Primarily based within the vibrant metropolis of Montevideo, Uruguay, our April 2019 Hackers of the Month are creating a brand new mannequin of manufacturing, type, 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 presently, Alberto was working full-time at a product design studio that targeted on electrical units and used speedy 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 totally different timeline for many of us, they had been in a position to reduce their enamel 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 must always make it within the first place. We develop merchandise which have extra that means for the consumer… when it comes to the consumer and never the business, shifting away from mass manufacturing and consumption.”

The result’s nothing wanting wonderful. Utilizing primarily handbook sprucing strategies, Andres and Alberto create beautiful eyewear at a fraction of the price of high-end designer labels. The rationale behind this hands-on strategy speaks volumes, “Our undertaking revolves across the thought of mixing digital with pure, so we’re utilizing hemp and espresso stuffed PLA amongst different composite filaments from 3DFuel and different manufacturers to repeatedly check new choices. We wish to exhibit how these supplies could be mixed with our design strategy to attain high-end high quality merchandise that may meet robust necessities.”

Using 3D printing has allowed them to develop and fabricate fashions rapidly to validate their product concepts. The flip round time in with the ability to troubleshoot and reprint flawed designs has drastically diminished their improvement time in creating new concepts and merchandise.

“Our eyewear is born out of the digital period, however with a home made contact that makes every body distinctive. So, we mixed new applied sciences, like 3D printing, with pure supplies and handbook processes to create an revolutionary manufacturing methodology.”

“We design high-quality frames inside a multisize idea, with the consumer 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 right product to enhance with 3D printing. Take customization, as an example; small scale manufacturing, assembly particular consumer wants, and so forth. For now, we’re concentrating on consolation and match whereas utilizing extra sustainable supplies. However some enhancements will not be that seen as a result of they’re associated to processes occurring backstage. For example, our lens supplier may be very excited to search out that many points which are associated to lens becoming and different lenses/body processes could be solved rapidly and in keeping with their wants. There are inherent issues with typical injected and acetate frames, that we will keep away from because of the fabric and know-how.”

What’s it about 3D printing that makes this design so intriguing? “Apart from the eyewear itself, which we design by profiting from the inherent advantages of additive manufacturing, we’re continually utilizing the know-how to unravel particular every day points on different processes we want. We print personalized templates for laser engraving eyewear elements as an example, amongst different fast options to assist 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 snug, higher becoming eyewear for the consumer. We give attention to making every design and assortment a bit extra superior when it comes to profiting from additive manufacturing. This strategy has additionally helped different eyewear startups for which we’ve got developed designs with particular necessities. Aside from eyewear, we did some design and printing for human and animal orthosis and technical aids. This was a facet undertaking that Alberto was main with one other group.”

One other good thing about utilizing 3D printing of their manufacturing is the collaboration issue. It has allowed them to attach with international shoppers on a number of initiatives. It has opened a brand new manner of working, making enterprise alternatives obtainable to them that may have been unattainable to implement 10-15 years in the past.

As is clear 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 continually critique themselves on this metric as effectively!

For now, Andres and Alberto need to increase their eyewear designs by collaborating with different manufacturers, whereas taking the time to make it possible for individuals are educated within the design, conceptualization and accountable use if 3D printing know-how. A measure of their success appears to lie of their notion that the human facet of 3D printing is what must be upgraded as a result of the know-how is already getting cheaper and simpler to make use of extraordinarily rapidly.

We sit 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’ll be able to go to their web site right here:

www.mvdframes.com