How Are Eyeglass Frames Made?

Components

The materials most commonly used to make eyeglass frames are either metal or a cellulose acetate type of plastic. This type of plastic is made from cotton and known to be strong and flexible. When preparing it to be manufactured for eyeglass frames, it's made into long sheets a little wider than the actual frames will be. If the designer chooses to work with a metal frame it will typically also include the nose pad pieces that help to hold frames in place on a wearer's face.

Eyeglass frames are made using a die-cutting process. The sheets of plastic are first placed into an oven where it will heat up enough to be softened and easy to work with. The plastic is then inserted into a blanking machine where pieces are punched out, representing where the lenses will be positioned. The front of the eyeglasses is finished by using a router tool to cut the standard 0.16 inch wide grooves that will hold the lenses inside the frames. Next, the bottom and nose areas of the frames are smoothed down with abrasive machines and, if applicable, the nose pads are attached with glue. Finishing the front of the eyeglasses consists of shaping them to the tilt angle of a face from top to bottom. The upper edges are cut with an automatic saw, and then the frames are heated, mounted in a curved forming die, placed in a press and, finally, hardened into shape with a cold water bath. The temples that curve over the ears are cut from the same sheets of plastic as the front of the frames, and once it's softened a core wire is added to help produce shape. The temples are sturdily bonded to the frames using heat friction and a capitron machine. Finishing the temples has a lot to do with the style of eyeglass frames being made and are matched accordingly.

Design is an important process in the making of eyeglass frames. A lot of times the style and shape must be decided before the manufacturing process can begin so all parts of the frames can be cut and fitted appropriate to the design. Considerations include thickness, color, decorations, eye size and bridge size. While vision care remains the priority when creating eyeglasses, the designers are also conscious of new trends and what the wearers will enjoy wearing.