be realized based on

Definitely, quickly connecting machines to a Supervisory Control And Data

condition monitoring.

Acquisition (SCADA) system or a Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

Reaching the highest level of Industry 4.0, “autonomy” means that

and thus the internal production IT architecture in order to start production

reactions based on predictions are autonomously executed.

and saving respective costs for integration of machines into the production

For example, depending on the use case, it can be decided to automize

system is essential. However, for realizing Industry 4.0 use cases the data

the optimization of the parametrization of influencing factors. This

exchange between machines and SCADA or MES has to be enhanced.

requires that risks and benefits are carefully evaluated. So, human

Besides exchanging data that is critical to run production, for each use

beings might still be needed in executing reactions and definitely will

case it has to be identified which additional data is needed from which

play an essential role in developing analytical models with and without

machine and which additional data needs to be shared with which

Artificial Intelligence.

machine for closing the control loop. Thus, it becomes clear that without

MAFO 6-23

30_Industry 4.0_Buergin.indd 31

31

03.11.23 09:16

Go Digital!

TECHNOLOGY

SCADA/MES

Mold Making

Casting

Mold Opening

Get Order Data via Order Identifier

Store Order Data via Order Identifier

Order Data Handshake

Order Upload Handshake

Photocoating

1.

ZEISS

Fig. 2: Handshakes for order-related parameters.

Order Data Download

Order Data Handshake

Tray Insert

Hard and Antireflective Coating

Surfacing

Order Data Request

Machines from internal and external suppliers collect data

control based on data

Cut, Edge and Fit

Delivery

Order Upload

Level 5 AUTONOMY

Order Upload

Process

Handshake Level 4 PREDICTION

2.Level 3 UNDERSTANDING

3.

Level 2 VISIBILITY

Tray Eject

4.

27 October 2023

5.

1

Level 1 enhanced data exchange Industry 4.0 use cases cannot be implemented.

CONNECTIVITY

The communication protocol needs to be defined in consideration of

“Connectivity” is a crucial enabler for Industry 4.0.

advantages and disadvantages of respective solutions such as TCP/IP and

So, what is needed to realize the 4th industrial revolution in ophthalmic

OPC UA. The data should be exchanged in a structured way such as by

lens production? Machine interfaces need to be standardized not only

implementing information models including the name, data type and

allowing for plug-and-produce, but also allowing for data exchange for

description of parameters.

Industry 4.0 use cases. This needs strong alignments between machine

The information models should be clearly defined, not leaving open any

suppliers and ophthalmic lens manufacturers or even joint standardization

room for interpretation in order to avoid differences in the implementation

activities between multiple suppliers and multiple manufacturers. Current

done by various suppliers for the same machine type and thus enabling

standards like the Data Communication Standard (DCS) presented by

plug-and-produce.

The Vision Council could be updated in order to better comply with

Parameters which are independent of the machine type should be

Industry 4.0 requirements.

defined generally for all machine types and parameters which are specific for a machine type with its respective process should be defined machine-type-specific.

It has to be ensured that for each machine type general and specific parameters, that are needed for realizing to-be-implemented Industry 4.0 use cases, are considered. In this context, it has to be distinguished between order-related parameters that are directly related to an order that is processed in a machine and non-order-related parameters that are machine parameters that are continuously monitored in a machine and are not directly related to orders. Furthermore, handshakes have to be defined for exchange of order-related and non-order-related parameters.

For order-related parameters handshakes are triggered by orders to be processed in a machine, e.g. by inserting a tray with to-be-processed lenses into a machine (Fig. 2). In a next step, data needed for processing a specific order is requested and transmitted or downloaded from a data base. After processing, order-related data about processing is uploaded or transmitted and then stored in a data base. Finally, the tray is ejected.

Dependent on the Industry 4.0 use cases, order-related data upload can include parameters that are useful for predicting quality characteristics and order-related data download can include parameters that are controlled by the prediction model in order to avoid defects.

32

30_Industry 4.0_Buergin.indd 32

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 09:16

Go Digital!

TECHNOLOGY

Besides, order-related data upload can also include further information

structuring the use cases in a way that overlapping use-case-specific

about processed orders such as the processing time of each order on a

criteria as well as common user groups are identified. The target

machine and conditions such as temperature during the processing of

must be on the one hand to avoid having too many different tools

each order.

overwhelming the users and on the other hand to provide the most

For non-order-related parameters, handshakes are not triggered by

important features that are needed for realizing the use cases and

orders, but continuously generated data, such as temperature and

creating impact.

pressure, can be continuously uploaded without any reference to orders,

For some use cases there might be an interaction between tools needed.

stored in a data base and visualized as time series.

For example, one tool might be needed for a simulation of production

In case the data required for an Industry 4.0 use case is not recorded,

systems with machines and material flows and another tool might be

additional sensors might be installed. However, it should be avoided

needed to visualize the simulation in Virtual Reality or Augmented

that required data is recorded by a machine, but not made accessible

Reality. Visualization in Augmented Reality would be especially helpful

by the machine supplier for data upload.

in cases where some production equipment is already set up on the

The challenge of Industry 4.0, thus, already needs to be faced at the

shopfloor interacting with additional equipment that is under evaluation

very first level which is “connectivity”. Machine suppliers need to be

and can be augmented on the shopfloor.

convinced by ophthalmic lens manufacturers to implement standardized

Real-time data from the shopfloor can be directly accessed by the

machine interfaces for new machines and as upgrades for machines

simulation enabled by “connectivity” in order to digitalize the physical

that are already running in production by now. Therefore, an industry-

production and then enhance the physical with the virtual production

wide standard for “connectivity” could be beneficial.

by using Augmented Reality.

