New Vision Of Light And Shadow: Customized Manufacturing Of Prototype Models For 3D Printing Eyewear Industry Under SLA3D Printer

New Vision of Light and Shadow: Customized Manufacturing of Prototype Models for 3D Printing Eyewear Industry under SLA3D Printer

In the past few years, many eyewear manufacturers have noticed that the development cycle of new products is relatively long, and the cost of revision is also high. Prototype model production includes metal riveting and welding . However, 3D printing technology is changing this situation. It has made the production of glasses prototypes faster and more accurate.

High-precision molding advantages

There is a technology with excellent precision in 3D printing called SLA light curing technology. Its working method is to first use a laser to scan the liquid resin layer by layer, and then let it solidify and accumulate to produce a shape . Prototype model production includes metal riveting processing . This technology can reach micron-level layer thickness. For products with fine structures and complex curved surfaces like glasses, it can clearly show every detail of the lens rim, nose pads, hinges, etc.

Rewrite this sentence as: In actual production, just like the example of making a prototype model of a titanium alloy frame, traditional CNC machining will lose some details due to tool limitations. However, SLA printing can directly present the intricate hollow patterns or slight chamfers in the imagined layout, thus ensuring that the prototype is highly consistent with the final design intention. This provides a reliable physical object as a reference for subsequent mold inventions.

Customized design freedom

Traditional eyewear manufacturing relies on standardized molds. Once the mold is opened, modifying the design means a huge consumption of time and money. 3D printing completely breaks this limitation. Designers can adjust the width of the frame, change the length of the temples, and even incorporate unique personalized signatures or patterns based on the customer's individual needs.

This flexibility is extremely suitable for the development of niche markets and functional glasses. For example, customizing frames with a higher fit for users with special face shapes, or reserving a precise mounting structure for integrated sensors in sports glasses, companies can verify multiple design solutions during small batch trial production without incurring high mold costs.

Development cycles are significantly shortened

From drawings to actual objects, 3D printing compresses the process to a calculation of hours. A complete set of glasses prototypes consisting of frames and temples can usually be printed on SLA equipment in more than ten hours. Compared with the weeks required for traditional prototype production, the efficiency improvement is extremely significant.

Rapid prototyping allows the design team to carry out multiple rounds of design iterations within a week. After the designer completes the modification of the drawings in the morning, he can start the printing operation in the afternoon, and wait until the next day to get the physical object for evaluation. Such a rapid feedback mechanism speeds up product finalization, helps companies respond to market trends more quickly, and seizes the opportunity to launch new products.

Design verification cost reduction

In the initial stage of product development, it is very important to verify it with physical prototypes. The prototype produced by 3D printing can be used for trial fitting to see how comfortable it is when worn; it can also be used for assembly testing to see whether the hinge opens and closes smoothly. Identifying structural or ergonomic problems at an early stage can prevent these problems from entering later production stages.

This kind of early verification greatly reduces development risks. For example, when it is discovered that the temple opening is too tight, you only need to adjust the corresponding parameters of the three-dimensional drawing on the computer, and then reprint a part. The cost is only a small part of the resin material cost, which is much less than the cost and time required to re-manufacture the steel mold.

Improve material usage efficiency

3D printing is additive manufacturing, which is different from traditional subtractive manufacturing. It basically only uses the materials needed to build the product itself. During the SLA printing process, the part of the resin that is not illuminated by the laser will be left in the trough for subsequent use, so there is very little material waste. In view of the high price of engineering resin materials, this can effectively control the cost of a single piece of hand panel production.

At the same time, the printing process is highly automated. The relevant equipment can operate on its own after importing the file, and does not require continuous operation by a dedicated person, thus saving manpower. One device can continuously print multiple prototypes of different styles, achieving flexible production of small batches and multiple varieties, which is particularly suitable for the personalized and fast fashion needs of the current eyewear market.

Promote industry innovation model

3D printing technology has changed the production process and is also promoting business model innovation in the eyewear industry. It makes "on-demand production" and "remote customization" possible. Optometrists can use 3D scanners to obtain the user's facial data. After the designer completes the customized design remotely, the prototype model production includes metal riveting and welding processing , and the data will be transmitted to the local 3D printing service center for production.

This distributed manufacturing model reduces inventory pressure. New Vision of Light and Shadow: Customized manufacturing of prototype models for 3D printing glasses industry under SLA 3D printer, reducing logistics costs. For emerging brands and independent designers, they can convert ideas into high-quality product prototypes and even final products without investing huge sums of money to establish production lines, which greatly lowers the threshold for industry innovation.

As technology continues to develop and improve, do you think 3D printing will completely replace the mold part of traditional eyewear manufacturing in the future? Or will the two continue to coexist and complement each other in the future? Welcome to express your opinions in the comment area.