Spanish ophthalmic technology company IOT says it is the first to 3D print personalized progressive lenses. Its Light-Form process forms a complete lens with a single flash of light in a few seconds, and IOT says lenses made this way are already on sale to consumers. The approach does not build lenses layer by layer, and it skips the generating and polishing steps used in conventional lens surfacing.
IOT presents the method as a resource-light alternative to traditional lens production. Compared with conventional methods, the company says Light-Form uses no water in manufacturing, requires 90% less energy and produces 76% less waste. Those figures cover the manufacturing stage only, according to IOT.
A single exposure, then finishing
The process relies on stabilized frontal photopolymerization. Instead of gradually shaping a lens from a blank, Light-Form cures the entire lens volume in one pass. That forming stage takes seconds, but several finishing steps follow before the lens is complete: unused resin is recovered to limit waste, the surface is hardened, and the lens is mapped.
IOT argues that a new production method for personalized progressive lenses must reproduce the intended optical design precisely, not merely create a recognizable shape. The company says Light-Form combines the design freedom of digital manufacturing with the optical requirements of prescription lenses, allowing additive manufacturing to reach commercial optical quality. IOT adds that the method could open more options for future lens architectures and individualized designs.
José Alonso, co-founder and CINO of IOT, said the technology demonstrates how scientific research can change the way ophthalmic lenses are made. 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.
Production closer to the customer
IOT frames Light-Form as a way to redesign the production chain, not just a faster forming step. Larger installations could use several printing heads to raise output without taking up much floor space. Further ahead, the company envisions compact machines making custom lenses inside optical stores, placing production next to the customer and reducing the need to hold stock.
Carolina Gago, COO of IOT, said the value lies in rethinking the production workflow. Resin recovery and lower water and energy requirements address how resources are used, she said, while compact equipment could support production closer to consumers. IOT says it is working to translate these capabilities into practical manufacturing options.
For optical laboratories, the approach could mean organizing capacity around local demand rather than 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 a central role in vision correction and customer service.
Beyond conventional spectacles
IOT is also looking beyond ordinary 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 that custom optical shapes could eventually be useful in virtual reality.
The work fits a broader move by additive manufacturing into optical production. Luxexcel, an early example in prescription eyewear, built lenses layer by layer in a material jetting process and could print single-vision, freeform and multifocal progressive designs. It also embedded waveguides into prescription lenses for smart glasses, a direction IOT is now exploring; Meta later acquired Luxexcel. Conventional prescription lenses tend to involve about 30 steps, requiring large inventories and producing high wastage.
More recently, a University of Waterloo team developed a system that 3D prints custom contact lenses in roughly 20 minutes, raising the prospect that a patient could be measured, have a lens designed and leave 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 personalized progressive lenses are already reaching consumers, while its broader production and smart-glasses concepts remain at earlier stages.