3D PRINTING HELPS IN MAKING SUN GLASSES
SODA CONCEPT is a startup founded by Carlo Marchisio, a young italian designer. Italy is currently home to the biggest sunglasses manufacturer in the world, the Luxottica Group owning both Ray Ban and Oakley, so it would just make sense that next generation of (3D printed) sunglasses would come from here.
SODA CONCEPT is a startup founded by Carlo Marchisio, a young italian designer. Italy is currently home to the biggest sunglasses manufacturer in the world, the Luxottica Group owning both Ray Ban and Oakley, so it would just make sense that next generation of (3D printed) sunglasses would come from here.
“It all started when I bought a MakerBot Replicator last January – says Marchisio – I knew how to 3D model but was not yet familiar with giving a physical shape to my models. As soon as I got the hang of it I tried to find an end-use product that I could make with my MakerBot Replicator, something beyond prototypes and toys, something useful that could be used every day”.
Material experimentation is not limited to resins. Marchisio has also been using Proto pasta's carbon fiber reinforced filament and now intends to try out the new makerbot. He is also working on an augmented reality app that will let potential customers try on the different frames and colours before purchasing them.In the end, given the availability of ABS and PLA materials and the plate size, Marchisio settled on sunglasses. He pushed the limits of his MakerBot to come up with four different highly customizable frames, with interchangeable lenses and arms.
“I created four types of frames with arms and lenses that can simply snap on, without requiring the use of any metal component. This allows users to change the farm colour, replace any broken part easily and even move on to a new, more fashionable, frame design without having to buy new lenses.