The Glasses Manufacture and the Development of New Materials - Research Paper Example

?GLASS FRAMES By Presented to Frames for Rimless Eye glasses Eye glasses are an important part of the society and their use is varied from treating eye problems to fashion or scientific such as the polarized marine glasses. The need for eye glasses is elaborated in the world health organization which records that over 153 million people as near or far sighted and can be corrected using corrective lenses (World Health Organization, 2009). The costs of the glasses vary depending on the manufacturing specification. Initially glasses were for rectification of the eye problems, but the current situation several other glasses types are made either for fashion or for specialized jobs such as the welding glasses or polarized marine glasses. Glass lens has been in use for a long time, but the use of plastic lenses is of recent times beginning in 1952. The success of plastic was based on the inability to break. Over time, the material of choice has changed to plastic, but glass lenses are common. Currently, the process of manufacture has been customized enabling production on site (Greeff and Ghoshal, ,2004, p. 89). The raw material being “blanks” which are plastics formed to close to exact size by the optical laboratory. Market need The glasses demand has been changing significantly with the initial use being superseded with other uses. Traditionally they were use for study and called the reading glasses, but the situation has change and in 2008 majority of shopping of glasses was based on fashion buys. Today it is common to see in the society sunglasses and some other types of glasses used either for fun or in functions such as funerals. The use of glasses has increased thus increasing demand for fashion glasses among other glass types. The demand has increased for eye glass thus creating the need for the manufacture of glasses. The demand is of the Eye glasses is evidenced by the increased in number of production units throughout the world. Customer’s requirement for frames Frame component Customer need No of respondent Importance Lug/End pieces Strong and durable to hold hinges 3500 Improves durability of the eye glasses Arm length Comfortable, strong and fitting 3490 Improves on the use of the glass and lead to the increased Ergonomics bridge Strong and rigid to hold lenses without failure and 3500 For proper functioning of the glasses Nose pads Soft to support the weight of the eye glasses while cushioning the impact of the weight on the nose 3498 Ensures no injury t the nose while improving comfort ability of the eye glasses Total participants in market survey 3500 From the market research done on the quality of the eye glasses frames, It is evident that durability, and comfort are the important aspects of the final product. The desired quality by the customer affects the material choice, as such, for the eye glasses frames. The first choice material is Flexon an alloy which not only meets the customer’s specifications but also has the flexibility to return to the original form conditions termed as memory’ factor. Product design specifications The Eyeglass frames are available in an immense variety and sizes and comprise of several parts, which may not be joined together directly, but are vital in the performance of the glasses. The material of construction of the frames of the Eyeglass has been changing significantly with recent materials being indestructible whilst making the product light and comfortable in the process. Frame front: the front part that holds the lenses in place while bridging the nose thus connecting the two lenses Rims: are also called the Eye wires, they surround the edges of the lenses thus holding them in place. The lenses are usually inserted into the rims. This part may not be important today because glasses can be produced without it. Bridge: as the name suggests, it is the part that joins the two lenses over the nose and usually support 90% of the weight of the glasses. End pieces: are extensions of the frame front to which the attaching of the temples is done, while hinges are part of the frame that connects to the temple allowing for the swinging of the temples. Temples: are extensions of the frame that cover from the front frame to the ears and extend beyond the ears useful in the holding of the frame in place. Nose pads: may be made of plastic and are attached either directly to the frame or using frame arms and is essential in keeping the frame in proper position. Pad arms are attachments whose duty is to hold the nose pads in place allowing adjustments according to the user’s bridge. Top bar; this is optional and may be present as a reinforcement of the frame and it crosses the top of the glasses in some designs. Temple tips: are plastic coatings covering the end of the temples are used to improve comfort of the Eye glass. Frame measurements Frame measurements are important in the product designing because any product that does not meet the need of the market cannot succeed. The frames are measured in terms of width for the frame front. The measurements are as below; Frame dimensions are given in the order of Lens width, bridge width, and overall length of the arm as such 53-16-135 will be translated as; 53mm is lens width 16mm is the bridge width and 135mm the overall length of the arm. Lens width This is the length between the vertical sides of the lens or rectangle containing the lens. Lens width depends on the lens size and it is printed on the bridge