HANDS ON - Eye on Equipment
The Sunglass Edge
by Susan P. Tarrant

We have long touted the benefits of edging lenses in-house: Savings in lower wholesale lab bills, same-day turnaround service, and quality assurance oversight, to mention a few.

But don't forget that edgers can supply you with another revenue track and patient service.

In-house sunwear work creates another revenue stream. Above: Nicole Miller style Roman Holiday for Signature Eyewear; below: Bace style from Sama Eyewear

OVERLOOKED PROFIT

"ECPs overlook the opportunity to ask the patient whether he or she wants to buy a pair of prescription sunglasses, or a clip, which the ECP can fabricate in-house," observes Matt Vulich, vice president, sales for AIT Industries.

But, it's an opportunity that an increasing number of ECPs are grabbing, according to Shelton Green, regional sales manager for Briot-Weco USA.

ECPs can see a 35 percent to 40 percent savings on polarized sunwear, with up to 60 percent savings by tinting standard lenses. "The turnaround that you can offer by doing it in-house is also a big advantage," he adds.

"Right now, most ECPs with in-house edging equipment that can handle it are doing it," says Jay Cohen, director of professional sales for Gerber Coburn. Although there's not a great difference between edging tinted sunlenses and clear optical lenses, it gets trickier when there's a high plus or minus prescription, and when the lenses are to fit into a wrap frame with a high base curve.

KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT

"Not all tracing systems can take a high-wrap frame. You have to know your tracer's limitations," Cohen says.

Older patternless edging systems (say, four years old) may not have capabilities to trace and edge lenses for wrap frames effectively. If your goal is to add that capability to your office's repertoire, you might want to think about upgrading.

"The ECPs with the newer equipment with 3D or 5D tracing are edging even high wraps effectively," Green says.

"Older patternless edgers can be a problem," he adds. "You've got to be able to set the bevel to backward or forward or even be able to move it around."

High base curve wrap frames don't allow the lenses to protrude through the back, so one needs to manipulate the placement of the bevel accordingly.

Also, newer edgers allow the operator to control the speed with which the lens is introduced to the edging wheel. "You want a lot of torque and twist," he says.

"If ECPs with the newest generation equipment are not edging sunlenses, it's not because the equipment can't handle it," Cohen says. "If the equipment is capable, there's no reason any ECP shouldn't be doing this."