The South American firm MVD Frames are utilizing 3D printing to create wonderful, natural designs in eyewear whereas serving to the setting on the similar time.
Posted on January 28, 2019
by
Chris Morgan
Primarily based within the vibrant metropolis of Montevideo, Uruguay, our April 2019 Hackers of the Month are creating a brand new mannequin of manufacturing, model, and sustainability for eyewear with their start-up firm, MVD Frames.
Andres Roppa and Alberto Menestrina are each long-time product engineers who come from an industrial engineering background. Their first publicity to 3D printing was round 2002 when a university journey took them to the wind tunnel at an engineering facility that was evaluating the facade efficiency for a future constructing; the size mannequin was created utilizing stereolithography.
A number of years later in 2011, they each began collaborating in design contests for 3D printing sponsored by Shapeways and Materialise, in addition to others. Additionally right now, Alberto was working full-time at a product design studio that centered on electrical gadgets and used fast prototyping each day. As a result of there have been no industrial grade printers in Uruguay on the time, the design information needed to be despatched to Brazil for printing!
In a considerably completely different timeline for many of us, they had been in a position to lower their tooth on SLS (selective laser sintering) additive manufacturing processes however then moved on to smaller scale FDM (shaped deposition modeling) processes to create their extremely fashionable MVD frames.
The place did the inspiration come for the MVD Frames enterprise mannequin? Andres explains, “We’re rethinking methods to make eyewear, and why we should always make it within the first place. We develop merchandise which have extra that means for the person… when it comes to the person and never the business, transferring away from mass manufacturing and consumption.”
The result’s nothing in need of wonderful. Utilizing primarily guide sharpening strategies, Andres and Alberto create beautiful eyewear at a fraction of the price of high-end designer labels. The explanation behind this hands-on method speaks volumes, “Our venture revolves across the concept of mixing digital with pure, so we’re utilizing hemp and espresso crammed PLA amongst different composite filaments from 3DFuel and different manufacturers to repeatedly take a look at new choices. We need to reveal how these supplies may be mixed with our design method to realize high-end high quality merchandise that may meet robust necessities.”
Using 3D printing has allowed them to develop and fabricate fashions shortly to validate their product concepts. The flip round time in having the ability to troubleshoot and reprint flawed designs has tremendously diminished their improvement time in creating new concepts and merchandise.
“Our eyewear is born out of the digital period, however with a hand-crafted contact that makes every body distinctive. So, we mixed new applied sciences, like 3D printing, with pure supplies and guide processes to create an progressive manufacturing methodology.”
“We design high-quality frames inside a multisize idea, with the person in thoughts, making a stronger and longer lasting bond. Our collections adapt and evolve organically with out leftovers, as a result of that’s how nature does it, and that’s the way it must be.”
Why did they select eyewear? “Eyewear is the proper product to enhance with 3D printing. Take customization, as an example; small scale manufacturing, assembly particular person wants, and many others. For now, we’re concentrating on consolation and match whereas utilizing extra sustainable supplies. However some enhancements should not that seen as a result of they’re associated to processes taking place backstage. For example, our lens supplier could be very excited to seek out that many points which can be associated to lens becoming and different lenses/body processes may be solved shortly and in response to their wants. There are inherent issues with standard injected and acetate frames, that we will keep away from due to the fabric and expertise.”
What’s it about 3D printing that makes this design so intriguing? “Apart from the eyewear itself, which we design by benefiting from the inherent advantages of additive manufacturing, we’re continuously utilizing the expertise to unravel particular every day points on different processes we’d like. We print personalized templates for laser engraving eyewear elements as an example, amongst different fast options to help in meeting. These options are easy, nothing fancy, however they’re so fast and low price, which is right for us at this level.”
“We hope to make extra comfy, higher becoming eyewear for the person. We give attention to making every design and assortment a bit extra superior when it comes to benefiting from additive manufacturing. This method has additionally helped different eyewear startups for which now we have developed designs with particular necessities. Other than eyewear, we did some design and printing for human and animal orthosis and technical aids. This was a aspect venture that Alberto was main with one other staff.”
One other good thing about utilizing 3D printing of their manufacturing is the collaboration issue. It has allowed them to attach with international purchasers on a number of initiatives. It has opened a brand new means of working, making enterprise alternatives out there to them that will have been inconceivable to implement 10-15 years in the past.
As is obvious of their design and manufacturing course of, they hope to see 3D printing dramatically cut back the environmental impression of manufacturing, and never simply one other medium to create much more ineffective plastic devices – they usually continuously critique themselves on this metric as nicely!
For now, Andres and Alberto wish to develop their eyewear designs by collaborating with different manufacturers, whereas taking the time to ensure that individuals are educated within the design, conceptualization and accountable use if 3D printing expertise. A measure of their success appears to lie of their notion that the human aspect of 3D printing is what must be upgraded as a result of the expertise is already getting cheaper and simpler to make use of extraordinarily shortly.
We stay up for seeing much more designs and the world domination of the 3D printed eyewear market by Andres and Alberto! For extra of what MVD is as much as, you possibly can go to their web site right here:
www.mvdframes.com