Ruslan Pashchuk, Crizal coating manager for US Optical, shows off a new Satisloh 12000-DLX AR coater inside the lab’s new Crizal coating facility.	At its new Crizal coating facility, US Optical can now produce Essilor’s Crizal Optifog and Crizal Prevencia, a new AR coating which protects against harmful blue light and UV.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— US Optical recently installed a 1200-DLX AR coater and a VFT-Orbit lens generator, both manufactured by Satisloh. The new AR coater will add an additional 750 Crizal AR and digital AR jobs capacity per day, while the VFT-Orbit lens generator will produce an additional 350 Digital surfaced jobs per day, according to US Optical.

“To maintain our dominant position as the ‘Fastest Lab in America’ with our 24- to 48-hour turnaround on uncut lenses, this expansion in machinery, coatings and lens designs is necessary,” said Ralph Cotran, vice president and co-owner of US Optical, which Vision Monday ranked as the third largest independent U.S. wholesale lab in its 2013 Top Labs Report.

The Syracuse, N.Y.-based lab has also launched several new lens products including:

• The US Optical Personal Computer-HD (PC-HD), a new personal computer lens designed for patients requiring extra vision while working at a desk or computer. The lens comes in three modes: more reading, more desk work, or more computer work.


• The US Optical Blu Tech lens series: A new, impact-resistant lens from Eye Solutions Technology that protects against damage from UV radiation and high energy blue light emitted by computers, digital devices, iPhones and iPads. It is now available in US Optical’s branded products: The Single Vision HD, the Ultimate HD, the Wrap HD, The Advanced HD and the PC-HD.


• Shamir Duo, a Freeform bifocal that eliminates the segment line and is available from US Optical in 24 hours.


• Two new anti-reflective coatings from Essilor Lens of America: Crizal Optifog for fog-free vision and Crizal Prevencia, an AR coating that protects against harmful blue light and UV.


• Carl Zeiss’ new anti-reflective coatings Allure Plus and Purecoat PLUS which have an ultra extra tough hard coat that offers 50 percent more scratch resistance while delivering crisper vision.

“We will continue to invest into new machinery, new technology and new lens designs for branded products from both the large manufacturers and our own US Optical established brand,” said Ronald Cotran, vice president and co-owner of US Optical. “As an independent lab, we can bring countless choices, along with extremely fast service to eyecare professionals nationally. We will continuously invest in America, not overseas.” ■