Tools for data visualization and analysis

Summary

Based on “connectivity”, tools have to be selected and applied that are

Industry 4.0 offers great potentials to create value out of data and

suitable for creating value out of the data according to the requirements

thus to impact our business of ophthalmic lens production. Therefore,

of defined Industry 4.0 use cases. There will not be one tool which

Industry 4.0 use cases have to be defined along the Industry 4.0

will be able to fulfill the requirements of all use cases and there might

levels. “Connectivity” on the lowest Industry 4.0 level is an enabler

be several tools needed for implementing use cases on the different

for realizing the Industry 4.0 use cases on all levels “connectivity”,

Industry 4.0 levels “visibility”, “understanding”, “prediction” and

“visibility”, “understanding”, “prediction” and “autonomy”. Thus,

“autonomy”.

standardized machine interfaces for data exchange with machines

Depending on how value is created by each Industry 4.0 use case, a

are needed. For visualizing and analyzing the data according to the

suitable tool has to be selected. Therefore, it might be helpful to conduct

requirements of the Industry 4.0 use cases, an Industry 4.0 tool

a utility analysis by comparing several tools based on defined use-

landscape has to be created. ◆

case-specific criteria. As features usually differ between tools, testing of the tools could be useful to gain further insights and to come up with a profound tool selection.

Thus, data visualization and analysis should not be limited to a tool

References: [1] FIR e.V. at RWTH Aachen: „Stufen des Industrie 4.0-Entwicklungspfads“

set provided by one single supplier on the market. In this context, it is important to understand that tools offered by machine suppliers have the huge shortcoming of limiting the implementation of use cases that go beyond single machines or even a set of machines offered by the same supplier.

Traceability in terms of unique identification of work pieces such as lenses allows for use cases that cover several process steps or even the complete value chain and thus might need “connectivity” of machines provided by several suppliers. However, not only tools provided by a single machine supplier, but also tools provided by a single software supplier may have its limitations in fulfilling the criteria of the internally defined use cases. In conclusion, an external dependency on a single supplier can be a big risk for realizing Industry 4.0 use cases.

It is important to create an Industry 4.0 tool landscape that is suitable for realizing the defined company-specific Industry 4.0 use cases – in our case for ophthalmic lens production. High effort is needed for

MAFO 6-23

30_Industry 4.0_Buergin.indd 33

Jens Buergin Dr. Jens Buergin is Head of Industry 4.0 at Zeiss Vision Care. He has been working in the field of Industry 4.0 for several years both in academia and in industry. Jens is convinced that Industry 4.0 offers great potentials for improving operations and even better fulfilling customers' needs - and he is highly motivated to realize these potentials.

33

03.11.23 09:16

MARKET SURVEYS

Automation & Robotics www.ar.be

Process and features

Measuring parameters

Technical data

Application

Lens printing systems

ProMapper_ink

AutoInker

All organic materials

x

x

Mineral

/

x

Hard coated lenses

x

x

AR coated material

x

x

Syper hydrophobic coated lenses

x

x

Productivity (unblocked lenses/hour)

120

400

Ink consumption Automated operation

2,3gr/1000 lens (~4gr/cold start) x

x

600 x 800 x 800 mm 24 x 29 x 30,5 inches

1400 x 1900 x 1900 mm 55 x 75 x 75 inches

230V (50Hz / 60Hz) Phase+N+PE, 0,5kVA

230V (50Hz / 60Hz) Phase+N+PE, 1kVA

Weight [kg / lbs]

67 kg / 148 lbs

920 kg / 2028 lbs

Optical power [dpt]

x

x

Cylinder [dpt]

x

x

Addition [dpt]

x

x

Prism [cm/m]

x

x

Axis [0 … 180°]

x

x

Lens diameter

x

x

Lens thickness

x

x

Left/Right inversion

x

x

Wax based solid ink

x

x

FF semivisible mark recognition

x

x

Dimensions (w x d x h) / [ mm / inches] (machine without conveyor) Electricity [VAC, A, Hz, phase]

Layout editor

ENGMARK data

Import formats

png / bmp

Host connection

OMA/VCA/Rx

Unlimited number of designs

x

x

Further information Legend: Yes = x, No = /, Optional = o

34

34_SurveyLensPrinting_S.indd 34

MAFO 6-23

06.11.23 09:34

A

MARKET SURVEYS

Automation & Robotics

Cotec

www.ar.be

www.cotec-gmbh.com

MCTVP8 - Inking

MATRIX 2.0

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

240

up to 300

2,3gr/1000 lens (~4gr/cold start)

0,4-1g/1000 lens

x

/

2500 x 2100 x 1900 mm 98,4 x 82,7 x 74,8 inches

approx. 900 mm x 990 mm x 1500 mm / approx. 35.5 inches x 39 inches x 59.1 inches

230V (50Hz / 60Hz) Phase+N+PE, 3kVA

[110-230],10, 50/60,2]

1400 kg / 3086 lbs

approx. 165 kg / approx. 365 lbs

x

/

x

/

x

/

x

/

x

/

x

/

x

/

x

/

x

x

x

manual alignment

ENGMARK data

x

png / bmp

bmp

OMA/VCA/Rx

OMA/VCA/RX

x

x High efficent, environment friendly progressive lenses printing system. Automated printhead maintenance functions.

All information in the survey is provided by the participating companies themselves.

MAFO does not guarantee for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided.

MAFO 6-23

34_SurveyLensPrinting_S.indd 35

35

06.11.23 09:34

MARKET SURVEYS

3D-Micromac https://ophthalmic-marking.com/

http

Technical data

Application

Laser engraving systems

microMARK™ RXe BLUE

microMARK™ MCF RXe 200

microMARK™ MCF

Organic lenses

x

x

x

Mineral lenses

/

x

x

Coated lenses (branding)

x

x

o

Contact lenses

o

o

o

Glass molds

/

x

x

Front side engraving

o

o

o

193

193

Excimer Laser (wavelength) [nm]

/

UV Laser (wavelength) [nm]

x

CO2 Laser

/

/

/

Feeding mode (manual or auto)

x/x

x/x

x/x

Upgradable from manual to auto

x

x

o

Drying station

/

/

/

Productivity (blocked lenses / h.)

