IOT achieves a world first with personalized progressive lenses 3D-printed using light

• A new digital additive manufacturing process (3D printing) forms a complete personalized progressive lens in seconds using a single flash of light, without layering, generating or polishing.
• Light-Form eliminates manufacturing water consumption, reduces energy use by 90% and cuts waste by 76% compared with conventional methods.
• The technology opens opportunities for decentralized lens production and personalized prescription optics for smart glasses

MADRID, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IOT, a technology company specializing in innovative solutions for the ophthalmic lens industry, has developed Light-Form Technology™ , an additive manufacturing process that produces complete personalized progressive lenses using a single flash of light. The breakthrough combines volumetric lens formation with the optical precision and quality required for commercialization, establishing a world first in personalized progressive lens manufacturing. Its first commercial application is already reaching consumers, marking a milestone for the global ophthalmic lens industry.

Light-Form is based on stabilized frontal photopolymerization, which uses light to form the lens volume in a single step. Unlike conventional surfacing, it requires no generating or polishing. The process includes resin recovery to reduce waste, followed by surface hardening and lens mapping. The lens formation step takes seconds; subsequent processing completes the production workflow.

"Light-Form demonstrates how scientific research can change the way ophthalmic lenses are made," said José Alonso, Co-founder and CINO of IOT. "Combining optical precision with a new manufacturing process opens new possibilities, helping optical partners develop personalized solutions, explore new lens architectures and manufacture with greater flexibility."

The breakthrough brings additive manufacturing to prescription optics with commercial optical quality. For personalized progressive lenses, a new production method must reproduce the intended optical design precisely, not simply create a recognizable shape. Light-Form connects the freedom of digital manufacturing with these demanding optical requirements, expanding the possibilities for future lens architectures and individualized solutions.

Production models could include systems with multiple printing heads for higher output within a compact footprint. IOT also envisions future in-store manufacturing using compact equipment, potentially bringing customized lens production closer to the wearer while reducing inventory requirements and operational complexity.

"The value lies in rethinking the production workflow," said Carolina Gago, COO of IOT. "Resin recovery and lower water and energy requirements address how resources are used, while compact equipment could support production closer to consumers. We are working to translate these capabilities into practical manufacturing options."

Another development avenue is printing prescription optics directly onto waveguides and flat substrates for smart glasses and augmented reality devices, potentially enabling thinner, lighter designs. The ability to create customized optical geometries could support future virtual reality applications. These opportunities remain development directions, distinct from the progressive lenses already reaching consumers.

For laboratories, this approach creates scope to reconsider where production takes place and how capacity is organized. Rather than relying exclusively on conventional surfacing infrastructure, future installations could be configured around local demand. For wearers, the longer-term opportunity is access to personalized prescription lenses through a more responsive production model, while optical partners retain a central role in delivering vision correction and personalized service.

According to IOT, eliminating manufacturing water use and reducing energy consumption and waste can lower the resource requirements of lens production. Resin recovery further supports material efficiency. These figures refer to manufacturing.

IOT brings more than two decades of optical research and technology development, with its technologies incorporated into 35 million lenses annually across 70 countries. This experience connects innovation with the needs of optical laboratories, retailers and optical groups. Visit light-form.com.

SOURCE IOT