South Windsor, Conn.-Gerber Coburn introduces HRC-180, the first model in their line of Hercules backside coaters.

Designed to meet the needs of wholesale laboratories, the high throughput HRC-180 is a self-contained, fully automated system for the application of high-performance, scratch resistant coating to all types of plastic and polycarbonate lenses, indicated Kyle Costa, group product manager, Gerber Coburn.

“Prior to the HRC-180, Gerber Coburn’s wholesale coater employed a linear lens workflow. With this type of system, cycle times are lengthened - operators must wait until the majority of the cycle is completed before another lens enters the process. We recognized that in order to maximize coating productivity, we needed to change our previous design. So we partnered with Lens Technology, Inc. to develop and manufacture a new platform for a series of coaters. The first model in the series, HRC-180, features a carousel that enables three lenses to be processed at the same time, maximizing throughput,” noted Costa.

Costa went on to say, “The HRC-180 is robust - housed in a stainless steel cabinet for maximum protection against rust and chemical corrosion. The cabinet design provides easy setup, operations, and access as well as exceptional durability. The clean, coat, and cure workstations are self-contained in the upper section of the cabinet. A four-armed turntable with motor and vacuum chuck on each arm rotates 360° to deliver a lens to each station, providing a quick, uninterrupted cycle that eliminates exposure to dust and dirt while minimizing lens handling and bypassing lens inspection prior to the curing phase. And the throughput is amazing - the HRC-180 delivers a coated lens every 20 seconds.”

“The HRC-180 uses our advanced 100% Solids coating technology, allowing complete utilization of the coating and eliminating volatile solvents and waste. It’s operator-friendly, containing no hazardous or flammable solvents and having no offensive odors commonly found in solvent-based coatings,” Costa stated.

Gerber Coburn is the world's leading provider of computer integrated optical lens processing systems. The company designs, produces, markets, and supports equipment software and supplies used in surfacing prescripitons in lens blanks, coating lenses, and machining lenses to fit patient frames. Based in South Windsor, Conn., Gerber Coburn operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Gerber Scientific Inc.

Gerber Scientific (www.gerberscientific.com) is the world's leading supplier of sophisticated automated manufacturing systems for sign making and specialty graphics, apparel and flexible goods, and optical lens processing. Headquartered in South Windsor, Connecticut, the company operates through four wholly owned subsidiaries: Gerber Scientific Products and Spandex PLC, Gerber Technology, and Gerber Coburn.