Gerber Coburn Nominated for Five OLA Awards of Excellence
Company's Breakthrough GeminiTM Fine-to-Coat Process Final Candidate in Lens Treatment, Equipment and Other Categories
SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – Gerber Coburn announced today it has been nominated by the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) to receive five 2001 OLA Awards of Excellence for its revolutionary Gemini Fine-to-Coat Process.
"History is repeating itself," observed Shawn Harrington, president, Gerber Coburn. "Virtually every year since 1987, when the OLA inaugurated its annual Awards of Excellence program, Gerber Coburn has been nominated to receive at least one award. To date, we've won 18. This year, we're nominees for the OLA's Best in Class award in five categories: lens treatments, surfacing equipment, lens treatment equipment, processing tools and materials, and breakthrough technology."
According to Harrington, Gemini offers an advanced feature set designed to benefit the wholesale lab through increased productivity and exceptional lens quality. Formally introduced at OLA 2000, San Diego, the process:
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In addition, Gemini minimizes lens handling, decreases operator skill requirements, and limits opportunities for human error – all while producing exceptional optics. The process comprises two integrated components: Hexapod and Clarifyer, which work in tandem to create a hands-free, streamlined processing environment. "The Hexapod uses Gerber Coburn's newly developed conformable lap technology to precisely match the shape of the lens being processed," noted Harrington. "Using this unique approach, fewer than 25 conformable laps are capable of processing a range out to –11 diopters of base curve and up to –5 diopters of cylinder. That's more than 95 percent of the prescriptions encountered in a typical wholesale lab. Plus, an 'extended range' lap set provides the ability to process curves even further: out to –20 diopters.
"The Hexapod also automates pad handling," he continued, "by selecting the proper pad, placing it on the conformable lap, and removing it after it has been used. There's really nothing for the operator to do."
Once the Hexapod cycle is complete, lenses are de-blocked and processed through the Clarifyer.
A self-contained, fully automated system, the Clarifyer applies a resin to the back side of the lens via an automated cycle that minimizes lens preparation and handling, eliminates exposure to dirt and dust, and precludes the need for lens pre-inspection. The use of clarifying resins to achieve final optical clarity rids labs of the mess and corrosion associated with polish.
"The Clarifyer dispenses high performance, material-specific resins," said Harrington. "These solventless resins are designed to enhance optical performance by providing excellent adhesion, abrasion resistance, and anti-reflective (AR) coating compatibility. The ability to 'tune' resins for desired performance on a specific material offers wholesale laboratories a versatility never before available in this type of operation."
He concluded, "Gemini continues the tradition of superior performance and integrity built by Gerber Coburn into all of its lens processing products for nearly 50 years. The fact that we have once again been recognized for our engineering expertise by professional peers is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our employees. We're very honored our industry colleagues regard Gerber's systems highly enough to nominate us for the OLA Award of Excellence year after year."
The OLA Awards of Excellence are the optical industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards. Each year, the chief executive officers of OLA member labs jointly select – by secret ballot – that year's best frame and lens design products, optical laboratory equipment, and other systems in a total of eight categories. Winners of the 2001 Awards of Excellence will be announced at the OLA's annual "Awards of Excellence" dinner Saturday, November 3, 2001, in New Orleans.
Gerber Coburn is the world's largest provider of computer integrated ophthalmic lens processing systems. The company designs, produces and markets equipment, software and supplies used in surfacing prescriptions in lens blanks, machining lenses to fit patient frames, and coating lenses. Based in South Windsor, Conn., Gerber Coburn operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Gerber Scientific Inc., the world's leading supplier of high technology systems and solutions that enable mass customization in diverse industries. Gerber Scientific Inc. is an NYSE-listed (symbol GRB) company, also headquartered in South Windsor, and employs approximately 2,600 globally.