When it comes to eyeglasses, they have been an important tool for the visually impaired for centuries. Eyeglass frames, as the most critical part of eyeglasses, have always been in the limelight. The first and most reminiscent of the material is the metal eyeglass frame; as the first material applied in the manufacture of eyeglass frames, metal can be said to occupy most of the production of eyeglass frames; it has durability, strength, and flexibility. In this article, we will delve into the manufacturing process of metal eyeglass frames, from the initial design stage to the finished product.
Before entering production, the entire eyeglass frame needs to be designed. Instead of saying that eyeglasses are an industrial product, in fact, it is more akin to a personalized custom craft then go to mass production. You have not always felt that the homogenization of such goods as glasses is not so serious as if you have not seen anyone wearing the same eyeglass frame, in the optical store is also selected to dazzling.
The first step in the industrial design of eyeglass frames: the designer needs to draw the three views of the frame first, using 3D modeling to draw, as well as the required accessories, such as eyeglass beams, eyeglass legs, nose rests, hinges, etc. In the design, the shape and size of the accessories are very demanding; otherwise, it will affect the accuracy of the subsequent assembly of each part.
The formal production of eyeglass frames starts with a large roll of metal wire. First of all, multiple sets of rollers extract and roll the wire and send it to make eyeglass rings. The most interesting part of making eyeglass rings is done by the automatic winding machine pictured below. According to the shape of the processing drawing, a circle is a wound and then cut, which is probably the most automated step in the eyeglass factory. If you want to make a semi-rim metal eyeglass frame, you just need the machine to go around half a circle and cut it off.
Because the prescription lens is to be embedded in the inner groove of the eyeglass rim, a small locking block is also used to connect the two ends of the rim. The locking block is first fixed and clamped, then the eyeglass rims are brought close together, flux is applied, and the metal wires are heated to solder them together. This type of welding, which uses other metals with low melting points (brazing materials) to fill the two metals to be joined, is called brazing. After soldering the two ends, the lens rims can be locked together.
Then is a vigorous out of the miracle, the stamper to bend the glasses beam metal parts, and then the glasses rim and nose bridge, together with the fixed in the mold lock tight. Then they were all welded together according to the previous design.
After making the part of the eyeglass holder on the nose, you have to make the eyeglass legs that hang from the ears. The same first step is to prepare the raw material by cutting the metal wire to the right size. Then, through an extruder, one end of the metal is stamped in a die. The end of the eyeglass leg is then vigorously squeezed into a small bulge. Then a small stamping machine is used to flatten the bulge and make it smooth. After that, you can weld a hinge on the flat part of the leg, which will be connected to the eyeglass ring later. Eyeglass leg slackness is dependent on the precise fit at this hinge.
Use the screws to make a link between the eyeglass legs and the eyeglass ring. The screws used for the link are very small, about the size of a grain of rice. Fix the hinge of the eyeglass leg, and use the machine to automatically put the screws. The advantage of using the machine automatically now is that in addition to saving labor, it can also control the preset force so that it is neither too tight nor too loose if it is increased or decreased by one point.
After welding, the eyeglass frames also have to go into a roller for polishing, removing burrs and rounding the edges. After that workers also need to put the glasses frame on the rolling wheel to make the frame more shiny by meticulous polishing treatment.
After the glasses frame is polished, it's not over yet! It still needs to be cleaned by soaking it in an acid solution to remove oil and impurities, after which it is plated and covered with an antioxidant film. Depending on the design, some also need to be plated with a layer of other metals.
Finally, the end of the eyeglass legs are fitted with a softer rubber cover, and then an automated machine bends the legs, then a pair of metal eyeglass frame is completed.
