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Thread: 3D Printed Frames

  1. #1
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    Lightbulb 3D Printed Frames

    I have a not quite off topic question: has anyone started 3D printing their own frames in-store?

    I have this vision of the not too distant future:

    Step 1) You measure a person's face with something like a Microsoft Kinetic (basically a two camera webcam that can use parallax to judge distances), and you have software that generates a 3D model of their head.

    Step 2) It calculates the optimal temple length, total frame front size (eye size + DBL + whatever the temples add), optimal DBL, etc.

    Step 3) You put in their prescription, allowing the software to modify the basecurve of the frame to be the same as the optimal basecurve of the lenses you're using, which allows the lenses to be a perfect match to the frame.

    Step 4) It lets you search a database of frame shapes and temple types.

    Step 5) The customer selects what type of front and temple shape they want from a database you have set up.

    Step 6) Once the customer has selected what they'd like to have the information is fed to a 3D printer and *poof* a few short *mumble*hours*mumble* later you have a plastic frame that is custom made for the head shape and style of your customer!

    Has anyone tried to do this yet? I estimate that the current setup costs for such a system would be between 50 and 200 thousand dollars right now, but that cost is mostly because you'd have to have custom software made. The printers and dual parallax webcams themselves are now off the shelf items, and they're rapidly coming down in price (and improving in quality).

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    My Brain Hurts jpways's Avatar
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    I think this a very interesting concept that will probably happen at some point in the future.
    But in the short term, there are only a couple of few potential issues that I can come up with that might limit a large adoption of the technology for this purpose
    First, you would require two completely different equipment sets one for plastic and one for metal (a metal printer does exist here's a link, though I can't find any machine that does both)
    Second, suppose you have someone with a broken nose, you even have a plastic frame with poor fitting saddle bridge or slightly better fitting keyhole bridge (assuming that the patient even likes a keyhole bridge and then you have even more time coming up with that program and properly matching it up to the front shape) or a metal frame with a saddle bridge (which can be hard to fit on someone with an average hold). Is the material going to be strong and consistent enough to either drill in or weld on nose pad arms (or on the metal frames can you get the equipment so advanced that it can properly print nosepad arms onto the back of the frame).
    Third, if you are making a metal frame, how are you mounting the lens? (I seriously doubt the technology is sufficiently advanced enough to make a proper barrel, and I've never heard of cold mounting metal frames, and I shudder every time I see a full metal grove)
    Fourth, are these glasses going to be adjustable one patients start bending them up?
    Last edited by jpways; 11-27-2013 at 10:22 PM.

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    My Brain Hurts jpways's Avatar
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    And to add one positive that you forgot to mention, you already have a CAD image of the eyewire, I doubt it would be that hard to port the image right to the edger and have a perfect fitted lens every time (assuming they haven't invented the 3D printer that can handle a fully coated and "edged" ophthalmic lens)

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    Doh! braheem24's Avatar
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    You mean link this into Frames Data?


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    Semi related: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4214217.html I beleive, if you can print a hand, you can print some frames. The durability and style is a quesiton however. Plus, you also need to install the metal parts yourself.

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    It may all happen some day, but for the kind of money you would have to charge right now, the patient is better served by more traditional options. Besides they are going to want the big brand designer names. Can you imagine the licensing fees?

    What about composite and combination frames? I've seen some stuff come off these printers. Nobody is going to want dull, single color no name frames.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fjpod View Post
    Besides they are going to want the big brand designer names. Nobody is going to want dull, single color no name frames.
    I agree with the rest of your post (at least until printer tech improves a bit), but these two points I take issue with.

    1) We carry lots of high end frames like the latest Tom Ford frames among many others (almost wrote Rob Ford haha. *new this year! Comes complete with crack pipe!*), and they look and feel essentially identical to the latest XXX dollar frames from our asia distributors. Probably because they're all made in the same few factories. Some people are willing to pay more just for that brand name, but an increasing number aren't. Even when we tell them "those Ray-Ban frames you bought from Clearly Contacts are fakes", they don't care.

    2) We carry a large selection of frames in a large variety of colours and styles. At least half of our sales are monocolour flat black ("gloss black? Do I look like a metro-sexual to you son?"). Sucks, but that's the way customers are (well, guys anyway). Recently we've started to sell black frames to guys with a small splash of red on them too! Oh the adventure! The style! ;). Maybe that will change eventually, but I doubt it will be any time soon.
    Last edited by Fezz; 12-05-2013 at 03:07 PM. Reason: Wholesale prices removed!

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    Understood. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I am in an area where people are easily impressed by status. ...status cars, homes, and eyewear.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stedel View Post
    they look and feel essentially identical to the latest 15 dollar frames from our asia distributors
    Are you serious? How long have you been handling frames? There's often a massive quality difference between frames of this type.

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    I spend a lot of time putting lenses into frames, and there is a huge difference between a XXX dollar frame and a XXX dollar frame. There is no difference in quality between a XXX dollar frame and a XXX dollar frame (our cost).

    Maybe they "feel" different to a dispenser (that's iffy at best, and mostly psychological), maybe the design is better or worse (seen a lot of poorly designed guccis, and the XXX dollar Tom Fords I mentioned above are atrociously designed. Obviously whoever made them had never worn glasses), but material wise and holding lenses wise they're identical (and made in the same factory with the same materials by the same labourers).
    Last edited by Fezz; 12-05-2013 at 03:07 PM. Reason: Wholesale prices removed!

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    I want to remind folks that posting wholesale pricing is frowned upon as per Optiboard posting Guidelines!

    Optiboard is a public discussion forum. We are composed of eyecare professionals and the consuming public. In this regard, it is inappropriate to publish wholesale prices, or other proprietary information which might compromise the relationship between professionals and consumers. If you have questions of this nature, or information to provide, please use the Private Message system to ask the question or to diseminate the information. Posts containing pricing information deemed inappropriate, will be removed.

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    Quote Originally Posted by stedel View Post
    I spend a lot of time putting lenses into frames, and there is a huge difference between a XXX dollar frame and a XXX dollar frame. There is no difference in quality between a XXX dollar frame and a XXX dollar frame (our cost).

    Maybe they "feel" different to a dispenser (that's iffy at best, and mostly psychological), maybe the design is better or worse (seen a lot of poorly designed guccis, and the XXX dollar Tom Fords I mentioned above are atrociously designed. Obviously whoever made them had never worn glasses), but material wise and holding lenses wise they're identical (and made in the same factory with the same materials by the same labourers).
    Fair point. When I'm glazing, I guess I might notice 'easier jobs' (due to the design). But you're probably right. I think joints can be a big factor with good quality frames, which definitely DO feel different. Never handled Tom Ford frames, so I can't use them as an example.

    Need to work on my tone, still coming across as aggressive. Apologies.

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