Materialise: The firm bringing 3D printing to the mainstream

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The adoption of manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing in eyewear and optics has, so far at least, been minimal. But the traditional eyewear hegemony, in which terms such as ‘Italian acetates’ and ‘handmade in France’ are regularly bandied about, is set to be challenged by companies that most opticians won’t yet have heard of. Companies like Materialise.

Established 25 years ago by Wilfried Vancraen, Materialise NV was the first rapid prototyping service provider in the Benelux region and is now the largest certified producer of 3D printed parts and medical implants in Europe. Clients include Airbus, Peugeot and most recently, Hoya Vision Care. The company was formed just as the technology was emerging and the two have effectively grown up together.