200

200

180

Productivity (unblocked lenses / h.)

200

200

180

960 x 600 x 1200 mm

960 x 600 x 1200 mm

1300 x 2100 x 2200 mm

200 kg

250 kg

350 kg

Dimensions (w x d x h) / [ mm / inches]

Weight [kg / lbs] Electricity [VAC, A, Hz, phase]

240, 8, 50/60, single phase

Marking field (mm x mm) Dot size [µm]

85 x 85 Focus depth +- 0.5 mm

80 x 80 ~ 20

Accuracy [µm]

10 - 120

+ / - 50 1 / CE, CDRH

< 1 ns

< 10 ns

Process gas

Features

Refurbishing period

20 - 120

+ / - 100

Laser system safety [class / safety compliance] Pulse time

2

20 liter premix every two years depending on laser source

more than 10 years

Back up laser

/

/

o

System integrated back up laser

/

/

o

Hybrid function option (Excimer & CO2 laser)

/

/

/

Laser power automatic detection

x

x

x

Self orientation of edged lens

/

/

o

Engraving editor

x

x

x

FF semivisible mark recognition

/

/

o

Integrated measuring unit (parameter)

x

x

o

Z-focus calculation

x

x

x

Z-focus measurement

x

x

x

Host connection

x

x

x

Legend: Yes = x, No = /, Optional = o

36

36_Survey-Laser-Engraving.indd 36

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 09:09

MARKET SURVEYS

3D-Micromac

Automation & Robotics

LaserOp

https://ophthalmic-marking.com/

www.ar.be

www.laserop.com

microMARK™ MCL

MCEVS_V2 + CO2

MCTVP8 + CO2 (3D)

LensMark V/DT & SA

LensMark V/Auto

x

x

x

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

o

x

x

x

x

/

/

o

o (manual feeding)

o

/

/

/

/

/

o

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

1064

x

x

x

x

x/x

auto

auto

manual

auto and manual

o

/

/

x

/

/

/

200

/

/

200

750

240

500 x 700 x 850 mm

5700 x 2600 x 1900 mm (machine with conveyor)

200 kg

970 kg

240, 8, 50/60, single phase 85 x 85 Focus depth +- 0.5 mm

o 280

240

2050 x 2100 x 2300 mm (machine with conveyor)

Desktop: 530 x 1000 x 930 mm Standalone: 1050 x 1000 x 1520 mm

Without dryer: 1180 x 1360 x 1560. With dryer: 1580 x 1360 x 1560

1400 kg

Desktop approx. 150 kg.

Standalone approx. 190 kg

Without dryer approx. 250 kg. With dryer approx.

300 kg

230V (50Hz / 60Hz) Phase+N+PE, 3kVA

100 - 240, 6, 50/60, single phase

110 or 220, 10, 50/60, single phase

Dia 75

Dia 75 mm Z adjustment (16 mm)

80 x 80

50

110-150

100-200

+ / - 50

+/- 200µm

+ / - 25

1 / CE, CDRH

Class 4

Class 1 laser product / CE, CDRH

< 1 ns

Machine settings

nothing

/

/

None

more than 10 years

/

/

None

o

x

x

No need

/

x

x

No need

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

x

x

x

o

/

x

/

/

x

x

From LMS

x

x

/

/

x

/

/

/

x

x

/

/

x

/

x

x

x

/

x

x

/

/

x

x

x

MAFO 6-23

36_Survey-Laser-Engraving.indd 37

OMA / VCA / Rx

All information in the survey is provided by the participating companies themselves.

MAFO does not guarantee for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided.

37

03.11.23 09:09

MARKET SURVEYS

LaserOp www.laserop.com

Application

Laser engraving systems

LensMark V/Autobullet

LensMark UV/DT & SA

LensMark UV/Auto

LensMark UV/Bullet

Organic lenses

x

x

x

x

Mineral lenses

/

x

x

x

Coated lenses (branding)

x

x

x

x

Contact lenses

/

/

/

/

Glass molds

x

x

x

Front side engraving

o

o

o

Deep UV

Deep UV

Deep UV

manual

auto and manual

auto and manual

x

x

Excimer Laser (wavelength) [nm] UV Laser (wavelength) [nm] CO2 Laser Feeding mode (manual or auto)

x auto and manual

Upgradable from manual to auto

x

Drying station

o

Productivity (blocked lenses / h.)

300

280

240

300

Dimensions (w x d x h) / [ mm / inches]

Without dryer: 1180 x 1360 x 1560. With dryer: 1580 x 1360 x 1560

Desktop: 530 x 1000 x 930 mm Standalone: 1050 x 1000 x 1520 mm

Without dryer: 1180 x 1360 x 1560. With dryer: 1580 x 1360 x 1560

Without dryer: 1180 x 1360 x 1560. With dryer: 1580 x 1360 x 1560

Weight [kg / lbs]

Without dryer approx.

250 kg. With dryer approx. 300 kg

Desktop approx. 150 kg. Standalone approx.

190 kg

Without dryer approx.

250 kg. With dryer approx. 300 kg

Without dryer approx.

250 kg. With dryer approx. 300 kg

Electricity [VAC, A, Hz, phase]

110 or 220, 10, 50/60, single phase

100 - 240, 6, 50/60, single phase

110 or 220, 10, 50/60, single phase

110 or 220, 10, 50/60, single phase

Technical data

Productivity (unblocked lenses / h.)

