(Press Release)
After MEI presented EzFit No Block for the first time at Mido 2016, the company reports that the machine has been met with a solid reception in the marketplace.
The new machine allows small labs and high-end or high-volume retail stores to carry out ophthalmic lens edging without blocks. Previously, this was only possible with high-output MEI machinery designed for large-scale companies.
The NoBlock module, which is available as an upgrade, enables EzFit to automatically carry out error-free lens centering without blocks. The NoBlock includes a lensmeter, blockless centering system for single vision, bifocal and progressive lenses, and automatic machine loading/unloading with a dual loading arm. This module allows the next lens to be loaded while the machine is edging the previous lens and, in combination with EzFit, enables the machine operator to correctly position the lens without any specific optical skills, automatically compensating for any errors. The operator simply positions the lens under a centering system that centers and removes the lens to introduce it in the cutting chamber.
The NoBlock module can work in two different ways: continuously, to maximize output, or in single pairs, to edge both lenses in sequence automatically. With the continuous method, EzFit can work without interruptions, allowing a new job to be prepared while the previous one is still in progress. With the single pair method, both lenses are loaded and then edging is performed automatically.
Based on TBA (Throw the Block Away) technology, which is already present in some MEI machines, the NoBlock system streamlines workflow. “Industrial companies have stopped using centering blocks for some time now, and we thought it was important to offer this benefit to smaller companies as well,” says MEI CEO and Technical Director Stefano Sonzogni. “The comments have been very good and demonstrate that our desire to meet the needs of clients is appreciated.”
EzFit No Block will be available in November, when the first installations will be developed.