Ask Dr. H for technical questions

What is HCoating?
Novel chemical substances were developed to produce HCoating. The process is non-obvious, with no prior art in ophthalmic lens application. It is useful, having very little viscosity increase over time while maintaining all other features. HCoating adjusts and stabilizes coating viscosity by altering intra-molecular structures, a great technological advancement since the birth of solvent-free, inter-molecularly blended hard coating.

Why is stable viscosity crucial to a lens coating?
A film thickness of dry coating is dependant on the viscosity of the wet coating (liquid). Higher-viscosity liquids make a thicker dry film. Once the viscosity reaches a certain level, the dry-coated film gets thick enough to lose adhesion on the lens. Unfortunately, most solventless hard coatings have the problem of ever-increasing viscosity, among other issues.

Why is Intra-Molecular Altering better than Inter-Molecular Blending?
Intra-Molecular Altering (IMA) within a chemical is based on molecule design to get the desired structure and viscosity, stabilizing there. Inter-Molecular Blending (IMB) of different chemicals leads to either ever-increasing viscosity. All other competitor s coatings are the products of IMB technology.

Where are the customers using the IMA technology HCoating?
SR coating, in US (CA, OK, TX, FL, AZ, PA, NC, NY, KY, MO, KS, AR), Puerto Rico, Canada, Czech, Ukraine, Netherlands, UK & European Countries, Mexico, Dominica, Costa Rica, Columbia, Panama, Peru, Brazil & South American Countries.
UT coating, in US (CA, OK, NV, FL, TX).
HB coating, in US (CA), Australia.

What are the next generation hard coatings?
HCoating TD, SC, HD are made from a combination of Intra-Molecular Altering (IMA) technology and Nano technology, resulting in the UV curable spin hard coatings. Beside superior adhesion, the benefits of new generation coatings are stable low viscosity, constant spray height, self-defoaming, shorter UV curing time, and reduced rainbow effect.
TD coating is focused on fast tinting. It is the most tintable and the most stable coating with extended service life in machine operation, favored by low volume users and small labs.
SC coating is focused on super hardness. It is the hardest coating, designed for high volume users and big labs, within or beyond eyeglasses applications.
HD coating is well balanced between hardness and tintability, favored by big labs in continuous operations.

What is the selection guide for the next generation HCoating?
Small labs use one bottle or less of coatings per month. Big labs use more bottles of coatings per month.
In big labs, one coater uses HD or SC coating for non-tinting, and another coater uses TD coating for tinting.
The big labs with only one coater use HD or SC coating.
Small labs use TD coating.

Where are the customers using the next generation HCoating?
HD coating, in US (CA, TX, NY), Puerto Rico, Dominica, Columbia, and UK.
TD coating, in US (CA, PA, NY, OK, TX, SC, NM), Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and South Korea.
SC coating, in US (FL).

What are the recommendations for coating replacements?
Ultra Optics UV-AF to HCoating AF Anti-Fog coating.
Ultra Optics UV-NV, UV-NQ coatings to HCoating SR, TD, HD coatings.
Ultra Optics UV-XBT, UV-87, UV-Nano coatings to HCoating HD, TD coatings.
Ultra Optics AST-1, AST-2 coatings to HCoating HD, SC coatings.
Coburn UVMAX-QT coating to HCoating SR, TD, HD coatings.
Coburn DURA-UV coating to HCoating HD, SC coatings.
Coburn ProCoat coating to HCoating HD, TD coatings.
SDC CrystalCoat UV G-T100 coating to HCoating HD, TD coatings.

What is the cure schedule for HCoating AF?
Dual curing schedule for HCoating AF:
First a coated lens is exposed under UV for 30 seconds.
Then heat the lens in an oven at maximum 85 C for 15 minutes, AF coating is fully cured.
Cover up the coating reservoir when machine is not in operation to avoid picking up moisture from the air.

Do I have to change anything in our coating machine to use HCoating?
HCoating is applicable in the existing lens coating machines and is also miscible and co-curable with the popular UV hard coatings. No changing is required, such as replacing filter or flushing system. You can start applying HCoating to lenses after simply mixing HCoating with your previous coating and running your coating machine for several minutes. Also you can pour back old coatings in your coater without other changes.

Why do I get streaks on the lens after mixing HCoating with our pre-existing coating?
Coatings in a coater thicken over time and running the machine will help incorporate the new coating. Streak appearances indicate that HCoating and the old coating have not yet been well-mixed. Keep running the machine until no streaks appear on a lens.

Why do I get a milky film after mixing HCoating with our pre-existing coating?
Milky film indicates a parameter difference between the two coatings. Generally speaking, using more than 50% of HCoating in a mix should avoid any incompatibility with other solvent-free hard coatings.

How do I optimize the coating performance?
If the coating loses adhesion on lenses, which means the dry film is too thick, increase the spin off rpm to get thinner film. If the coating shows marks or scratches, which means the dry film is too thin, decrease the spin off rpm to get thicker film. If the coating dry film is sticky, which means under-curing, increase UV exposure time.

How do I prevent the pits from forming on the coating film?
Adjust the coating jet during spray to the height where the coating touches the lens all time, because the coating spray jet might be up and down a bit. Wait for at least two hours. Spray again, and there should be no more pits formed on cured coating film.

Why does SR coating have all kinds of problems in winter?
SR coating has different ingredients. In winter, the lab temperature could be very low overnight. Some of ingredients may settle down. So in the morning, the coater must be kept circulating until the coating is uniform, then start job.

How do I use HCoating HD in Coburn's machines?
One code came with a bottle of UV Max coating can run a Coburn machine (Velocity or Simplicity) for a while, during which several bottles of HD coating can be added, because HD and UV Max are mixable. When the code is expired, use a new code with another bottle of UV Max. By this way, you can use HD coating on Coburn's machines continuously.

Do you have a cleaning method to remove uncured (wet) HCoating?
Method A: Pick up a piece of tissue paper, soak it up with pure IPA (isopropyl alcohol), and then use the wet paper to wipe the coating off the lens. This may need to be repeated until the lens is free of coatings.
Method B: Smear some liquid soap detergent on the coated lens, then rinse the lens with tap water, or go through the water cleaning process in your coater.

What is your discount price for coatings?
We offer the cheapest UV optical coating available online with better prices than our competitors: up to 50% lower than brand products and at least 10% lower than discount products. Volume discount is further applied: 5% off for the order over 20 bottles of coatings; 10% off for the order over 40 bottles of coatings.

How long does shipping take?
Standard shipping may take a few days to reach you. Overnight shipping leaves at 4 PM Pacific Time.

What are the shipping charges?
The S & H charges are already included in the price for USA, Puerto Rico, and Canada address. Other international buyers pay calculated shipping.

How do I place an order?
Simply just click the 'Add To Cart' button to make a purchase. For large volume purchasers, place your orders with us via email (preferred), fax, or telephone. No P.O. boxes please; A signature is required for receiving.

How can I pay?
We accept credit cards, money orders, and business checks. Please allow at least 7 days for checks to be cleared. Please pay only after we offer you a quote.

How do I pay with credit card on line?
1. Click the "Pay Now" button

Can you deliver the package without requiring signature?
Yes, the package can be delivered without signature by your email request. However, you will be responsible for any possible issues.

Can I change the shipping address?
Yes, you can change the shipping address by email before the shipment is sent out.

What is your return policy?
Email us first. We guarantee good quality products upon arrival. Please get our authorization prior to returning any packages. Shipping charges are nonrefundable.