FRISCO, Texas—Digicon 2017, the technical conference sponsored by Schneider Optical Machines, drew a select group of optical laboratory managers, lab owners, lens company executives and eyecare professionals who attended lectures and demonstrations of the company’s latest lens processing technologies. The meeting, held here on May 11 and 12, drew 165 customers, a 20 percent increase from the previous Digicon meeting in 2013, according to Schneider.

The two-day conference featured workshops presented by Schneider executives and technical experts from the headquarters of its parent company, Schneider GmbH, in Fronhausen, Germany. The workshop topics ranged from the latest enhancements to Modulo, Schneider’s modular lens processing system, to the company’s new automated deblocking and cleaning technology, alloy-free blocking, four-axis edging and coating systems.

“Digicon 2017 was our biggest event ever both in attendance and in the scope of the event,” said Kurt Atchison, president of Schneider Optical Machines. “It differed a bit from previous events in that the focus was not just on individual machines but on the evolution of Schneider’s fascination for innovation into a complete solutions provider. We now cover almost all manufacturing needs, including our strong focus on Industry 4.1 with the incredible capabilities of Modulo.”

Attendees also enjoyed a keynote presentation by veteran football coach Peter Vaas, a former college and professional football coach, who talked about the importance of teamwork and attitude in driving success during the meeting.

The theme of DigiCon 2017 was “Keep your eye on the ball,” and attendees had an opportunity to take batting practice at Dr. Pepper Ballpark, home of the minor league baseball team, the Frisco RoughRiders, on the second night of the event.

Andrew Karp
akarp@jobson.com