Marking field (mm x mm) Dot size [µm]

80 x 80 100-200

Accuracy [µm]

80 x 80 50

50

+ / - 25

Laser system safety [class / safety compliance]

+ / - 25

Class 1 laser product / CE, CDRH

Pulse time Process gas Refurbishing period Back up laser

None None

None

Expected 18 months or more

No need

o

o

o

Hybrid function option (Excimer & CO2 laser)

/

/

/

/

Laser power automatic detection

x

Self orientation of edged lens

/

/

/

/

Engraving editor

x

x

x

x

FF semivisible mark recognition

/

/

/

/

Integrated measuring unit (parameter)

/

/

/

/

Z-focus calculation

x

x

x

x

Z-focus measurement

/

/

/

/

Host connection

x

x

x

x

Features

System integrated back up laser

Legend: Yes = x, No = /, Optional = o

38

36_Survey-Laser-Engraving.indd 38

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 09:09

llet

MARKET SURVEYS

EZMarker CO2

MEI

OptoTech

www.meisystem.com

www.optotech.net/en

EZMarker CO2 TBA

EZMarker UV

EZMarker UV TBA

OTL 80 CNC-A

x

x

x

x

x

/

/

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

x

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

/

/

10600

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

up to 230

/

up to 230

/

300

/

up to 200

/

up to 200

optional (300)

al

x (355 nm)

auto

/

auto

0x ryer: 60

auto

1800 x 1000 x 1500 mm 71 x 39 x 59 in

[1600 x 1000 x 2100 / 63 x 41 x 81]

rox. ap-

[456 / 1005]

[456 / 1005]

/60,

400 kg / 882 lbs

208 / 400 VAC 50/60 Hz

220-240V 50/60Hz single phase, others on request

100 mm circular

100 mm circular

60 +/- 20

80 x 80 mm / 100 mm

25

25

90 - 110

+/-5

5

+/- 20

Class 4 / EN 60825-1 1.0 µs +- 0.2

20 ns

variable

> 20000 h

source lifetime 20.000h

20 liter premix every two years

CO2 gas

10y x

x

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

x

x

/

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/

x OMA/VCA/RX

MAFO 6-23

36_Survey-Laser-Engraving.indd 39

OMA/VCA/RX

All information in the survey is provided by the participating companies themselves.

MAFO does not guarantee for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided.

x

39

03.11.23 09:09

MARKET SURVEYS

OptoTech

Satisloh

www.optotech.net/en

www.satisloh.com/ophthalmic

ww

Application

Laser engraving systems

OTL 80 Store

OTL 100 CNC-A

Lens-Engraver EC

Organic lenses

x

x

x

Mineral lenses

/

x

x

Coated lenses (branding)

x

x

x (backside)

Contact lenses

/

o

/

Glass molds

/

x

x

Front side engraving

x

x

o

Excimer Laser (wavelength) [nm]

/

193

x (193)

UV Laser (wavelength) [nm]

/

/

/

CO2 Laser

10600

o

/

Feeding mode (manual or auto)

manual

auto

manual & auto

Upgradable from manual to auto

/

/

/

Drying station

/

/

o

Productivity (blocked lenses / h.)

180

250

up to 180 lph (for 1700 shots/job)

Productivity (unblocked lenses / h.)

optional (180)

optional (240)

Technical data

Dimensions (w x d x h) / [ mm / inches]

Weight [kg / lbs]

1000 x 910 x 1600 mm 39x 36 x 63 in

1087 x 1800 x 2190 mm 43 x 71 x 86 in

1200 x 800 x 1400 (+conveyor) 47 x 31,5 x 55

205 kg / 452 lbs

495 kg / 1092 lbs

350 / 770 (manual) 450 / 990 (automated)

Desk S

A

Au Electricity [VAC, A, Hz, phase]

Marking field (mm x mm)

220-240V 50/60Hz single phase, others on request

110 - 240, 8, 50/60, single phase 100 mm x 100 mm Focus depth +- 0.5 mm

80 x 80 mm / 100 mm

85 x 100 mm / 64 mm

Dot size [µm]

90 - 110

10 - 120

10 - 200

Accuracy [µm]

+/- 20

+ / -10

+ / - 100

Pulse time

variable

6 to 8 ns

< 6 ns

Process gas

CO2 gas

20 liter premix at 150 bar for 800 mio pulses

20 liter premix every two years

source lifetime 20.000h

3 billion pulses

> 3 Mio lenses

Back up laser

/

o

/

System integrated back up laser

/

/

/

Hybrid function option (Excimer & CO2 laser)

/

o

/

Laser power automatic detection

/

x

x

Self orientation of edged lens

/

/

/

Laser system safety [class / safety compliance]

Refurbishing period

Features

up to

1 / CE, CDRH

Engraving editor

x

x

x

FF semivisible mark recognition

/

o

/

Integrated measuring unit (parameter)

/

/

o

Z-focus calculation

x

x

x

Z-focus measurement

/

x

x

Host connection

x

x

x

Legend: Yes = x, No = /, Optional = o

40

36_Survey-Laser-Engraving.indd 40

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 09:09

Ma

lmic

/job)

yor)

hase

ears

MARKET SURVEYS

Satisloh

Schneider

www.satisloh.com/ophthalmic

www.schneider-om.com

Lens-Engraver LC

CCL C*mark

CCL modulo

CCL modulo X

x

x

x

x

/

/

/

x

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

o

/

/

/

/

/

/

193

/

/

10,64 (µm)

x

manual or auto

auto

manual & auto

/

/

x

o

o

o

o

185

230

400

up to 250 lph (depending on layout design)

