Spanish ophthalmic technology company IOT says it is the first to 3D print personalized progressive lenses, using a process called Light-Form. The company says the method forms a complete lens from a single flash of light in a few seconds, rather than building it layer by layer. Lenses produced this way are already on sale to consumers, according to IOT. The process also skips the generating and polishing steps used in conventional lens surfacing.
How the process works
Light-Form is based on stabilized frontal photopolymerization. A single pass cures the whole volume of the lens instead of gradually shaping it from a blank; the forming stage takes seconds. Finishing steps still follow. Unused resin is recovered to limit waste, the lens surface is hardened, and the lens is mapped. IOT says a new production method for personalized progressive lenses must reproduce the intended optical design precisely, not merely create a recognizable shape. The company argues that Light-Form combines digital manufacturing's design freedom with those optical requirements, allowing additive manufacturing to produce prescription lenses at commercial optical quality. It also says the approach could support new lens architectures and more individualized designs.
Resource and production claims
IOT claims the process is lighter on resources than traditional lens production. Compared with conventional methods, it says Light-Form uses no water in manufacturing, needs 90% less energy and produces 76% less waste. The company says these figures cover the manufacturing stage only. José Alonso, co-founder and CINO of IOT, said Light-Form shows how scientific research can change ophthalmic lens production. He added that combining optical precision with a new production method could help optical partners create personalized products, test new lens architectures and run more flexible manufacturing.
Rethinking where lenses are made
IOT frames Light-Form as a way to redesign the production chain, not just speed up lens forming. Larger installations could use several printing heads to raise output without taking up much floor space. Further ahead, IOT envisions compact machines making custom lenses inside optical stores, placing production near the customer and reducing the need to hold stock. Carolina Gago, COO of IOT, said the value lies in rethinking the production workflow. She said resin recovery and lower water and energy requirements address resource use, while compact equipment could support production closer to consumers; the company is working to turn these capabilities into practical manufacturing options. For optical laboratories, this could mean organizing capacity around local demand instead of relying only on centralized surfacing equipment. For wearers, IOT says the long-term benefit would be faster access to lenses made for them. The company says optical partners would still play the central role in vision correction and customer service.
Beyond spectacles
IOT is also looking beyond conventional spectacles. One option under development is printing prescription optics directly onto waveguides and flat substrates used in smart glasses and augmented reality headsets, which could make those devices thinner and lighter. The company also suggests custom optical shapes could eventually be useful in virtual reality. IOT describes this as an option under development, rather than a product already available.
Industry context
Other additive manufacturing projects have targeted vision correction. Luxexcel was an early example in prescription eyewear. Conventional prescription lenses tend to involve around 30 steps, a process that requires large inventories and produces high wastage. Luxexcel instead built lenses layer by layer in a material jetting process; its platform could print single-vision, freeform and multifocal progressive designs, and the company embedded waveguides into prescription lenses for smart glasses. Meta later acquired Luxexcel as part of its AR technology efforts. More recently, a University of Waterloo team developed a system that 3D prints custom contact lenses in roughly 20 minutes. That raises the prospect of a patient being measured, having a lens designed and leaving a clinic wearing it after one visit. The work earned a Gold Medal at the Shanghai International Exhibition of Inventions in June 2026. IOT says its Light-Form personalized progressive lenses are already reaching consumers.