Shin-Nippon SLM-5000

The SLM-5000 serves dispensing counters, optical practices, optometry clinics and optical workshops. Dispensing opticians, optometrists, and optical assistants use it to read a patient's current spectacles, measure new pairs before collection, and take the power of hard or soft contact lenses. Glazing staff use it to read and mark uncut lenses up to 100 mm before edging.

Its place at the bench comes from the measuring routine. With a progressive pair, the operator draws the lens along an on-screen arrow while the instrument finds the far point, then the near point. A bleep and a green cursor announce the near point, with the ADD already stored. Elsewhere, automatic memory records each value as the alignment mark meets the cross cursor, so a run of single-vision frames moves from lens to lens at the operator's pace. You can take the right and left lenses in either order.

Lens materials are matched by Abbe number, set from 20 to 60, with power referenced to the e-line or d-line, depending on the practice's prescribing convention. Trifocals show a second addition from the Memory/Add switch. For contact lenses, the supplied stand moves vertically and horizontally to bring each lens to the measuring centre. Prism appears in X-Y form, as a value with its base direction, or in millimetres, and the millimetre display points the way to the optical centre.

In the workshop, three marking pens put the optical centre and axis on the lens from one marking lever. Print results on 58 mm paper for the job envelope or patient record, and feed RS-232C output to a practice computer on demand or continuously.

ADD stored at the near point

A beep and a green cursor mark the progressive lens's near point. The ADD is stored in memory at the same time.

Arrow-guided progressive routine

An on-screen arrow shows which way to draw the lens. Far and near points follow automatically.

Readings that store themselves

Values are memorised once the alignment mark meets the cross cursor. Single vision, multifocal and contact lenses all work this way.

Either lens first

You can read the right and left lenses in any order. The screen shows which side you're reading.

Abbe number by material

Abbe settings run from 20 to 60. Power can follow the e-line or the d-line.

Uncut lenses to 100 mm

Large uncut lenses fit on the lens stand. Workshops can read and mark them before edging.

Contact lens stand in the box

The stand moves vertically and horizontally to centre the lens. Hard and soft modes are on the menu.

Three-pen marking

One lever lowers all three marking pens. The black centre pen makes the optical centre easy to tell apart.

Print or send

Results print on 58 mm thermal paper. RS-232C also carries them to a computer.

650 nm measurement light

Readings are taken at 650 nm. An LED and camera system inside the unit captures each measurement.

Sphere range

Sphere runs from −25 to +25 D. The display increment is 0.01, 0.12 or 0.25 D.

Cylinder and axis

Cylinder reaches ±10 D. Axis covers 0 to 180° in 1° steps.

Addition and Ad2

Addition reaches +10 D. Trifocals add a second value, Ad2, from the Memory/Add switch.

Prism to 10 Δ

Prism is measured up to 10 Δ. X-Y, base-direction and millimetre displays are available, or none.

Reference wavelength and Abbe number

You can choose the e-line or d-line as the reference. Abbe numbers of 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 are selectable, starting at 40.

Progressive ADD routines

ADD can be found by automatic far and near measurement, automatic near only, or by hand. You can switch on automatic judgment of progressive lenses.

Progressive graph

A graph for progressive lenses appears on the measurement screen when Prog. Graph is on. You can switch it on in the set-up screen.

Automatic memory

Readings are stored automatically at alignment. The function covers single vision, multifocal and contact lenses.

Contact lens modes

H.Cont serves hard lenses,s and S.Cont serves soft ones. The contact lens stand centres each lens.

Lens holder and lens plate

The lens holder fixes framed lenses in place. The lens plate sets the axis reference and slides out from its PUSH mark.

Three marking pens

A marking lever lowers three pens onto the lens. The centre pen is black and shorter than the outer two.

5.7-inch colour LCD

The colour monitor shows the target, readings and settings. The Memory/Add, CLEAR, PRINT, and MENU switches operate it.

Built-in thermal printer

Paper is 58 mm wide. The PRINT switch produces each record.

RS-232C output

Values go to a computer on demand or continuously. Baud rates are 38,400, 9,600 or 2,400.

Power and environment

The unit runs on 100–240 V at 50/60 Hz. It works at 10–40 °C and up to 70% relative humidity without condensation.

Size and weight

The unit measures 260 × 200 × 443 mm. It weighs about 5.2 kg.

The SLM-5000 suits dispensing counters and optical workshops that measure many progressive pairs and want the routine to keep pace with the operator's hands. What sets it apart is that routine: an arrow guides the lens, the far and near points are found automatically, and a bleep at the near point arrives with the ADD already stored. It also suits workshops marking uncut lenses up to 100 mm with three pens from one lever, and practices whose lens materials call for Abbe numbers from 20 to 60. It uses printer paper and marking pens made for the instrument. Results are left on 58 mm thermal paper or over RS-232C. The unit weighs about 5.2 kg and measures 260 × 200 × 443 mm.