/

/

/

/

approx. 340 x 870 x 600 / 13 x 35 x 24 approx. 900 x 1320 x 1715 / 36 x 52 x 68 approx. 1275 x 1450 x 1800 / 51 x 57 x 71 Desktop: 515 x 1340 x 827 / 20 x 52 x 32 Standalone: 1056 x 1347 x 1322 / 41 x 53 x 52 Automated: 1188 x 1661 x 1387 / 46 x 65 x 54 Desktop: 210 / 463 Standalone: 316 / 697 Automated: 400 / 882

approx. 125 / 276

approx. 420 / 926

approx. 600 / 1323

200-400 VAC, 1,4 A, 50/60 Hz, three 200-400 VAC, 2,9 A, 50/60 Hz, three 200-400 VAC, 2,2 A, 50/60 Hz, three phases phases phases

Auto: 110 or 220 VAC, 6A single phase Manual: 100-240 VAC, 6A single phase

Diameter 70 mm, Focus depth +- 0.5 mm

100 mm x 100 mm Focus depth +- 0.5 mm

approx. 100 x 100

80 µm

80 or 120 µm

/

+ / - 30

/

1 / CE, CDRH

1 / sealed off CO2 /

needs no changing

20 l. equals 4 bio. pulses

/

more than 10 years

after 4 bio. pulses

/ /

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

x

x

o

/

/

/

x

x

x

x

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

x

x

x

x

o

x

x

x

x

OMA/VCA/RX

MAFO 6-23

36_Survey-Laser-Engraving.indd 41

All information in the survey is provided by the participating companies themselves.

MAFO does not guarantee for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided.

41

03.11.23 09:09

Suppliers Guide The Suppliers Guide is MAFO’s version of Yellow Pages.

In it you can find an overview of suppliers from the fields of: ▶ cleaning and hard coating equipment

▶ lenses

▶ coating equipment

▶ machinery – automation, control & packaging

▶ crystals

▶ machinery – lens edging & industrial edging

▶ laser engraving & printing

▶ software

▶ lens surfacing machinery

▶ surfacing and finishing consumables

If you are interested in an entry in the Suppliers Guide, please contact Mrs. Classen: constanze.classen@mafo-optics.com

Cleaning and hard coating equipment

Coating equipment

Bühler Alzenau GmbH

Business Area Leybold Optics Siemensstrasse 88, D-63755 Alzenau T + 49 (0) 6023 500-0, F + 49 (0) 6023 500-150 leyboldoptics@buhlergroup.com www.buhlergroup.com

optics@fisa.com

www.fisa.com

Hard coating ad:

Crystals Pub FISA - Optical World 88x40.indd 1

14/12/2021 16:49

World leaders in Lens Hard Coating Machines and process solutions Full range available for any production volume Expert advice on your application

contact us: (+44) 1462 49 16 16 sales@optimal-technologies.com

Cleaning ad:

optimal-technologies.com

HARD COATING CLEANING

HARD COAT LEADER

TINTING CONSUMABLES EXPERTISE

271 rue Laszlo Biro Archparc FR-74160 Archamps Phone : +33 (0) 450 820 720 Email : office1@scl-intl.com scl-intl.com

World leaders in Ultrasonic Cleaning Machines prior to lens coating

UV Curable Hard Coat Adhesion On All Lenses Tintable Non-Solvent Based AR Coating Compatible Sales, Distributors Wanted Shipping Worldwide www.hcoating.com sales@hcoating.com

QUALITY & SAVINGS FROM STOCK • Sensor Heads and Feedthroughs • INFICON Deposition Monitors and Controllers • Quality Crystals® • Vacuum Pump Fluids • Vacuum Measurement Gauges • Electron Beam Gun Parts • Ion Source Parts

www.filtech.com 617-227-1133 • 800-743-1743 paula@filtech.com

Full range available for any lens volume Expert advice on your application

Contact us for our full range: +44 (0) 1462 491 616 sales@optimal-technologies.com

42

42_SG.indd 42

www.optimal-technologies.com

MAFO 6-23

06.11.23 09:35

Suppliers Guide

SUPPLIERS GUIDE

Lens surfacing machinery

Laser engraving & printing Premium-Quality Laser Engraving of Spectacle & Contact Lenses Industry approved since 2004

ing.com

www.ophthalmic-mark

X-Cube Lens Digi-speed Printer

OPTICAL MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS Satisloh AG Neuhofstrasse 12 CH - 6340 Baar / Switzerland Phone: +41 (0) 41766 16 16 Email: info@satisloh.com satisloh.com

Enjoy, • unlimited designs • digi-speed process

C h o o s e y o u r f ra m e c o l o u r

www.tecofrance.com

White

Blue

Cyan

Green

Red

Purple

SCHNEIDER GmbH & Co. KG Biegenstrasse 8–12 · 35112 Fronhausen · Germany

info@tecofrance.com

Phone: +49 (64 26) 96 96-0 · Fax: +49 (64 26) 96 96-100 www.schneider-om.com · info@schneider-om.com

Lenses

Lens surfacing machinery PUB_TECO-Juillet 2016.indd 1

25/07/16 17:59

Ophthalmic Equipment & Services for All Phases of Lens Production US ++-888-888-+8-- UK +88 (8) + 68--68888 ASIA/INDIA +6--6 -8-8--CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC@CCCCCCTCTTCCTCTTCC.TCC ....CCCCCCTCTTCCTCTTCC.TCC

!AZ.indd 9

30.11.20 12:42

Machinery - Automation, Control & Packaging

Optical Machinery. Processing Technology.

OptoTech Optikmaschinen GmbH

!AZ.indd 2 Sandusweg 2-4 • 35435 Wettenberg/Germany Tel.: + 49 641/98203-0 eMail: info.de@optotech.net Web: www.optotech.net

MAFO 6-23

42_SG.indd 43

26.07.16 14:56

43

06.11.23 09:35

Suppliers Guide

SUPPLIERS GUIDE

Machinery - lens edging & industrial edging

Surfacing and finishing consumables

Combination of dynamic ideas and stable performance provides superb Lens Edging

www.nidek.com info@nidek.co.jp

Software YOUR ULTRA PRECISION

IOT is a premier provider of disruptive and customized innovations in the optical industry.

