Hoya/ YouTube
Yuniku Hoya
Hoya launched the product range believing the system will allow opticians to scan a customer’s face, optimally position the lenses, digitally customise the eyewear frame to fit the lenses and customer’s anatomy, before finally 3D printing the frame.
Optical solutions provider Hoya debuted its Yuniku range of 3D-printed eyewear at a major optics and eyewear trade show last weekend.
The first vision-centric 3D tailored eyewear, initially announced in 2016, was developed in collaboration with 3D printing service bureau, Materialise. Opti, held in Munich, was the first time members of the public and other industry players were able to see the eyewear range in the flesh.
Hoya launched the product range believing the system will allow opticians to scan a customer’s face, optimally position the lenses, digitally customise the eyewear frame to fit the lenses and customer’s anatomy, before finally 3D printing the frame.
Eyewear manufacturers Hoet and Aoyama were also heavily involved with the development of the Yuniku range, unveiled at Opti. Both brands were early adopters of 3D technologies in their respective production processes, and equally, were eager to participate in the Yuniku development.
“As an eyewear designer, I’m already familiar with how 3D printing can revolutionise this industry,” said Bieke Hoet, Founder of Hoet. “And now with Yuniku, we can share this potential with the world.”
Materialise
Yuniku eyewear
The first vision-centric 3D tailored eyewear, initially announced in 2016, was developed in collaboration with 3D printing service bureau, Materialise.
Having previously collaborated with Materialise on their We DDD collection, Aoyama was incredibly keen to link up once again and bring another innovative product to the market. CEO Phillipe Beuscart cited an increasing need to produce spectacles that are custom-made for customers as a key motive for Aoyama, and one of the main reasons for the company’s involvement in this latest project.
“Standardised production and a one-size-fits-all approach are no longer enough,” said Beuscart. “We offer customisable options that speak directly to an individual’s tastes and preferences. Aoyama’s goal with this collection was to bring true mass customisation to a luxury consumer-grade product.”
Another key player in the Yuniku project, Materialise, was represented at Opti by Business Developer, Alireza Parandian. Parandian discussed co-creation and the key role 3D printing has played for Yuniku in a keynote presentation. He summed up exactly what Materialise aims to achieve by introducing 3D printing to different industries in different ways.
“Our goal is to add true value with 3D printing, to bring this technology to industries where it can reinvent a product for the better, transform a business model, improve a supply chain, or enhance the end-customer experience,” said Parandian.
