New 3M Blocking Pads

3M™ LEAP™ lens blocking pads

Buchmann UK are one of the largest distributors of 3M LEAP products in Europe and as leading innovators of lens edging technology, they have unparalleled experience with issues affecting the lens finishing industry. For many years the 3M LEAP has been a leader in the UK lens blocking pad market, thanks to its industry-leading design and adhesive properties that have suited the ever-changing types of ophthalmic lenses and coatings that have prevailed.

Some years ago 3M replaced the hugely popular LEAP II product with a brand new design and expanded the range to include different shapes and quantity levels to make the product even more compatible with the wide range of edging machinery now in use. The new design reflected 3M's many years of experience with the earlier generation as well as considerable research into the most effective adhesive solution to cope with modern lens coatings. The result was LEAP III.

More recently the prevalence of sophisticated lens coatings has increased substantially, and it was very important that the lens blocking pad evolved as well to deal with the increased demand placed on it. Whilst the humble pad is a very small element of the lens edging process, as it is the key element that joins the lens block to the lens surface it carries a very large responsibility. For example, if a low-performance pad is used in combination with a hydrophobic-coated lens the result is often unsatisfactory due to lens slippage. The lens blocking pad must therefore evolve at the same rate as the lens coating.

Many proprietary pads are manufactured from adhesive products that are not purpose-designed for the growing demands of the ophthalmic lens industry, and suffer with quality problems as a result. 3M LEAP has been designed specifically for application with lenses and carry many features to make it easy to use, such as double tabs to simplify removal at the end of the edging process.

Today's ophthalmic lens coatings are so diverse it is no longer possible to use the same pad for every type of lens, and in fact to do so risks expensive wastage due to the pad losing adhesion to the lens surface during the grinding process. 3M^™ have responded to this very important process issue by releasing two brand new pads, each of which is designed for a specific purpose.

3M LEAP III is recommended for all lenses and lens coatings with the exception of the newest generation of "super slippery" hydrophobic coated lenses. 3M LEAP III has now been significantly improved with a thicker consistency and 30% increase in adhesive weight, making it the ideal pad for the majority of lens types commonly dispensed. These pads are available to suit various manufacturers blocking systems including WECO, Essilor and Nidek.

3M LEAP LSE is a brand new pad design that is designed to be applied to the most modern hydrophobic coated lenses without the use of a lens liner or anti-slip foil. This means that the pad is applied directly to the lens, reducing the requirement of additional consumables and expensive additional manual processes. 3M LEAP LSE pads are purpose designed to adhere to hydrophobic coated lenses and maintain axis stability.

Availability & Pricing

3M LEAP III - available immediately

3M LEAP LSE - available immediately

 3m leap iii brochure 27/07/2006,13:53 439.54 Kb

 3m_leap_lse_brochure 09/03/2007,16:59 178.78 Kb

 3m_leap_lse_instructions_for_use 09/03/2007,17:00 418.28 Kb