Diamond Tools Manufacturer

> Excellent service and quick turnaround > Compliant with any generator

kydiamond.ca sales @ kydiamond.ca

The Lab Management System Company LensWare International GmbH Robert-Bosch-Str. 32 63225 Langen - Germany

Phone : +49 6103 / 372 87 87 Email : info@lensware.de Web : www.lensware.de

Media TECHNOLOGY AT IT’S BEST – FOR OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY

HOME OF YOUR BUSINESS

!AZ.indd 1

18.04.23 09:35

Surfacing and finishing consumables

E L P M

SG_Eyepress.indd 1

GENERATING POLISHING EDGING !AZ.indd 3

20 avenue Reille - 75014 PARIS - FRANCE THl. : +33 (0)1 45 89 84 44 - Fax : +33 (0)1 45 89 66 54 contact@agp-abrasifs.com - www.agp-abrasifs.com

44

42_SG.indd 44

SA

30.01.20 16:41

incl. presence in the MAFO online ­Suppliers Guide

1 module (88 x 40 mm) per year with company logo 4c = € 990 p.a.

29.11.22 12:19

Contact: constanze.classen@mafo-optics.com

MAFO 6-23

06.11.23 09:35

MAXGALLI + MIXER GROUP + SILVIA BADALOTTI + ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

The eyewear universe.

FEBRUARY 3-5, 2024 Fiera Milano, Rho

210X297 - MIDO - AZZURRO - MAFO.indd 1 !AZ.indd 3

06/10/23 16:43 09.10.23 17:55

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY

VISIT THE NEW WEBSITE YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE IN OPHTHALMIC OPTICS

Welcome to MAFO-online your trusted source for ophthalmic optics industry updates. We are the leading international trade magazine for optical labs and the industry, providing the latest advancements and trends in ophthalmic optics.

Why Choose MAFO Expertise: Our team comprises ophthalmic optics specialists.

Global Insights: We connect professionals worldwide.

Comprehensive Coverage: From articles to market analysis.

Timely Updates: Stay informed in a fast-paced industry.

VISIT US ONLINE NOW: WWW.MAFO-OPTICS.COM Webseite_2023.indd 1

08.11.23 12:10

CLOSING WORDS

Mark Mackenzie – an industry veteran retires The rubric Closing Words is named after the fact that it comes at the very end of every MAFO issue. In this case, however, the name Closing Words is apt in both senses. Because with these last words, a veteran of the industry is taking his well-deserved retirement. We are talking about Mark Mackenzie, Managing Partner at Strategy with Vision (SWV), a market research institute for eyecare and eyewear. Together with his wife Ingeborg Mackenzie, Mark had provided the global optical industry with valuable data on the market for more than 20 years now! His market analyses have significant value in the industry, even more so as there is little well comparable data on the global ophthalmic market and often the figures are difficult to compare. His analyses will surely be missed by many companies and organizations. However, Mark Mackenzie is also someone who is widely known and respected in the industry for his expertise but also his calm, level-headed manner and his honesty and ability to assess situations analytically. For this last interview in MAFO we want to learn more about the person behind the numbers.

When you look back on your professional career, what was

What is your favorite place in the world?

the most beautiful experience?

The North and the South of Saudi Arabia.

Being woken up at night by a bear during a Sola Optical Management Meeting.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be?

In your opinion, what is the most significant change that has

Make people respect one another and be not judgmental based on

taken place in ophthalmic optics in the last 20 years?

nationality, religion, age, culture, feelings and moods.

Social media has made it possible for companies with limited budgets to communicate with the end consumer.

What would you do differently in your next life?

Do it all over again.

What innovation is still missing in ophthalmic optics?

An affordable, good looking, ophthalmic lens which goes from clear

Starting in 2024, you will have time to enjoy life away from

to sunglass strength and back to clear in less than one second.

your job. What are you looking forward to the most?

Taking care of my granddaughter.

Which thing is completely overrated?

The extreme prices charged.

What else would you like to share with our readers?

My concern that the health-related benefits of optical products in

You speak several languages fluently and have always had contact with people on all continents. How has that shaped you personally?

the market place can be overrated.

Thank you so much for talking with us. ◆

It has made me into a chameleon.

MAFO 6-23

47_CW.indd 47

47

06.11.23 09:48

OUTLOOK

Closing with good news!

Damage to the brain, spinal cord or optic nerve usually leads to lifelong, irreparable damage. One example is blindness after optic nerve damage. To date, cures are not possible because the severed nerve fibers normally do not grow back.

But the good news is: in an earlier work, researchers from Cologne were able to show that by using a so-called designer cytokine, nerve fibers in the completely injured optic nerve and spinal cord of mice can grow back over significant distances. Previously completely paraplegic mice were able to walk again a few weeks after treatment.

In their new work, the scientists found the designer cytokine h ­ IL-6 also exerted an inhibitory effect in the nerve cells. The scientists therefore used parthenolide, that specifically stimulates the dynamic processes in the fiber tips. The researchers were able to show that parthenolide administration significantly increased axonal regeneration and also daily administration of the ingredient alone showed a slight effect on regeneration in the injured optic nerve and spinal cord. This principle is also relevant for humans.

Special topics in MAFO 2024

MAFO 01

MAFO 03

MAFO 05

Future Lab

Lab Management

Go Digital!

Ophthalmic Optics around the World

Go Green!

Markets Worldwide

MAFO 02

MAFO 04

MAFO 06

Preview MAFO 01/2024 The special topic of the upcoming issue is “Future Lab!”.

