Q Academy

Maintaining a regular practice of following accepted procedures can greatly impact the success of your AR lab. This module discusses accepted practices for coating lenses using your AR coating system starting at removal from the degas oven.

Equipment and Materials

  • Clean air flow booth
  • Anti-static gun
  • Inspection lamp
  • Isopropanol
  • Powder-free latex disposable gloves
  • Swabs
  • Clean cloth, lint-free
  • Vacuum
  • Tweezers
  • Scotch Brite
  • Small metal scoop for substances
  • Ceramic substance containers/small bottles
  • Crucibles
  • Coating materials
  • Sensor crystals
  • Crystal snatcher
  • Welder’s glass
  • Reducer ring – 90mm/81mm
  • Sectors
  • Dome
  • Pen/writing instrument
  • Daily run sheet

Instructions

These instructions are general in nature for dome configuration and may not provide all necessary steps for all types of AR coating equipment. CAUTION: Watch for Backside Only (BSO) jobs!

  1. Always wear latex gloves when handling lenses.
  2. Remove the baskets of lenses from the degas oven or holding oven.
  3. Transport lenses to the air flow booth.
  4. Unload baskets in sequence, beginning with top left corner of basket and finishing at bottom right corner.
  5. Prioritize as required:
    1. Mark hot jobs
    2. Mark and process by date entered the lab
    3. Note: Backside Only (BSO) jobs – leave in basket until coating second side
  6. Blow off each lens with anti-static gun.
  7. Place each lens in front of inspection lamp and visually inspect both sides for dust, fingerprints, etc.
  8. Remove all dust, fingerprints, etc. by swabbing each lens as necessary with acetone.
  9. Load lenses on sector ensuring concave side (backside) is facing down to be coated first.
    1. Start on the top tier at the start location, rotate around the sector in a counter-clockwise direction.
    2. Work down through each tier continuing in a counter-clockwise direction until complete.
  10. Pairs of lenses must be together on same sector tier to achieve uniform color.
  11. Make sure the ring fits the sector hole to avoid falling out.
  12. Multifocal edged and uncut lenses must be aligned and uniform according to segment location. The segment is to be positioned at the bottom of the sector hole.
  13. Edged single vision and progressive lenses must be positioned in the sector hole, as the would be in the frame.
  14. Keep loaded sectors on the top shelf inside the flow booth until the coating machine is ready.
  15. Open the door on the AR machine.
  16. Open the source shutter on the machine.
  17. Remove the spent crucible.
  18. Swab the crucible chill plate and bottom of crucible with acetone while the crucible is out of the machine.
  19. Insert alternate crucible pre-loaded with materials.
  20. Change sensor crystal EACH run.
  21. Close source shutter on machine.
  22. Select correct process on machine.
  23. Select concave program.
  24. Place loaded sector onto rotation cage without bumping or scratching the lenses.
  25. If there are four (4) or more unused holes (no lenses) on the sector being loaded, place a blank-off in open holes.
  26. Check rotation for loose lenses.
  27. Close chamber door.
  28. Push start.
  29. Forward route sheet and work tickets to hydro set-up table.
  30. Observe all monitors during the run.
  31. Using welder’s glass for eye protection, periodically observe electron beam position; beam should be centered in pocket.
  32. Refer to the work instruction for changing beam aim.
  33. After the cycle is complete, the machine will automatically vent and open the door.
  34. After the door opens, remove the sector from the machine and place in the flow booth.
  35. Flip the lenses in the sector from concave side down to convex side down.
  36. Add “BSO” lenses for backside coating.
  37. Repeat the coating process, including cleaning and crucible charging, but selecting convex program.
  38. Upon completion of the coating process, forward lenses in sector to flow booth for final inspection.
  39. Place sector on correct route sheet.

CAUTION: Make sure to use proper eye protection when observing machine operation.

Quality Notes

Each employee is expected to:

  • Be responsible for the quality of the work they perform.
  • Know and understand the quality requirements of every operation they perform.
  • Ensure that each step is performed correctly the first time, every time.

Safety Notes

Each employee is expected to:

  • Know and understand the safety requirements of every operation he/she performs.
  • Be responsible for following safety requirements as defined in this manual, equipment manuals, and the lab’s safety manual.

Housekeeping

Employees are responsible for the housekeeping in their work area.  They are expected to:

  • Keep their area clean, orderly, and free of all unnecessary items.
  • Assist in maintaining all common areas.