Custom eyewear site Willy Wagner makes heavy use of 3D printing. But you’d never know it.
The site offers custom-fit frames that should be perfectly matched to your head. Why? Because you use a photographic method to size the frames to an image of your face. Using a common item for scale, such as a US penny or credit card, you tweak the frames until they are set up correctly.
Then Willy Wagner 3D prints the frames in a color of your choice in robust nylon material. How robust is it? Willy Wagner posts a video of some ruffian stepping directly onto unfortunate frames. Miraculously, they whip back into their original shape. We’re not certain that lenses would survive intact, but it’s good to know your frames are tough.
While this business no longer seems unusual, we did notice something interesting. There is no mention of 3D printing at the site, only a brief “laser sintering” buried in some text. It would appear that 3D printing is simply another technology behind the scenes that no one would care to know about. Willy Wagner focuses entirely on the magic of custom fitting frames, not the magic of 3D printing.
This is a change. Not too long ago it would have been normal for a company to tout their amazing technology, but not now.
3D printing is normal. Enjoy it.
Via Willy Wagner
