Eyewear lovers are embracing the latest innovative technologies in their search for the best eyewear for them. Here 3D printed eyewear, the newest entrant in the eyewear industry is giving the wearer best of both worlds in the form of customization & technology
There are so many options to choose from when it comes to eyewear. And with the population of people wearing eyewear rising, the need for new and unique eyewear is increasing. This has given birth to many ideas that are out-of-the-box and never seen before. Out of all these unique ideas, the one that catches the eye the most is that of 3D printing technology for creating new eyewear.
From achieving your aesthetic ambitions to bolstering your business benefits, 3D printing is the technology that has helped brands take their offerings to the next level. This is expected to cause a rise in the revenue of the eyewear industry up to $3.4 billion dollars by 2028. The method of 3D printing technology for creating eyewear truly gives the user the chance to wear eyewear that they have chosen. This, when coupled with 3D scanning, allows users to get tailor-made eyewear that suits their requirements perfectly. The eyewear made by using these technologies gives the best of both worlds, customization with the latest technology to ensure the perfect eyewear experience.
Why 3D Is The Road Ahead?
Choosing the right pair is never easy, there are so many things that are to be considered while choosing the right pair. You need to choose the right pair in the right budget and with the right design. Many times, the limited choices of design, in some cases, lead the wearer to sacrifice the design above their own comfort. This makes the process of buying eyewear very tedious. But with 3D, this is about to change.
The major focus of the 3D printing for eyewear is to give an individual a totally customised experience, more like a signature style statement. In addition to offering freedom of designs and shapes, 3D printing uses less material to produce the frames. Additive manufacturing also offers new opportunities, it is actually a great way to improve your product thanks to the new designs and new materials lighter 3D printed glasses frames can be made. Simply put, 3D technology offers the brand number of unprecedented options in terms of design. In addition, this technology is eco-friendly – a feature that must not be overlooked.
Interestingly, a lot of companies are relying on 3D printing to reach markets faster. Previously the prototype and sampling of eyewear was a process that took approximately 15 hours. However, with the use of 3D printing technology, manufacturers have been able to reduce this time considerably to approximately 3 hours. The reduced time has empowered the brands to address customer requirements in a shorter turn around time.
The Market Of 3D Printed Glasses
The use of 3D printing technology has led to an improvement in the overall design as far as the customized eyewear is concerned. Let’s take a look at some of the companies that have now adopted this innovation and produce some of the best 3D printed eyewear.
ROLF Spectacles– ROLF Spectacles have won several international awards for innovation, design and materials (wooden frames). They also recently bagged the 2019 LOFTxTEF award for best technical sunglass for their 3D printed titanium frames. The process to create these frames is highly sustainable, yielding zero-waste, and leaving a minimal ecological footprint. The biggest achievement in the development of this product – the glasses are made of only 3 major parts. This assists in the easy customization, flexibility and is very light in weight.
Project ZERO – Parasite-Design adopted this revolutionary 3D printing technology and launched the Project ‘ZERO’. Their technology is based on three pillars that is minimalism, absolute lightness and infinity. Minimalism because the manufacturing process used to build up the Project ZERO fonts is the unique 3D printing technology that fuses polyamide particles layer by layer. Their ‘steelskin’ metal temples are designed to be easily in the front end piece. They function immediately and can be easily removed by a simple motion. Absolute lightness because the raw material and the technology called ‘sintering’ of polyamide powder are the reason for the extreme lightness of these frames. They weigh less than 10 grams – making the wearer extremely comfortable. Infinity because these are available in an infinity of variations offering maximum customization.
MYKITA – Known to the pioneers when it comes to the adoption of 3D printing in the eyewear industry. With the use of innovative craftsmanship and 3D printing technology, each and every MYKITA eyewear is completely customized and adjusted to meet the requirements of each customer. An example from this portfolio is MYLON which is made from fine polyamide powder fused into solid objects. It uses the Selective Laser Sintering technique and is Formed layer by layer according to a digital data set. The collection illustrates this unrestrained with shapes ranging from discrete to defiant.
Safilo – The Italian giant eyewear company launched its own 3D printed eyewear collection in their brand OXYDO. OXYDO’s 3D eyewear is known to be made up of mainly four different styles in frames. With the adoption of the 3D printing eyewear technology, they are able to combine very fine and intricate ornamentations into their various designs.
MONOQOOL – The Danish-based company is trying to adapt the 3D printing innovation in the fashion industry. They launched the Slider Collection that combines the 3D printing technology to create lightweight and ultra-thin eyewear. Taking a further innovative leap Monoqool launched 3D printed sustainable sunglasses made from 100% biomaterial based on castor beans. The new SUSTAIN sunglasses are limited edition frames that have to be reserved. They are limited to 100 stores worldwide.
PROTOS – PROTOS has taken 3D printing technology to another level. It has created software which is able to customize and modify the design of the eyewear to fit your particular facial structure.
HOET – Another pioneer in the 3D printing and designing space Hoet has launched the ‘Made in Belgium’ 3D laser-printed eyeglasses made of titanium. The collection is modern and beautiful and comprises 12 models, each of them available in colour natural or with a dark grey coating. Quality and comfort as always are the basic precepts. The eyeglasses are rust-free and anti-allergic, light, yet durable and well-fitting. They are available in various lens and bridge sizes and are produced to order. They can also be personalised with the name of your customer. Adapting to this technology has ensured minimal waste of raw materials and no need to keep excessive stock. Additionally, this has allowed the conscious consumer to take home a product that bears ecological, social and ethical responsibility.
