How to Make an Eyeglass Lens

Plastic lenses are the most popular for eyeglasses.

Making eyeglass lenses is a very involved process and should be done in an optical laboratory or in a full service optical facility. Plastic lenses make up 80 percent of all eyeglass lenses made today and have replaced glass lenses as the most popular option for eyeglass lenses. This is mainly due to the durability and weight of plastic. The process for making plastic and glass lenses remains essentially the same.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic lens blanks
• Adhesive tape
• Lead alloy based liquid
• Metal
• Dyes
• Tints
• Lensometer
• Curve generator
• Blocking machine
• Fining machine
• Hot water
• Small hammer
• Red grease pencil

Instructions

1. Choose the appropriate lens blank for the prescription.

2. Grind curves into the lens using the Curve Generator for the lens to comply with the optical prescription.

3. Mark the point where the lens should be centered over the pupil, or the optical center, using a Lensometer.

4. Cover the lenses in adhesive tape to prevent the lenses from scratching.

5. Place one lens at a time in the Blocking Machine. While in the blocking machine, the lead alloy based liquid will fuse the lens to a block to keep the lens stable.

6. Place one lens at a time into the Curve Generator that has been calibrated for the appropriate prescription and grind the curves into the back of the lens.

7. Insert the lenses into a fining machine for polishing.

8. Remove the blocks from the lenses using a small hammer after the fining process has been completed.

9. Detach the adhesive tape from each lens.

10. Mark the appropriate lens with a "L" or a "R" to denote the left and right lens.

Tips & Warnings

• Due to the materials needed and the complexity of the task, making eyeglass lenses is best left to professionals.

References

• How Eyeglass Lenses are Made