Spanish ophthalmic technology company IOT has introduced a manufacturing method that it says can produce a complete personalized progressive lens from a single exposure to light in a matter of seconds. The company claims it is the first to 3D print personalized progressive lenses and says lenses made this way are already on sale to consumers.
Unlike the layer-by-layer approach commonly associated with additive manufacturing, Light-Form cures the full volume of the lens in one pass. IOT says the method also eliminates the generating and polishing stages used in conventional lens surfacing. The forming step takes seconds, after which additional finishing is required before the lens is complete.
A single exposure, then finishing
The process is based on stabilized frontal photopolymerization. Rather than gradually shaping a lens from a blank, the system exposes the entire lens volume to light at once. After forming, unused resin is collected to reduce waste, the lens surface is hardened, and the lens is mapped. IOT describes these as part of the production route but does not detail the equipment or the duration of each finishing stage.
For progressive lenses, reproducing the intended optical design is critical. IOT argues that a new production method must do more than create a recognizable lens shape; it must meet prescription optical requirements. The company says Light-Form combines the design freedom of digital manufacturing with the precision needed for commercial optical quality. It also suggests the process could support new lens architectures and more 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 designs and operate more flexibly.
Resource use and production footprint
IOT reports that Light-Form uses no water during manufacturing, requires 90% less energy and generates 76% less waste than conventional lens production. The company says those figures apply to the manufacturing stage only, rather than the full life cycle of a lens.
The company also frames the technology as a way to reorganize production, not simply speed up forming. Larger systems could run multiple print heads to raise output while occupying limited floor space. Further ahead, IOT envisions compact machines in optical stores, placing production closer to customers and reducing the need to hold inventory.
Carolina Gago, COO of IOT, said the value lies in rethinking the production workflow. She noted that resin recovery and lower water and energy requirements address resource use, while compact equipment could support production nearer to consumers. IOT says it is working to turn these capabilities into practical manufacturing options.
For optical laboratories, that could mean organizing capacity around local demand instead of depending solely on centralized surfacing equipment. For wearers, IOT says the long-term benefit would be faster access to lenses made for them. The company adds that optical partners would remain central to vision correction and customer service.
Beyond conventional spectacles
IOT is also investigating applications beyond standard eyewear. One option under development is printing prescription optics directly onto waveguides and flat substrates used in smart glasses and augmented reality headsets. The company says this could make such devices thinner and lighter. It also sees potential for custom optical shapes in virtual reality, though those uses remain prospective.
The broader additive manufacturing sector has been moving toward optical production. Luxexcel, acquired by Meta, was an early example: it built prescription lenses layer by layer using material jetting and worked on single-vision, freeform and multifocal progressive designs, as well as waveguides embedded in lenses. More recently, a University of Waterloo team developed a system that 3D prints custom contact lenses in about 20 minutes, raising the possibility of designing and fitting a lens during a single clinic visit. The project received a Gold Medal at the Shanghai International Exhibition of Inventions in June 2026.
IOT says its personalized progressive lenses are already reaching consumers, a more advanced commercialization claim than the development-stage examples cited above. Its near-term proposition is a faster, more localized route to personalized progressive lenses; its longer-term ambition extends to optics for smart glasses and other wearable displays.