Interview with
Coburn Technologies
|
EyeCare Professional’s Paul DiGiovanni speaking with
Curt Brey, Vice President of Marketing and Business
Development, COBURN TECHNOLOGIES.
EyeCare Professional: Please provide a brief history of
the company including how long they have been making
finishing equipment and when they first introduced the
patternless edging system.
Curt Brey: Coburn introduced its first edging system
approximately 46 years ago in 1965. The first patternless
edger and tracer duo was introduced in the early 80's.
For over 60 years, Coburn has supplied the optical
industry with products and services that have literally
reinvented lens surfacing and finishing methods. Products
like the 108 generator, Step One Blocking System, SGX, XRT
Lensmaker and many more have been used to make the lenses
people wear all around the world.
Coburn has a long history of bringing technology,
innovation and automation to the lens processing industry
and has continued to pursue products that meet and exceed
customer expectations every year.
The Excelon Finishing System is Coburn’s latest
introduction to the world of lens edging and follows the
long-standing history of high quality lens processing
systems.
ECP: What does Coburn have to offer a start up shop or
someone just looking to get into finishing?
CB: We hear from our customers that they are looking for
advanced finishing products but with a lower overall cost of
ownership. The new Excelon finishing line from Coburn
Technologies addresses these needs and includes several
affordable product levels from high value to high
performance.
We have finishing systems starting from approximately
$15,000 and offer 10 different system configurations to meet
each customer’s specific requirements.
ECP: What does Coburn have to offer the experienced
finishing shop?
CB: For experienced finishing lab professionals, Coburn
recommends the Excelon XD. This advanced edging system
includes a high speed, high performance finishing process
and offers almost every edging feature the expert may need
in his/her shop. Features like
shape modification, grooving, and highly precise &
repeatable drilling are standard in this popular Excelon
model.
For those ready to take the next step into lens
surfacing, Coburn recommends The Premier Lab™; a complete
in-house lens processing system. The affordable, modular
design and small footprint solution provides customers with
the ability to set up the whole lab at once or grow into the
system in stages to best meet their business needs.
ECP: In your opinion, what are the most important aspects
of any finishing system?
CB: Reliability - One of the greatest concerns in purchasing an edging
system today is the product life span. New edgers are
introduced every year and we often hear, “they don’t
make them like they used to.” With the Excelon systems,
Coburn is changing this perspective entirely by being the
only company to include standard comprehensive parts &
labor 3-year warranty. This ensures no service concerns or
surprise fees.
Intuitive User Interface- Critical for those getting started or switching from one
edger to another, a smart and user friendly touch screen or
control panel is included on all Coburn edgers. This
minimizes the learning curve for operators and Coburn
provides complete training upon installation to make sure
our customers can efficiently start using the system
immediately after the installation.
ROI- Many companies talk about the “ROI” or “return on
investment” of an edging system. However, none of them
include the costs of spare parts, service charges plus
downtime which will cause your profits to decline and push
an ROI out even further. In addition, Coburn’s hassle free
3 year comprehensive warranty also helps to enhance your ROI.
ECP: With the Excelon edging systems, is drilling
something that can be done in-house or does it have to still
be outsourced?
CB: Excelon XD has an automatic, integrated drill module
which allows you to complete all easy and complicated
drilling jobs in house with great precision and quality.
Automatic drilling minimizes the risk of error and breakage.
Coburn’s Excelon XQ can also be upgraded to perform
drilling at the customer site, adding future functionality
for an already high-performance edging system.
ECP: What makes the Coburn Excelon edgers different from
your competitors?
CB: We provide unsurpassed customer service and
personally stand behind our commitment to customer service
excellence. We firmly believe in providing our customers
with superior client services; being unconditionally
client-driven is an integral part of every job description
for each of our employees.
ECP: What are the key features of each model?
CB: The key features of each edger are as follows:
Excelon EZ
conscious buyer.
Can easily process small “B” dimensions for the
latest frame fashions.
Offers polishing and is paired with CFR-3000
(included is EZ system) for simultaneous tracing,
blocking and edging
Excelon
8.25" LCD displaying an intuitive & user
friendly software
Frame trace storage & barcode support
Excelon XD/XQ
-
Highest performance, highest value, feature rich
lens edgers in the Excelon product line
-
Dual CPU ensures faster processing cycle
Industrial-grade design ensures precise and
repeatable drilling
-
LCD (10.4") with a touchscreen running an
intuitive and user friendly software.
ECP: What is the pricing for each model?
CB: Coburn edging systems range from $15,000 to $45,000.
ECP: What is the warranty for each?
CB: Comprehensive parts & labor, three (3) years –
standard for all Excelon edgers.
Backed by Coburn Technologies global service &
support team and our long-term 3 year warranty program, our
customers can operate their finishing business with
confidence.
ECP: Is there an extended warranty?
CB: Yes, a two (2) year extended warranty is available
for a total of five (5) years of warranty coverage. Please
contact your Coburn Technologies representative for more
details.
ECP: How can someone get more information on Excelon
edgers?
CB: Please contact us at 1-800-COBURN-1 or
(1-800-262-8761) or www.coburntechnologies.com
Paul DiGiovanni, LDO, is a practicing optician who resides in New Jersey.
to be here for awhile.
|
