Apr. 20, 2015 | By Simon
Among all of the objects that have been experimented with as designs that use additive manufacturing as form of final manufacturing, 3D printed glasses are among the most prominent. Thingiverse - MakerBot’s collective 3D print file sharing hub - has over 1400 search results alone for “glasses”, and that’s not even including the countless others that exist on other file sharing platforms or in design labs from professional eyewear manufacturers.
However despite the widespread popularity of experimenting with 3D printing for producing eyewear, few designs have focused on creating customizable options that aren’t only customized to fit a specific face - but are also designed to be further customized by the user after they have purchased their pair. Now, a new company wants to change that and have launched an Indiegogo campaign to help spread the word.
“If clothes and shoes have sizes to choose from, why not glasses?” writes the Hong Kong-based designers on their Indiegogo page.
The company, ITUM describes their MONO 3D printed eyewear collection as “a collection of eyewear sets out to bring the perfect-fit and thus enhance wearing comfort by providing the choice of size, a fundamental yet long-missing“feature”, made possible by the latest advancements in 3D printing technology.”
Founded by a designer and a registered optician, ITUM was born out of designer Edmond Wong’s frustration with finding a pair of glasses for his self-described “larger-than-normal-head”. With his background in using 3D printing for other projects, he was able to see the potential for a custom-fitting 3D printed solution that paired professional optical and sunglass lens with optimal comfort.
The company’s “3D Print to Fit Everyone” system is based around the idea that everybody has a unique facial structure and that there shouldn’t be a “one-size-fits-all” expectation when purchasing both sunglasses and prescription eyewear. Their unique sizing system governs three measurements that they are saying are “critical to wearing comfort”. These include the width of the front frame, the depth of the nose pad and the length of the temples. Each of these measurements are represented by Small, Medium or Large and when combined, create a unique 3 digit code that’s specific to a particular face size and shape.
Perhaps what makes the glasses the most unique however, is that the design doesn’t feature any parts - hence the name MONO. Rather, the designers eschewed from using any fasteners in favor of a single 3D print that incorporates the use of a distintive hinge that leverages basic material physics to be able to move just enough to open and close around a wearer’s face. The company is calling the patent-pending hinge a “DNA joint” and is capable of bending in all directions despite being printed from solid nylon.
In total, the collection features five styles of frames that can each accommodate a small collection of interchangeable lens types - including both sunglass and prescription lenses. For their sunglass lenses, polycarbonate was picked for its lightness and shatter resistance, which also provide a powerful UV 400 protection.
The company’s Indiegogo page is currently setup to help them raise the $30,000 needed to make the MONO collection a reality, with the optical frames starting at $99 and the sunglasses slightly more for $119.
“Though MONO's frame is 3D printed, we do need to meet the minimum order quantities in manufacturing the accessories such as the lens, the case and lens cloth, and to cover various costs on product development, operation and patent applications,” the company explains.
With summer just around the corner, the company picked the best time to launch their Indiegogo campaign provided that they can fulfill deliveries in time for the sun to come out.
To order your own pair of MONO glasses, head over to the company’s Indiegogo page.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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