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AR LENS COATINGS AR LENSES - TREND IN TOTAL U.S. PAIRS SOLD 12M June 2008 21.3 million 12M June 2009 28.5% of All Lenses Sold 21.3 million 12M June 2010 21.5 million 12M June 2011 21.6 million 12M June 2012 29.1% of All Lenses Sold 12M June 2013 22.0 million 22.5 million Source: The Vision Council "For the frst time with UV ARs and some other coatings, it's starting to be understood in the U.S. that this is a scientifc medical device." Ronald Cooke Jr., director of sales, ophthalmic North America, Leybold Optics. "The processes and the equipment and the actual AR itself now is so much better—it lasts longer, it repels water and dirt, it's easier to clean—but we're still trying to overcome some of the image that was hurt back in the early days." Leybold Optics claims it is positioned to provide the widest selection of turnkey AR choices to meet the variety of needs of all ophthalmic laboratories. The Mini Coating System (MCS), Leybold's compact unit, is designed for labs and integrated retailers with 200 to 250 sq. ft. or less to produce AR themselves—instead of farming out the work to outside labs—and keep more profts in-house. The MCS can apply AR to fve pairs of lenses—edged or uncut—per run on both sides. It operates on any lens totallyoptical.com material with green or blue refection color, standard hydrophobic, super hydrophobic layer, mirror coating, on spin- or dip-coated lenses. The MCS is equipped with ion-assisted deposition, in-chamber hydrophobic, electron beam gun, a turbo pumping system, and intelligent software. Cooke asserts that changes in the managed care side of the industry could have a strong impact on the number of AR systems that labs or ECPs might consider buying. Yet he still sees solid growth going forward. The addition of UV protection should also spur market activity. "As doctors get more comfortable with the technology that's already here, it will continue to grow," Cooke adds. "Once a patient gets AR—especially The OAC series of AR coating machines from OptoTech comes in four models to ft almost any size lab and volume. good AR—they always get it. So it's sustainable in the long run." SUCCESS OVERSEAS Although sales of AR in the U.S. have gone up in the last couple of years, they pale in comparison to overseas. "For me, it's very interesting that AR is still a niche product in the U.S.," says Steffen Runkel, director of business unit coatings for OptoTech Optikmaschinen, a German-based equipment manufacturer for the optical industry. "Total AR penetration in the U.S. is up to 30% compared to an 80% to 90% penetration in European countries," he adds. One reason for the lag might be historical, Runkel states. The organic plastic lens material that the U.S. pioneered years ago made it diffcult to attain a good quality AR adhesion. Even though the problem has been solved, the negative perception hangs on in some cases. Still, Runkel sees strong growth ahead. "An AR coating has more functions now," he explains. "There is an easy-to-clean layer, improved scratch resistance, and anti-static properties. Also, the lifetime of AR, which was a problem in the beginning, is much improved now." OptoTech specializes in precision optics through worldwide distribution of both its machinery and processes. It has developed a product line of four AR FEATURE coating machines—the OAC units—to accommodate the needs of almost any kind of small, mid-sized, or large lab. For example, the OAC-25 has a 65mm lens capacity of eight (fip-over), a turbo pumping system, and an approximate process time of 30 to 70 minutes. The unit removes the barrier to entry for small labs that want to produce their own revenue-generating AR lenses in-house. "The OAC-25 can open up new business opportunities for existing labs and wholesalers because it can specifcally be used for special products, like premium coatings or high-quality mirror coatings," Runkel says. "This is a clear trend that we focus on, especially with our smaller coater, the OAC-25." OptoTech has two versions of the OAC-120. About 210 lenses of 65mm can ft in the standard version and the "stretch" version has a higher loading capacity of 264 lenses. The OAC-120 unit for high-volume labs comes with a diffusion pump, and can coat lenses in 45 minutes or less. With easy-to-operate coating systems and a growing trend toward premium products, Runkel expects the AR market to grow accordingly. COBURN IN THE MIX Coburn Technologies, Inc. also sells the OAC series of AR coating systems. It offers the four units for labs of almost any size and work volume. Each unit features easy-to-operate controls, short cycle times, ready-to-run automation, and versatile confguration options. SALES ARE REBOUNDING According to Brian Peterson, director of coating at Satisloh North America, Inc., AR sales are rebounding from the recession steadily, with "sales january 2014 9 -