Optical Lens Edger Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Optical Lens Edger Market Analysis

The optical lens edger market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.6 % over the forecast period.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the occurrence of serious problems in all healthcare services around the world. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the pharmaceutical industry into action, with a race to develop both therapeutic and preventive interventions. The government regulations & lockdown led to a substantial decline in overall non-emergency treatments, which in turn restricted the usage of optical lens edgers in vision impairment. In February 2021, an article titled, ‘Emergent Ophthalmic Surgical Care at a Tertiary Referral Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic” reported that the COVID-19 pandemic decreased surgical volumes in April 2020 by 90%. The decrease in surgical procedures due to COVID-19 has also affected many ophthalmology surgeries across the world. This also hampered the prospects of the optical lens edger market. Over the past few months of COVID-19, economic activities started to pick up pace in several parts of the world, paving the way for new growth momentum in the optical lens edger market, thus the market is expected to witness growth over the forecast period.

The major factors that are driving the market are the increasing demand for optical edgers by the ophthalmology and camera industries, the increasing geriatric population, and the high prevalence of patients with vision impairment. Also, these optical edgers are being used in medical devices and equipment such as dental apparatus, ophthalmic equipment, and ENT equipment. Thus, the high demand for optical edgers is fueling the growth of optical lens edgers over the forecast period. The advancement in optical technology and expanding research and development activities in the field of astronomy and the new product are also propelling the growth of the studied market. For instance, in July 2022, WALDO launched the Hydra Boost Plus lens. It is a completely new product, and these daily contact lenses are infused with a uniquely pink-colored vitamin-B12 saline solution to naturally support the eyes’ ability to retain tears, reduce redness and eyestrain, and wear comfortably for twice as long. Furthermore, the increasing penetration of the internet and social media has raised the demand for cameras with superior lens edger and picture quality. These usages of the optical lens edger in different industries are also expected to have a significant impact on the growth of the studied market.

The high prevalence of patients with vision impairment is also increasing the demand for optical lenses, thereby driving the market. For instance, in June 2021 an article titled, “Prevalence of Vision Loss and Associations With Age-Related Eye Diseases Among Nursing Home Residents Aged ≥ 65 Years”, a survey was conducted in a few nursing homes in the United States and reported that the overall prevalence of vision impairment or blindness was 63.8% and was above 60% for each age, sex, and race category. The prevalence of vision impairment or blindness was 68.4% among patients with cataracts, 69.4% among patients with macular degeneration, 70.5% among patients with glaucoma, and 68.4% among patients with diabetic retinopathy. Similarly, in February 2021, an article titled, “A Global Assessment of Eye Health and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews” reported that more than 1 billion people worldwide have vision impairment or blindness from potentially preventable or correctable causes. In June 2022, another study conducted in a school in China, in an article titled, “Prevalence of myopia: A large-scale population-based study among children and adolescents in Weifang, China” reported the overall prevalence of myopia was 75.35% and a high proportion of myopia among school students in the city of Weifang, and gradually increased with age, and the prevalence of myopia was highest in Changyi areas. This article also quoted that the number of people suffering from myopia is expected to reach 4.8 billion across the world by 2050. Thus, the high prevalence of eye-related disorders among individuals ranging from young to adults is increasing the demand for lenses, thereby driving the market.

Thus, due to the aforesaid mentioned reasons, the market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. However, the declining rate of product improvement and the increasing use of contact lenses may slow down its growth over the studied period.

Optical Lens Edger Industry Segments

As per the scope of the report, an optical lens edger is part of the optical manufacturing apparatus that edges, cuts, or grinds optical lenses so that they can fit into the selected frame. The optical lens edger market is segmented by type (manual optical lens edger, automatic optical lens edger, and automatic optical lens edger), application (eyeglass lens, microscope lens and camera lens), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The market report also covers the estimated market sizes and trends for 17 countries across major regions globally. The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above segments.

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Optical Lens Edger Market Trends

This section covers the major market trends shaping the Optical Lens Edger Market according to our research experts:

Automatic Optical Lens Edger Segment is Expected to Witness a Significant Growth Over the Forecast Period

A typical edging system contains - edger and optical blocker. The optical edger is a part of optical manufacturing equipment that edges, cuts, or grinds optical lenses so that they can fit into the selected frame. Different types of edging modes are automated beveling, controlled beveling, EX lens edging, rimless edging, automated grooving, and controlled grooving. The emergence of automatic technology in optical lens cutters and edgers has eliminated the usage of water for finishing operations. The integration of automation has provided various technical advantages such as auto-calibration and improved versatility of products over other sustainable cutters and lens edgers. The automatic optical lens edger segment forecast appears promising due to the rise in the ophthalmology, and camera industries, and the high incidence of eye-related disorders.

The technological advancements by key market players are increasing demand for the edgers in the photography and opthalmology industries. For instance, in March 2022, Topcon Healthcare launched SOLOS, an automatic lens analyzer. SOLOS is designed as a multi-functional device to simplify the clinical workflow by combining a fully automated lensmeter with a full-range spectrometer. It provides automatic lens type detection, automatic marking, and lens mapping of single vision, progressive, and other multifocal lenses—in spectacle frames or as uncut lenses. Thus, such advancement in the automatic lenses is driving the automatic lens edger segment, thereby propelling the market.

Furthermore, with the increase in ophthalmic diseases, the demand for lenses is expected to increase which in turn is expected to drive demand for automatic manufacturing. For instance, in March 2021, an article titled, “Update and guidance on the management of myopia. European Society of Ophthalmology in cooperation with the International Myopia Institute” reported that myopia is predicted to become the most common cause of irreversible vision impairment and blindness worldwide. Similarly, in August 2022 an article titled, “Primary Open-angle Glaucoma Prevalence in EUROPE: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” reported that primary open-angle glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease highly prevalent in the European adult population, with cases expected to increase over the next 30 years. Thus, a high incidence of eye disorders is increasing the demand for lenses, which in turn will increase the demand for automatic lens edgers and thus fueling the growth of the studied market. Thus, due to the above-mentioned reasons, the market is expected to show significant growth over the forecast period.

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