Profession optical technician

Optical technicians assemble, repair and design various parts of eyewear such as lenses, frames, patterns and eyewear. They cut, inspect, mount and polish all parts using various machinery and hand tools. Optical technicians shape, grind and coat lenses for prescription eyewear. They fit completed lenses into eyeglass frames. Optical technicians ensure that lenses conform to the dispensing optician’s, specialised doctor in ophtalmology's or optometrist's prescriptions. They may also work with other associated optical instrumentation and its maintenance.

Would you like to know what kind of career and professions suit you best? Take our free Holland code career test and find out.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Characteristics of services

  The characteristics of a service that might include having acquired information about its application, function, features, use and support requirements.

• Manufacturer's recommended price

  The estimated price the manufacturer suggests the retailer to apply to a product or service and the pricing method through which it is calculated.

• Types of optical instruments

  Possess information on the types of optical instruments and lenses, such as microscopes and telescopes, as well as on their mechanics, components, and characteristics.

• Characteristics of products

  The tangible characteristics of a product such as its materials, properties and functions, as well as its different applications, features, use and support requirements.

• Product comprehension

  The offered products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.

• Optical glass characteristics

  The characteristics of optical glass such as refractive index, dispersion, and chemical properties.

• Production processes

  Materials and techniques required in the production and distribution processes.

Skills

• Manipulate glass

  Manipulate the properties, shape and size of glass.

• Comply with optical prescriptions

  Interpret and coordinate frames and eye measurements in accordance with the customer's optical prescriptions.

• Smooth glass edges

  Use automated abrasive belts to smooth or shape glass edges.

• Operate optical equipment

  Use specific optical machinery in order to cut, polish, adjust and refine optics.

• Handle contact lenses

  Demonstrate how to insert, remove and care for contact lenses; ensure that contact lenses will fit correctly and feel comfortable.

• Operate precision measuring equipment

  Measure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, and a measuring gauge.

• Maintain records of clients' prescriptions

  Keep records of customers' prescriptions, payments and work orders sent to the laboratory.

• Maintain relationship with suppliers

  Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.

• Perform frames' repairs

  Repair/replace damaged frames or glasses for customers.

• Perform technical tasks with great care

  Avoiding possible risks and unwanted outcomes by watching carefully over all parts of a machine, device or vehicle and executing processes of production, maintenance or repair with great care.

• Perform maintenance on eyewear

  Conduct repair activities on eyewear, such as calibration, alignment and adjustments or replacement of frames, lenses and other parts.

• Operate optical measuring equipment

  Operate optical measuring equipment to take client's measurements; determine bridge and eye size, papillary distance, vertex distance, optical eye centres, etc., in order to manufacture customised eyeglasses or contact lenses.

• Smooth glass surface

  Smooth glass or lens surfaces of optical instruments with grinding and polishing tools, such as diamond tools.

• Apply a protective layer

  Apply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.

• Order optical supplies

  Order optical equipment and materials, paying attention to the price, quality, and suitability of the supplies.

• Sell optical products

  Sell glasses and sunglasses, contact lenses, spectacles, binoculars, cleaning kits and other eye-related products, according to customer's needs in terms of optical requirements such as bi-focals, varifocals and reactolite.

• Clean glass surfaces

  Use cleaning products to clean any surface covered by glass, especially windows.

• Prepare work orders for the optical laboratory

  Prepare and oversee work scheme and day-to-day activities for the optical laboratory.

• Cut lenses for eyeglasses

  Shape and cut lenses to fit into frames for eyeglasses, according to prescriptions or specifications.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB