EYE ON EQUIPMENT

Tint Lab Basics

The equipment you need to color your world

Adding tinting equipment to your back-room lab is an easy way to capture revenue, increase customer service, and have some control over the final lens product. Tinting stations have a small footprint and allow ECPs to take advantage of whatever fashion elements are en vogue at any given time. We spoke to tinting experts BPI, Inc., for some pointers on setting up a tinting lab.

EQUIPMENT BASICS

A tinting station consists mainly of tint tanks and a storage rack for extra tanks. A few ancillary pieces of equipment are also needed—thermometers, stirring sticks, lens holders, etc.—and usually come with a tank set. The tanks, which hold the mixed tint, are heated either indirectly through a heat transfer fluid (think double boiler) or via heating elements inside the tank. Talk to the manufacturer about the pros and cons of each.

You can start small, but be sure to have enough tanks to serve your purposes. You’ll want to have the basic tints always on hand: gray, brown, G-15, blue, a UV tint, and a neutralizer. The neutralizer is mandatory, as it allows operators to remove the tint should mistakes happen.

Lids will reduce evaporation and keep dust and debris out. Talk to your tint supplier about proper maintenance of the tint; shelf life will vary.

A PROFITABLE ADD-ON

Tinting may take a little while to master, especially the fashion tints and gradients. But adding to your repertoire of services will never be a waste of time. The more you can offer your patients with a quick turnaround, the more competitive you make your practice. But there’s also revenue to be had.

On average, ECPs charge anywhere from $15 to $25 for tint. BPI breaks the ECP’s cost (materials, etc.) to 10 cents per minute. So, if a sunglass tint takes up to 12 minutes and fashion tints can take anywhere from one to three minutes, ECPs are looking at a cost of just more than a dollar or less per job. Though individual revenues will vary, it is estimated that an ECP doing two tint jobs per day could see close to $7,800 per year in revenue.

RETAIL POSSIBILITIES

In-house tinting can go so much further than simply darkening lenses for sun protection. Though that remains a popular use, ECPs can also use tinting to increase their lens product offerings and capture second-pair sales.

Color: Bright colors, fashion tints, and subtle gradients will speak to your bolder patients who want something different.

Sport: Tints can be targeted to patients who partake in specialty sports. Yellow tints, for example, can enhance performance in shooting sports as a result of increased clarity.

Therapeutic: Colored lenses have applications beyond sport and fashion. Certain colors (or color combinations) are being used to help with color vision deficiency, dyslexia, epilepsy, and trouble with night driving.

IMAGE COURTESY OF BPI

But like any other service, patients and customers must know about your tinting capabilities to buy them. Don’t wait for them to bring up the question. Show; then talk. Have a variety of tinted lenses— colorful, gradient, dramatic—displayed for patients to see. Pair them with uniquely shaped rimless mounts for added attention. Visual aids help, too. BPI will soon release a computer program allowing patients to “see” through various tints, so they can choose how they want to see their world.

— Susan Tarrant

NEED-TO-KNOW INFO

■ The thermostat setting, which relates to the temperature of the heat transfer fluid, will be different from the temperature of the tint; for that reason, a quality thermometer is a wise investment.

■ The hotter the tint (without boiling) the faster and more uniform the results.

■ Do not leave the lid on while unit is on: it can result in a messy boil-over.

■ Avoid immersing the lens holders and other utensils rapidly in the tint solution, as a foam-up reaction may be caused.

■ To minimize evaporation, you may idle your machine and leave lids on.

■ Remember, only the water evaporates, not the tint. Water may be added as needed to maintain proper operating level.

■ Make it a habit to wipe up spills immediately with a damp cloth.