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LAB INNOVATOR OF 2012 TECHNOLOGY New Equipment All the Way US Optical will soon run four lines of free-form. The Cotrans bought all new equipment when they opened the lab's doors four-and-a-half years ago. Now, with the lab's nearly completed extension, they are adding new machines to include more Crizal AR coating, a new edger, and more surfacing lines. BY CAROL GILHAWLEY SINCE US OPTICAL is only four years old, all its equipment is brand new. In Optogenics, the old lab that they previously owned and subsequently sold to Essilor of America, Inc., the Cotran brothers specialized and pushed mostly uncuts. With US Optical they've taken the position that the optical industry is moving toward more edging and complete jobs on behalf of labs and so they are investing in quality and technology. Ron, Ralph, and Robert were always up on technology. They went to one of Satisloh North America's SLUGfests where they saw this new digital technology called free-form and decided to open their own free-form lab. Soon, they will operate four free-form lines. The first and second lines they bought were from Satisloh. The third line was from Schneider Optical Machines Inc., and the fourth line they will install in December is also from Satisloh. "We wanted machines from both companies so that we could have experience with both, but I think they pretty much all do the same thing," said Ron. "Some of the jobs we can't run on Schneider and some of the jobs you can't run on Satisloh and some of the jobs you can't run on either—you have to run it on a conventional machine, such as the very high plus powers and small B measurements." Now, US Optical has two Bisphera- XDD MEI automatic edgers which, according to Ron, "are the most expensive, finest edgers in the world. Because, interestingly, once you get an MEI, you don't want another edger. You don't want a different type of edger because you get spoiled." The lab's staff is highly trained in the most complicated, drill mount edging processes. US Optical sent Ron LaCross, an MEI edger specialist in the Finishing Department, and two other finishing department specialists to the MEI School in Chicago to learn how to operate and calibrate the two MEI edgers. They received certifications. "We needed a second MEI machine because we had so much work," LaCross said. The second MEI edger came in July 2012. US Optical has invested in free-form technology. The lab is being expanded this Thanksgiving from 12,000 sq. ft. to 19,500 sq. ft. at a cost of $2.5 million. Demand led to the expansion and with it, US Optical is adding a fourth free-form line, more surfacing lines, and more anti-reflective (AR) coating. A new Crizal® Center will be opera- tional by March 2013. "This time around we're working Ron LaCross, MEI edger specialist in the Finishing Department, stands in front of one of US Optical's two MEI Edgers. A14 november 2012 totallyoptical.com