Posts tagged: 3D Printed EyewearConsumer Products

Although the company generally uses farily standard industrial SLA 3D printers, the team at Kings 3D certainly does not lack imagination when it comes to creating new and innovative ways to use this technology. The Chinese company has established a clear leadership in the Asian footwear 3D printing segment and it has now turned its attention towards eyewear, with the first example of directly 3D printed sunglass lenses.

Formula 1 loves AM (and 3D printing loves F1). So much so that the organization behind the top global racing circuit continues to implement AM processes in the production of new, exclusive F1-branded products. In the latest deal, Formula 1 has announced a new licensing deal with specialist eyewear company Formuleyes to release an exclusive collection of premium glasses, celebrating the sport’s past, present and future as part of its 70th-anniversary celebrations.

Luxexcel – the company that pioneered material jetting technology for ophthalmic lens production – is preparing to meet the demand for prescription smart lenses for the next phase of growth in the smart glasses market. This just as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a high profile partnership with Ray-Ban owner Luxottica on the production of smartglasses starting in 2021.

One of the most production-capable photopolymerization technologies, digital light synthesis (DSL) from Carbon, had not yet gotten involved in the eyewear business. Until now, that is, as J of JINS, a luxury eyewear brand from Japan, just launched its Neuron4D brand, with two models integrating a lattice cushion made using Carbon technology.

Bruges-based Hoet Studio can be considered one of the first pioneers in seriously introducing 3D printing for eyewear frames production. The studio, led by Bieke Hoet, has been 3D printing frames since 2011 and is to date the only manufacturer of luxury 3D printed metal frames in its Couture collection. Hoet began 3D printing frames with support from local company Materialise (also headquartered in Belgium, in nearby Leuven). The two companies have since collaborated on multiple projects which have been instrumental in creating an entirely new vertical for AM. Now, the two roads cross again in this interview which we propose to our readers for the occasion of our AM Focus on Eyewear.

Copenhagen-based MONOQOOL brings the effortlessly sleek and functional elements of Danish design into the eyewear field with its stylish 3D printed frames. Founded in 2008, the company has been working with 3D printing for roughly eight years, initially using the technology to prototype new eyewear designs and eventually transitioning into full-scale production.

Fuel3D, a leading 3D capture and imaging innovator, and eyewear technology developer Sfered, today announced a new mirror-based 3D scanning system to support the deployment and fitting of custom eyewear. The system is being demonstrated this week in collaboration with 3D printed eyewear firm, monoqool, at SILMO, the world’s biggest eyewear tradeshow.