or the arm length of the glasses. Arm length This is the measurement from the dowel point to the extreme end of the arm covering the length of the drop. Overall frame width This measurement covers the lens width and the bridge. It is a measurement of the two lens width combine and can be calculated easily by doubling the lens width and adding the bridge. The product specifications are as below; part dimension Material of manufacture Lens width 52mm plastic Lens height 24mm Plastic Bridge length 19 Flexon Temple length 135mm Flexon Temple tips 35mm Plastic Nose pads 3mm diameter plastic Pad arms 2mm Flexon Lug end pieces 2mm Flexon Materials performance and product specifications The bridge, frames side, lug and hinges, must be made of materials that non corrosive, durable and light for the easier functionality. The material may have a ‘memory’ factor but must be able to maintain the initial design specification. The hinges and lug should be made of materials that are durable, to prevent failure on the rotation part of the Eye glasses, as such; hinges even on plastic Eye glasses are made of metal, to maintain durability of the product. The nose pads and temple tips are made of soft plastic for comfort ability of users. The essential part of the eye glasses is the lens with other parts being necessary for protections and assistance in usage of the eye glasses. The frames of the eye glasses are made of metal or plastics or composites, with rims or sometimes they do not have rims. The frames vary in design the rimless glasses specification varies from other glasses and thus they affect the weight of the final eye glass. The material of choice for the manufacture is Flexon. Flexon is a material made from titanium based alloy with a high “memory’ factor enabling a twisted frame to return to the original shape. It has the capability of holding adjustments longer and is lighter in weight as compared to the metal frames. The workability of the Flexon is easier compared to metals and titanium when used in the process. The easiest material in terms of workability is plastic, but it has several disadvantages in the eye glass. Flexon is hypo-allergenic, strong but also flexible and corrosion resistant. Metals Metals have been used in the manufacture of Eye glasses for over a long period of time. There are several metals and alloys used in the eye glass frames. These metals include stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, and metal alloys. The most commonly used metal alloy for the eye glass is Monel. Monel is a mixture of abroad range of metals; its malleability and corrosion resistance are the advantages of the metal. Though, it is not 100% corrosion resistant and may react with the skin chemistry of some of the users (Beddoes and Bibby, 1999, p. 125). The problem can be resolved through the coating with non reactive materials such as palladium or making the material nickel free. The other disadvantage of the material is weight. Compared to plastic and Flexon, metal frames are heavier causing a strain on the nose of the user because the nose carries the weight of the spectacle. Stainless steel and aluminium are used in the making of the frames. Stainless steel does not provide a variety while aluminium is used by the high end users because of its uniqueness it creates. Despite the use of different metals, Flexon still remains the preferred material because it is 25% lighter in weight than metals thus increasing comfort ability of the Eye glasses. Manufacturing process There are there manufacturing processes that can be sued in the manufacture of the eye glass using Flexon. Extrusion, forging, and vacuum melting are the main manufacturing processes. Extrusion is used in the manufacturing of the side frames; it can be done as either hot or cold extrusion. Hot extrusion is done at about 75-85% temperature of the melting point of metal and is useful in the manufacture of long rods (Beddoes and Bibby, 1999, p. 115). The side frames can be manufactured as long rods. Bridge and hinges can be manufactured using forging. Because the frames are based on metallic components, the manufacture of the components will be determined by the quality of the components (Extrusion). Conclusion The eye glasses are still essential objects in the society due to their varied used. The manufacture of the eye glasses has been customized to the individual suitability because of the simplicity of the manufacturing process. This has led to the development of very many production units around the world each using a preferred manufacturing process. The glasses manufacture can be improved with the development of new materials such as Flexon increasing comfort to the users in the process. Bibliography Beddoes, J., and Bibby, M. J. 1999. Principles of metal manufacturing processes. Michigan: Butterworth-Heinemann.[Print] Extrusion. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2012, from efunda:[Online] available at: http://www.efunda.com/processes/metal_processing/extrusion.cfm Greeff, G., and Ghoshal, R. 2004. Practical E-manufacturing and supply chain management. Michigan: Newnes.[print] Parashar, B. S., and Mittal, R. K. 2004. Elements of Manufacturing Processes. Mumbai: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.[Print] World Health Organization. 2009, June 6. INCREASE GLOBAL PRODUCTIVITY BY GIVING EYEGLASSES TO ALL IN NEED. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from World Health Organization: Availble at: http://www.who.int/bulletin/releases/NFM0609.pdf Read More