Eyewear surface finishing

For luxury & lifestyle industries

THE COMPANY

GPAINNOVA’s client is a manufacturer of eyewear based in European Union. The company specialize in high value eyeglasses made of plastic, stainless steel, bronze, brass, titanium and gold, silver or platinum. The organization is always looking for technologies to improve quality of the products and overcome challenges for providing perfect eyeglasses, without defects.

THE PROBLEM

As the customer mentioned in their first call, the company considered that achieving a perfect surface finish for metallic eyewear parts was only possible through tedious and time-consuming manual processes. These methods require high skills and space for workstations and involve repetitive mechanical movements and the use of toxic polishing compounds. On the other hand, the company was continuously striving to introduce production processes that ensure high-quality products while being safer for human health and the environment.

The client reported several problems related to hand polishing, an abrasive method using brushes, felts, and polishing pastes. As a result, the company obtained inconsistent finishes between batches and a high risk of piece deformation, resulting in alterations to the geometry and size. Additionally, manual polishing incurred high labor costs and consumed significant time.

THE GOAL

The company was looking to improve the production productivity and quality of metal eyeglasses. The customer needed to polish the pieces to get higher quality and longer lifespan. Concerning the polishing target, it consisted in mirror surface finishing. As some of the glasses are laser engraved, the surface finishing should keep the original design unaltered.

THE SOLUTION

Taking into account the previously stated objectives, GPAINNOVA devised a specialized fixture designed to securely grip the pieces throughout the process, eliminating any potential shadows and preventing damage to the components. Simultaneously, this fixture was tailored to optimize the equipment’s cycle capacity, capable of handling up to 48 parts in a single cycle.

By leveraging the recommended DLyte machinery and electrolyte, and fine-tuning the parameters to their optimal settings, the customer successfully phased out manual buffing. This transition led to a reduction in both the time and cost associated with the polishing procedure, all while maintaining tolerance levels and accommodating intricate geometries. This approach facilitated the realization of the targeted surface roughness, ultimately culminating in an unparalleled aesthetic finish.

TECHNICAL BENEFITS

01. Geometry and tolerance preservation & homogeneous results across the piece
02. Best-in-class concerning surface roughness (Ra under 0.01 micrometers)
03. Complex designs on fragile parts precisely treated
04. Stable results among different batches within the electrolyte lifespan
05. Logo, name, or signs preserved

OPERATIONAL BENEFITS

01. Reduced footprint
02. Time and cost reduction
03. Exposure of workers during process and maintenance
04. Handling and storage of media
05. No need for multistep processes
06. Easy waste management