Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician

Cut, grind, and polish eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other precision optical elements. Assemble and mount lenses into frames or process other optical elements. Includes precision lens polishers or grinders, centerer-edgers, and lens mounters.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Edger Technician; Finishing Lab Technician; Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician); Lens Grinder and Polisher; Line Operator; Optical Lab Technician (Optical Laboratory Technician); Optical Technician; Polisher; Surfacing Technician

Tasks

• Mount and secure lens blanks or optical lenses in holding tools or chucks of cutting, polishing, grinding, or coating machines.
• Inspect lens blanks to detect flaws, verify smoothness of surface, and ensure thickness of coating on lenses.
• Set up machines to polish, bevel, edge, or grind lenses, flats, blanks, or other precision optical elements.
• Inspect, weigh, and measure mounted or unmounted lenses after completion to verify alignment and conformance to specifications, using precision instruments.
• Shape lenses appropriately so that they can be inserted into frames.
• Clean finished lenses and eyeglasses, using cloths and solvents.
• Mount, secure, and align finished lenses in frames or optical assemblies, using precision hand tools.
• Examine prescriptions, work orders, or broken or used eyeglasses to determine specifications for lenses, contact lenses, or other optical elements.
• Adjust lenses and frames to correct alignment.
• Select lens blanks, molds, tools, and polishing or grinding wheels, according to production specifications.
• Position and adjust cutting tools to specified curvature, dimensions, and depth of cut.
• Assemble eyeglass frames and attach shields, nose pads, and temple pieces, using pliers, screwdrivers, and drills.
• Set dials and start machines to polish lenses or hold lenses against rotating wheels to polish them manually.
• Repair broken parts, using precision hand tools and soldering irons.

Knowledge

• Production and Processing
• Mechanical
• Mathematics
• Customer and Personal Service
• Administration and Management

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring

Abilities

• Near Vision
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Finger Dexterity
• Manual Dexterity
• Control Precision
• Deductive Reasoning
• Problem Sensitivity
• Information Ordering
• Visualization
• Selective Attention
• Written Comprehension
• Category Flexibility
• Flexibility of Closure
• Perceptual Speed
• Rate Control
• Reaction Time
• Wrist-Finger Speed
• Visual Color Discrimination
• Speech Recognition