Industry Milestones

 

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Since 1984, when Optima set a new industry standard with the introduction of a High Index Plastic Lens with an unheard of 1.0 mm C.T. (Center Thickness), to 2001 when it introduced its new polycarbonate lens, called RESOLUTION™, the company has shown industry leadership and has developed a reputation as an innovator. With the introduction in 2007 of COLOR FREE AR — The Invisible Lens™, Optima continues to assert its leadership position.

Although the company's start was in the high index lens category, the company saw the great potential for polycarbonate, if it could just improve its optical qualities. With a team of scientists and a hunch, the company developed a new process, which they patented and named ECM-9™ (Extrusion Compression Molding). This new process eliminated the material stress that was caused by the injection compression process used by all the other manufacturers in making their polycarbonate lenses. The result of Optima's revolutionary new process was a lens that had the optical qualities of glass but retained the lightness, thinness and legendary impact resistance of polycarbonate.

In its state-of-the-art, highly automated plant, the company started producing the world's first birefringence-free polycarbonate lenses. A simple demonstration was all that was needed to separate RESOLUTION® from the other polycarbonate lenses. By simply placing both lenses under polarizers on a light box (Figure 1), the material stress in the other polycarbonate lens was very apparent.

Optima is proud that its entire line of RESOLUTION® lenses, including RESPONSE® progressive and new COLOR FREE AR — The Invisible Lens, continues to be made with superior and exceptional quality.

 
Figure 1 - "Other" Polycarbonate lens (left) RESOLUTION® lens (right)
 
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