Company profile

Embracing the future

Sustainability is the future and our mission is clear, writes Rob Barrow

Becoming a sustainable organisation is something many of us should be working towards. In the optical industry, sustainability is already making an impact to our lives. Materials such as acetate have been a traditional frame making material for decades, contributing to the sustainability of the environment. As customers embrace the need to change, they will seek optical products and services that support their views and values.

At Spec-Care, our mission is to provide a high-level service, professional advice and a strong link between you and your patients’ expectations. Our future path is set and our mission is clear. We take pride in supplying quality modifications, adjustments and frame repairs. Myself and Lee Mayne are your workshop team, available to take your technical questions. Our workshop is stacked full of traditional bits and bobs: from pinned hinges and metal curls from the vintage era to thousands of frames awaiting use as spare parts. More surprising is the technology that has been creeping in.

Our workplace is run efficiently by those people you will often have first contact with – Helena, Yassin and Robbie. The latter two bring office and coding skills with them as they work towards their apprenticeship qualifications. The efficiency of the office is key to keeping down wastage and aiming for increased IT integration and minimal paper usage.

The tipping point has been reached; we can now embrace the future of optics. It just might signal the irreversible downward trend of the High Street consumer culture towards an increasedly decerning public, looking for quality and accountability from the products they purchase. How many reading this have reimaged their practices during lockdown, become more engaged with customers and emerging with a renewed sense of professional purpose?

EVOLUTION IN THE WORKSHOP Looking to the future, we have had to put time in to developing the IT within the workshop too. The benches still have the technicians' hand tools all laid out in a precise but seemingly eclectic manner. But we never seem to be too far from a laptop, screen or discussion about the most recent software trial. The propane burners are now silent, the smell of spray paints has long gone. Did you know that nearly all our metal repairs are conducted with a laser welding unit? This machine is so familiar to us that we can easily forget that the precision it forges reduces all other finishing processes.

How will IT make the workshop more efficient and sustainable? We can look at 3D printing, from simple parts for frame fit adaptions, to more complex prototyping. We can work out the exact volume of material we need to complete the work before we begin the print; we can plan effectively and operate to minimal wastages by analysing stress within the design software. Future projects have expanded this use of software to create virtual CNC analysis, so we can now cut materials with reduced energy consumption with less machine wear.

REPRESENTING YOUR PRACTICE We are proud to promote sustainability by representing practices through our work,

Lundie Loops: part of the portfolio

Shortening frame sides

providing consumers with a sustainable, eco-friendly and first-rate service. Being able to deliver a service based on environmentally safe values is a great step we have taken for a future where ecofriendly purchases are the subconscious norm for the public.

We understand customers want their frames to be high quality and that’s why every frame we repair comes with our guarantee, ensuring we are satisfying you and representing your practice to the best standards achievable. Whether the frame needs a few laser welds and a pair of sides, or just a stuck screw drilled, it’s all the same charge. We take the time to recondition every frame, and have a parts account with many suppliers so like-forlike parts can be sourced too.

Spec-Care is an easily accessible company, just visit our trade tab at www.speccareservices.co.uk and fill out the account registration form. All order forms can be downloaded as fillable PDFs, and one of our admin team will email the pricelists and additional information. 2021 has been a big development year for our business and we are very proud to be shortlisted in the following Optician Awards categories: Supplier of the Year and Technology Supplier of the Year. Trust us to be your lab for all your frame care needs.

Rob Barrow FBDO (Tech) is director of Spec-Care Services.