In this issue you will learn more about how digitalization and the internet of things will shape the lab of the future.

Additionally, MAFO talks with the start-up flō about a disruptive technology: the additive manufacturing of optical coatings. And you will learn more about the use of prismatic lenses for eccentric fixation in the visually impaired.

48

48_Outlook.indd 48

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 17:23

!AZ.indd 9

03.11.23 08:24

Missed an issue?

No problem, view the latest issues online: app.mafo-optics.com ISSN 1614-1598 66527 Volume 19

ISSN 1614-1598 66527 Volume 19

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY

Connect, discover, stay up-to-date

6/2023 ▶ Special topic: Go Digital!

Lens production going digital

Connect, discover, stay up-to-date

TRULY SMART LENS GENERATING

▶ Special topic: Sustainable Processes

Chat GPT and other AI´s -‒ a new language for the industry ▶ Technology

Laser engraving systems

AI and machine learning algorithms

The ophthalmic market in a nutshell

“There is no waste at all‒, only raw materials!”

Highest level of lens personalization thanks to “big data” and recent scientific findings

Misconceptions about progressive lenses Consumer sentiment and market data in Europe

SLUGFest 2023 — first-hand information and visions for the future

▶ Technology Natural Accommodation Lens

Leica Eyecare — back to the roots

PFAS forever?

▶ Market Survey

VFT-ORBIT-2i MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE MEETS AI

AR-Coating machinery

▶ Market Survey Dip- and spin hard coating machines Unboxing any kind of box

Witness what happens when unmatched lens generator performance - ultra-fast milling, voice coil technology & auto-calibration - meets the power of AI in the new VFT-orbit-2i. With the seamless integration of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, we´re revolutionizing ease with advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance.

SMART

CONNECTED

INTEGRATED

Minimizes unexpected breakdowns due to AI powered predictive maintenance

Delivers diagnostic data to best analyze performance and identify issues

MES-360 Lite included to establish KPIs & track machine utilization, throughput, errors

▶ Market Survey Generators

Eyepress Fachmedien GmbH Saarner Str. 151 45479 Muelheim a. d. Ruhr 66527 Germany

06.09.2023 11:14:36 08.09.23 12:49

01_Titel.indd 1

Highest throughput

One auto blocker covering virtually all of a labs’ blocking requirements at highest speed. With CCU Modulo ONE, SCHNEIDER introduces the only auto blocker today with automated block size exchange and achieves unprecedented efficiency in blocking.

Time-consuming manual changes are a thing of the past. CCU Modulo ONE has multiple block sizes – a minimum of three and up to six – readily available. And the best part: The exchanges are carried out automatically and without increasing cycle time.

With the added flexibility, CCU Modulo ONE solves a well-known problem: Inefficient block size distribution and poor machine utilization. For any lab size, a wider range of blocking requirements can be met with a smaller number of machines.

The proprietary lens measuring unit guarantees perfectly oriented lenses.

An intelligent fill control provides highly consistent and precise fillings – no under or over fillings. The alloy and block pieces can be refilled during operation.

Non-stop uninterrupted blocking for highest throughput, at lowest cost per lens.

www.schneider-om.com

RZ_AZ_Modulo_Center_ONE_MAFO_06-2022_160x225_4c_engl_D.indd 1

Little to no downtime

CCU m dulo

Labs can now run larger scale productions even in small locations and under nonindustrial conditions. Little to no operator intervention is needed as the center works fully automated with all essential components on board.

Simply put: Blank in, surfaced lens out.

www.schneider-om.com

3+

Highest flexibility

The dedicated Control Center (MES) informs at a glance about the current status of the machine, production parameters, and efficiency.

Ophthalmic lens production fully-automated and entirely hands-free.

RZ_AZ_DBX_modulo_ONE_2_MAFO_08-2023_160x225_4c_engl_D.indd 1

72

sq.ft.

The all-in-one surfacing center substantially saves time, running all processes simultaneously and perfectly synchronized – even milling and lathe turning. And with the chambers placed right next to one another, the smart automation transfers the lenses in virtually no time. There is no faster way to surface a lens.

DBX Modulo ONE follows SCHNEIDERs vision to provide the full solution for ophthalmic labs, from warehousing all the way to inline coating and beyond.

01_Titel.indd 1

1

in hour

Modulo Center ONE features highly advanced process technology, based on robust and reliable components proven in hundreds of installations across the globe.

All waste material is separated and collected individually to simplify recycling and further increase sustainability.

03.11.23 09:12

80

lenses

Imagine one single machine featuring all the technology to surface 80 lenses/hour, in just 72 sq. f t. (7m²). This is Modulo Center ONE. The compact all-in-one surfacing center is a full-fledged production line without limitations: a milling station // a lathe turning station // one or two 4-spindle polishing units // a CO₂ or excimer laser.

After swiftly identifying the type of box, DBX Modulo ONE opens it “naturally”: It unfolds, takes out and unwraps, entirely without touching the lens surface.

SCHNEIDERs eco-friendly process avoids cutting or burning the material using sharp blades or high energy lasers – no cutting particles or dust and no fumes.

Eyepress Fachmedien GmbH Saarner Str. 151 45479 Muelheim a. d. Ruhr 66527 Germany

4

processes

M dulo Center

With DBX Modulo ONE, SCHNEIDER debuts a powerful and fully automated new lens deboxer for high throughput, 24/7. The innovative technology unpacks all common kinds of boxes and materials – cardboard, blisters, even sleeves – damage-free with a clean process. It requires a minimum of energy and effort.

satisloh.com

01_Titel.indd 1

Environmentally friendly

DBX m dulo

Contact us for more details on VFT-orbit-2i!

Eyepress Fachmedien GmbH Saarner Str. 151 45479 Muelheim a. d. Ruhr 66527 Germany

BLOCKING PERFORMANCE AT A NEW LEVEL

▶ MAFO live on site

One drop and you regain the vision of a 20-year-old?

