This year marks 50 years since CR Labs began manufacturing in Australia. While the business has grown significantly over that time, manufacturing in Australia, employing local people, and supporting independent optometry have always remained central to its philosophy.
Throughout those five decades, CR Labs has introduced new technologies in response to changes in manufacturing and patient care. In 1976, CR Labs was among the first Australian laboratories to manufacture plastic prescription lenses when glass lenses still dominated the market. Polycarbonate lenses followed in 1988, along with double-sided hard coatings in 1990. In 2005, CR Labs introduced Australia’s first freeform progressive and single vision lens designs, helping shape a new generation of digitally surfaced lenses.
That focus on product development continues today. CR Labs’ core Australis range has expanded to include lens designs for a wide variety of visual needs, incorporating technologies such as HyperThin, which optimises lens thickness to produce thinner, lighter lenses while maintaining optical performance, and MightyView, which reduces peripheral aberrations and swim effect to provide a wider, more comfortable field of vision.
More recently, CR Labs expanded the Satin+ coatings range to include solutions for everyday wear, digital device use, night driving, and fashion applications. Product development is supported by the company’s in-house testing facility as part of its ongoing commitment to quality and Australian manufacturing.
While manufacturing remains in Melbourne, CR Labs is preparing to expand its operations with the opening of a Sydney laboratory later this year. The facility will focus on lens fitting and distribution for practices across New South Wales, while lens manufacturing will continue to be completed in Melbourne. By complementing its existing manufacturing operations, the Sydney laboratory will improve turnaround times and strengthen the support it provides to practices throughout the region.
Throughout CR Lab’s 50-year history, the company has focused exclusively on supporting independent optometry. As the market has evolved, that focus has influenced how it develops products, invests in manufacturing capability, and works with independent practices across Australia to provide products, technical support, and services that meet the needs of its patients.
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