The 3D-printed eyewear market has been growing exponentially. for some time. It is an additive manufacturing process which uses polyamide powder hardened with laser. The process only consumes the material it needs to form the product so minimising waste. After printing, the eyewear undergoes up to 30 additional steps including glass blasting and colour coating to final assembly. The technology enables endless designs that are fully customizable for a perfect fit.
Half Moon By Wires Glasses
UK-based Wires Glasses uses stainless steel wire for their frames and 3D printing for the lens rims. They strive for zero waste and consider their eyewear akin to jewellery – something to be kept and treasured.
Entertainment by Monoqool
Entertainment is from Monoqool’s Slider collection. The frames are produced from up 600 super-fine layers for flexibility and strength.
Okie Dokie by Fitz
Fitz makes bespoke 3D eyewear suitable for everyone aged three and beyond. The lightweight material in 3D printed eyewear makes an excellent choice for children.
A version of this article first appeared in the August September ’23 issue of Optometry Today for whom I write a regular eyewear style column.