Silmo Paris 2023 ▶ Market Survey

3/2023 ▶ Special topic: Ophthalmic Optics in Numbers

A broad vision of sustainability

Thickness and weight of ophthalmic lenses

A breath of future at VEW 2023

Lens printing

▶ Special topic: Data Handling & Security

Anti-reflex coating and process control

▶ Live on site

We help you to stay in contact

ALL-IN-

4/2023

▶ Technology

Overcoming the gas age

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY

OPHTHALMIC LABS & INDUSTRY We help you to stay in contact

THE NATURAL WAY OF DEBOXING

5/2023

ISSN 1614-1598 66527 Volume 19

ISSN 1614-1598 66527 Volume 19

Eyepress Fachmedien GmbH Saarner Str. 151 45479 Muelheim a. d. Ruhr 66527 Germany 02.06.2022 14:51:27 06.07.23 14:48

www.schneider-om.com

RZ_AZ_CCU_modulo_ONE_2_MAFO_04-2023_160x225_4c_engl_D.indd 1

04.04.2023 17:17:57

MASTHEAD PUBLISHERS ADDRESS

Eyepress Fachmedien GmbH Saarner Str. 151, D-45479 Muelheim a. d. Ruhr Tel.: +49-208-306683-00 Fax: +49-208-306683-99 Website: www.mafo-optics.com E-mail: info@mafo-optics.com CEO Petros Sioutis E-mail: p.sioutis@eyepress.de PUBLISHER Silke Sage, Petros Sioutis, Efstathios Efthimiadis FOUNDED 2003 by Jörg Spangemacher

BANK DETAILS

Bank account: Sparkasse Aachen Bank No.: 390 500 00, Acc. No.: 1073 3925 06 IBAN: DE21 3905 0000 1073 3925 06 SWIFT: AACSDE33XXX CHIEF-EDITOR Hanna Diewald E-mail: hanna.diewald@mafo-optics.com EDITORS Rebekka Nurkanovic E-mail: rebekka.nurkanovic@mafo-optics.com Britta Laupichler E-mail: britta@mafo-optics.com TRANSLATIONS John Saniter, Bopfingen

PRODUCTION & LAYOUT Efstathios Efthimiadis, Pascal Bruns E-mail: production@eyepress.de DISTRIBUTION PressUp GmbH, Postbox 70 13 11, D-22013 Hamburg Tel.: +49-40-386666-308, Fax: +49-40-386666-299 MEDIA CONSULTANT Constanze Classen Tel.: +49-208-306683-20 E-mail: constanze.classen@mafo-optics.com ADVERTISING AGENT GREAT CHINA Beijing FOCUS Optics Culture Communication Co. Ltd. Room 319, Building 2, Nr. 1, Northbank 1292, Nr. 15 Jianguo Eastroad, Beijing 100024 (Chaoyang), P.R. China Mrs. Jian Wang Tel.: +86-10-8537-6529 Email: jennywang_focus@126.com Skype: jennywang611 焦点视光（北京）文化传播有限公司 北京市朝阳区建国东路15号院甲一号北岸1292 二号楼319室 邮编：100024 电话：+86-10-8537-6529 jennywang_focus@126.com 电邮：jennywang_focus@126.com ADVERTISEMENT RATES Price list no. 19, valid from January 01, 2023 Publication schedule 6 issues 2023: January, March, May, July, September, November

SUBSCRIPTION COSTS PER YEAR European Union € 140,00 (plus VAT for German companies) Overseas Seamail € 160,00 Overseas Airmail € 195,00 United States Seamail € 170,00 United States Airmail € 225,00 Single issue € 20,00 (plus mailing costs) The Publisher requires three months written notice on cancellation. Subscribers please note that proof of notice may be required.

PHOTO CREDITS P.10: Jason Leung, P.26: Lance /stock.adobe.com, /unsplash.com PRODUCTION & PRINT Kollin Medien GmbH, Neudrossenfeld, Germany The publisher takes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Please note also that photographs submitted for use in MAFO cannot be returned. The publisher’s written permission is required for any reproduction, translation or recording of material published in MAFO, including extracts of such material. Permission will normally be given, subject to the usual acknowledgement. Copies made of published items must be limited in number and for personal use only.

EDITORIAL BOARD Jörg Spangemacher, Peter Baumbach, Mo Jalie

50

50_Masthead.indd 50

MAFO 6-23

03.11.23 13:14

!AZ.indd 6

25.10.23 15:52

FIRST FULLY-AUTOMATED COSMETIC INSPECTION DETECTED

Haze

DETECTED

Scratch

DETECTED

Center Dot

No Go

Rework

Go

CSI m dulo For the first time, a system sees what only experts see: CSI Modulo ONE reliably detects cosmetic defects fully automatically and absolutely dependably, at the highest level. The optical system screens the surface for irregularities, and characterizes and evaluates them with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

It detects any common defects such as scratches, pits, center dots, haze, chatter, cutting marks, spiral and fringes. The result is consistent, objective evaluation. Unbiased. 24/7.

The smart system mimics individual decision making patterns to reflect a labs’ unique quality standard.

All labs have to do is teach the system by feeding it decisions. This way, CSI Modulo ONE understands what kind of defects, in which combination, in what intensity and in which zones, is a go or no go.

Labs can implement the same quality routines everywhere. Apart from this, labs can also opt to apply differing standards depending on the demands of the product or brand produced.

The result: A system that makes decisions just like you would make them – because you taught it.

www.schneider-om.com

L_AZ_CSI-modulo-ONE_MAFO_10_2023_210x297mm_4c.indd 1 !AZ.indd 5

19.10.2023 07:48:27 23.10.23 10:06