Götti
There was a time when 3D printing was billed as the future of eyewear. It promised to reduce production waste, reduce the need to for opticians to keep stock design and creative options.
Over a decade since consumer-grade 3D printed frames came to market, all of those changes are true, but frames made using additive manufacturing techniques still only account for a small percentage of the global eyewear industry.
As the popularity of 3D printing has grown, there has been a slew of start-up brands, some of whom debuted at Opti in its ‘boxes’ incubator area, that quickly fell by the wayside as they struggled to break into the market. This has mostly been down to not fully appreciating the design and finishing nuances of eyewear manufacturing, but also because they only offered one material.
Mykita and Rolf
It is also fair to say that some practice owners may have experimented with 3D printed collections in the past and were not convinced on the product and whether it would sell through. With that in mind, Optician thought Opti would be an opportune moment to take stock of where this interesting and dynamic eyewear segment was in 2024.
Many of the eyewear companies that added 3D printed frames to their existing product lines, such as Götti, pictured top, Mykita and Rolf (pictured above) have been able to work with additive manufacturing as the technology has matured. They are now able to leverage a wider selection of benefits that included naturally derived materials, combinations of metal and polyamide, and advanced finishes.
Holy grail
One of the downsides of 3D printed eyewear has been the limited selection of colours and matte finishes available. The holy grail of 3D printed eyewear has long been translucence. Danish brand Monoqool (pictured right) has been at the forefront of advancements in 3D printing for much of the past decade.
It was first to market with launches of facial scanning and castor bean-derived polyamide powder in 2019, so it was no surprise to see it out in front once again with the launch of translucent 3D printed frames through a new manufacturing method of liquid, or photopolymer resin 3D printing.
The most common method of 3D printing eyewear has been selective laser sintering (SLS), which uses a laser to heat and bind powder together into a solid structure according to instructions from a 3D model file. Photopolymer resin printing (PRP) uses UV to project a slice of a 3D drawing into a tank of resin, which cures each layer. A typical frame is made up of 1,400 layers, each just 0.1mm thick.
For the manufacturer, optical retailer, or patient, PRP has several advantages over SLS. For the manufacturer, the production process is faster and less convoluted. Optical practices can benefit from the reduced levels of stock required, while sustainability conscious patients will be pleased to learn that the PRP process uses up to 90% less energy than traditional SLS printing, which is already a more sustainable process than CNC milling.
Depending on which brand of 3D printer manufacturers use, the volume of waste powder used in SLS varies between 10% and 20%, with the remainder able to be used again, therefore enhancing its sustainability potential. Where SLS falls slightly short on sustainability is energy consumption, as powering the lasers that heat the polyamide powder for times often in excess of 24 hours, requires significant volumes of electricity.
Monoqool CEO Allan Petersen tells Optician that energy use to produce its Liquid 3D collection is more in line with that of a dishwasher, albeit one that runs for seven or eight hours at a time. Waste material is also dramatically reduced, in most cases just 5%, says Petersen.
The Liquid 3D collection comprises 10 models, including two sunglass styles. Shapes remain faithful to classic silhouettes, but have been modernised with juxtapositions of curvature and straight lines. In addition, the flexibility of 3D design has facilitated complex construction details, like stepped frame edges and hinge structures. The soft translucent finish naturally lends itself to pastel hues, but there are punchier options such as orange and purple too.
Femininity
Few brands will admit it, but for many years, 3D printed eyewear pretty much solely catered for men. While it is difficult to put a finger on the exact reason for this, one suspects eyewear designers of the time were caught up in new-found design freedom and focused on creating constructions and structures that previously had not been possible.
Swiss manufacturer Götti did not fall into the same trap and the progression of its collections has catered for masculine and feminine styles equally. That said, the new four-strong Bubbly series within the Dimension range is definitely one for female patients. The shapes encompass cat’s eye, retro squares and rounds, but do so in the most maximal way possible.
Honing on the popular ‘inflated’ fashion accessory trend, the volume of each frame increases dramatically at the outer edges, but because of the soft rounded edges, the maximal look is never over the top. And thanks to the lightweight nature of the polyamide, the oversized frames are perfectly comfortable.
Rolf’s new Wire collection within the castor-bean derived Substance range also includes plenty of femininity, helped greatly by the addition of inlayed 3D filament wires in a range of contrasting colours. Also unveiled at Opti was the Fusion series, which combines 3D printing and the natural woods that Rolf is famed for.
The outside edges of the frame’s front surface have been raised to allow a thin wooden sheet to be inlayed and sit flush with the wood. Rolf’s knowledge of wooden eyewear manufacturing is shown in using grooved wood for the inlay, which can flex with frame adjustment and the everyday rigours of wear.
Different groove patterns add visual interest, with some options having a feel of parquet flooring. Despite having a product that is made from natural castor bean powder, the company has worked hard to reduce the carbon footprint of its Substance frames. Not only is the raw material locally grown and sourced, but 3D printing has been brought in-house – something only a few brands in the particular sector can say.
German manufacturer Mykita was first to market in 2010 with end user grade 3D printed eyewear with its Mylon collection. Since then, Mylon has evolved to include everything from classic, single material shapes to metal and polyamide combinations and the avantgarde Marfa sunglass.
Created in collaboration with fellow Berliners, fashion and media publisher, 032c. Mykita says the parallels between two brands stem from Berlin’s creative uprising in the early 2000s. Marfa’s aesthetic is progressive, with organic curvature contrasting with a modern sculptural feel that includes cleverly tilted lenses within the frame’s voluminous structure.
Mykita says this creates a ‘surreal lens reflection that adds to the overall biomechanical, Gigeresque appeal of the statement frame,’ and who is Optician to argue? The shape is available in four colourways: pitch black, safari green, ebony brown and cashmere grey.
