Information For Consumers

Information For Eye Care Professionals

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The Vision Council  >  Members   >  Divisions   >  Lens Division   >  Activities

Activities

Committees and Task Forces

The Lens Division of The Vision Council forms standing committees and ad hoc task forces of volunteer experts to address technical issues in response to member needs. The groups routinely meet, often in conjunction with the International Vision Expo trade shows, to solve shared technical problems that affect industry.

Committees and task forces that operate under the Lens Division:

• Lens Technical Committee
• Country of Origin for Lenses Task Force
• Lens Description Standard Task Force and Lens Marking Task Force/LDS Unified Task Force
• Mass Lens Manufacturing Committee
• AR Steering Committee
• Sustainability Task Force (jointly with LPT Division)

Lens Technical Committee

The Lens Technical Committee (LTC) is a forum open to members of The Vision Council who deal with any technical issue pertaining to the manufacture, marketing or distribution of spectacle lenses globally. When needed, the LTC can request division leadership to form task forces or committees to study lens issues in further detail. Regular participants must be members The Vision Council and discussions are directed toward areas of benefit to improving this field for all of industry.

Country of Origin for Lenses Task Force

The County of Origin for Lenses Task Force's scope of work covers the writing of a voluntary standard for lens manufacturers that identifies a location and a manner for lens packaging to include machine readable Country of Origin (made in) information. Determination of bar code type(s) and country code are included within the scope of the task force.

The task force investigates if additional tracking information can be incorporated into the scanner codes. The goal is to increase accuracy through machine readable coding, while reducing costs to industry caused by human error through creation of a standardized format indentifying the Country of Origin for ophthalmic lenses.

Lens Description Standard Task Force and Lens Marking Task Force /LDS Unified Task Force

The Lens Description Standard Task Force (LDS) and Lens Marking Task Force comprise the LDS Unified Task Force. The combined group addresses the need for an industry wide data file structure and related terminology, as well as serving as a reference for the placing of temporary markings on the front surface of any lens.

The resultant standard documents are intended to maximize the accuracy of automatic and manual positioning, processing and verification, and are intended for voluntary use by lens manufacturers in describing the technical attributes of lenses. The purpose of the standard is to provide a consistent method and nomenclature for describing the specifications and attributes of finished and semi-finished spectacle lens blanks as supplied by a vendor. The standard also provides a consistent and precise method for describing the method for describing the geometry of non spherical lens surfaces, including aspheric and progressive lens surfaces, to ensure accurate control of lens thickness during processing.

Mass Lens Manufacturing Committee

The Mass Lens Manufacturing Committee was formed with the intention of providing a forum for mass manufacturers of finished and semi-finished lenses to discuss, share and confide common manufacturing issues and solutions. Group resources and knowledge are dedicated to conceive, test and confirm ideas on many manufacturing questions including lens abrasion, impact resistance, lens transmittance and more.

AR Steering Committee

The mission of The Vision Council AR Steering Committee is to drive the 100 percent usage of anti-reflective lenses and assist optical professionals by providing educational material and programs.

Sustainability Task Force

Reporting jointly to the Lens Division and Lens Processing and Technology Division leadership, this group was formed to find solutions to keep polycarbonate swarf out of landfills in the United States. The proposed model will be sustainable, reliable and cash flow positive or neutral. The group is comprised of lens suppliers, equipment suppliers, labs, recyclers and lens raw material suppliers.

For more information on The Vision Council technical programs, please contact technical director Jeff Endres at jendres@thevisioncouncil.org or at 703-740-2245.

Charitable Donations

Making optical products available to those in need is a goal shared by both The Vision Council and our members. In an effort to keep products and support flowing to charitable organizations, The Vision Council is happy to serve as the liaison between our members and charities in the optical industry.

We encourage members to contact us if they would like to donate surplus inventory or become more involved with charitable work. Donating excess inventory not only helps clean out your warehouse in preparation for the upcoming season, it also is a great way to receive a tax benefit. The Vision Council will work with both members and charities to make the transaction as easy and efficient as possible.

For more information, please contact The Vision Council's communications coordinator Jenna LaRoche at jlaroche@thevisioncouncil.org or at (703) 740-1099.

Lenses and Lifestyles

The Lens Division has created a consumer magazine titled Lenses and Lifestyles and education class for eye care professionals. The magazine and course focus on helping consumers find ways to 'look and see their best.