What are Semi Finished Lenses and what are their advantages?

Semi-finished lenses are optical lenses supplied by manufacturers in an intermediate state of production. One side of the lens is already ground and polished to a specific base curve and optical design. The other side is left blank (uncut) or only roughly formed.

Who needs Semi-Finished Lenses?

Generally optical laboratories receive Semi-Finished Lenses.

The labs grind and polish the back surface of the semi-finished lens based on the individual patient's prescription and frame measurements (like pupillary distance and frame shape/size). This step customizes the lens to correct the specific vision needs (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia).

Advantage of Semi-Finished Lenses:

1. Manufacturing Efficiency & Cost Savings for Labs:

Manufacturers produce large quantities of Semi-Finished with the complex front surface already completed. This mass production of the most intricate surface will significantly reduce the cost per lens compared to starting each lens from scratch. Labs only need to finish the simpler back surface customization, saving them time and resources.

2. Wide Prescription & Frame Flexibility:

A single semi-finished lens blank (with its fixed front curve) can be used to create a wide range of final prescriptions by altering the curvature of the back surface during surfacing. This will allow labs to stock a smaller variety of base curves to cover a vast array of common vision corrections. The allows the lab to cut the lens to fit virtually any frame shape and size requirement.

3. Customization:

The surfacing process on the back side enables precise tailoring to complex prescriptions (including high powers and astigmatism). It also allows for specialized lens designs (like progressive addition lenses - PALs). Labs thus can incorporate patient-specific measurements for optimal visual performance within the chosen frame.

4. Availability to Advanced Front-Surface Designs:

Manufacturers can invest in creating sophisticated, optimized front-surface designs (for asphericity, atoricity, progressive corridors, etc.). But this would be impractical for a local lab to produce individually. Labs leverage these high-quality pre-made designs by simply customizing the back surface.

Why choose H&C Optik Semi-Finished Lenses?

H&C Optik supplies over 200,000 pairs of semi-finished lenses Monthly to more than 25+ optical laboratories worldwide. Our Semi Index: 1.50, 1.56, 1.60, 1.67. This volume reflects both our manufacturing capacity and the trusts from our global partners