March 5th, 2009, Stephen Cohen, President of CC Systems,
presents a lecture on
"FreeForm processing and lab management integration"
at the MAFO Ophthalmic Labs & Industry Conference.

The VCA's (Vision Council of America) Data Communication Standard can be reviewed in PDF format from the Vision Council's website, DCS V3 07 July 08.pdf.

1. Introduction

Your Lab Management Software (LMS) is the hub between your Free Form manufacturing equipment, your Free Form lens designs calculation engine, your Rx Order Entry module.

A fully integrated LMS requires a flexible setup.

LMS presently needs to recognize three types of Free Form designs 1 - Seiko style designs 2 – Shamir style designs and 3 – IOT style designs.

2. Design-Type Characteristics

2.1.Common Characteristics

Base Curve tables are supplied by all freeform design vendors and are presently created using bifocal addition, sphere and cylinder

These predefined base curves can be modified for some design suppliers and others cannot be touched by the user. Check with your FreeForm supplier.

Base curve tables using Add + total power may be introduced later

Seg. Height restrictions by lens type and design are required

2.2.Seiko Characteristics

Predefined SV blanks supplied by Seiko to grind Free Form PAL (progressives) orders.

Seiko does not restrict Base Curves being received from the Rx calculation engine.

Calculation Engine will try to calculate RX within the parameters sent to it.

2.3. Shamir Characteristics

Any SV blanks to grind FF PAL orders.

Shamir does restrict Base Curves being received from the Rx calculation engine.

2.4. IOT Characteristics

Any SV blanks to grind FF PAL order.

IOT does not restrict Base Curves being received from the Rx calculation engine.

Calculation Engine will try to calculate RX within the parameters sent to it.

3. Setting Up Free Form Lens in LMS

Two configurations:

3.1 Seiko style where Seiko supplies specific SV blanks and specific Base Curves for all FF designs

LMS provider needs to provide product ID and incorporate Base Curve tables for all designs

Seiko blanks are pre-assigned to the various lens styles

3.2 3.1Shamir, IOT, INDO, Optixx, and Crossbows styles which allow the lab to assign any SV blank to various Free Form designs

For these designs the lab through its LMS must assign SV donor lens to each lens design being ground.

4. FreeForm Basic steps

4.1. Identify Free Form Product Group

4.2. Set Minimum Seg. Height for each lens style

4.3. Review supplied Base Curve Charts

4.4. Shamir type designs: set base Curve parameters

4.5. All designs other than Seiko type: Assign donor lenses to each design

5. Reporting Issues

LMS standard reporting should be sufficient for most Lab owners or executives.

For these designs the lab through its LMS must assign SV donor lens to each lens design being ground.