Lafont's Acapulco frame features carved laminates

FRAME TECHNOLOGY 
The Future of Frames
Titanium, magnesium, and screwless hinges are some of the features that distinguish the newest advances in frame design
By Marcy Bruch

Thanks to manufacturers continually pushing the technology envelope, the choices available in frame materials continues to grow. And while monel and zyl are standard in metal and plastic, there are up-and-coming materials such as titanium and polyamide that are giving tried-and-true materials a run for the money. Knowing consumers are always intrigued by new technology, Eyecare Business talked with a sampling of manufacturers to find out what they're doing to take frame engineering to the next level. Here's what they said.

Titanium madness

Without question, the hottest metal of the moment in frames is titanium. And it seems almost every manufacturer has come out with a collection made of this material. At the high end of the market, manufacturers are utilizing Beta titanium, which is a stronger, premium version of 100 percent titanium. Silhouette, for example, has introduced the Titan Minimal Art collection of rimless frames, which features Beta titanium temples and screwless hinges. "Using Beta titanium allows us to get an ultra-thin temple that also offers maximum strength," explains Carol Norbeck, vice president of special projects. "What's more, the secret to making non-breakable titanium is in the way the titanium is processed."

Jean Scott, vice president of product development for Luxottica, agrees. "To give you an idea of how labor intensive making titanium frames is, our factory in Italy produces 60,000 metal frames every day. Of that number 2,300 are titanium, but it takes up almost half the factory space to produce them." She adds, "You have to use the smallest amount of solder possible to assemble titanium frames, and the weather conditions must be very dry. If it's too wet, the frames are more likely to break."

Marchon has also jumped on to the Beta titanium bandwagon by incorporating titanium into its Flexon memory metal frames. The company took this memory metal technology to the next level by introducing TriFlex, which combines titanium and Flexon in different components of the frame. For example, the endpieces, retaining cylinders, and nosepads are made with 100 percent titanium to provide greater strength and rigidity. The eyewires are made with Beta titanium, which adds strength while allowing the eyewire to appear thinner. The bridge and temples are made with Marchon's patented Flexon material providing flexibility.

"These frames are ideal for people with an active lifestyle or for children who have a tendency to be rough on eyewear," says Frank Lam, vice president product sourcing.

In Luxottica's Giorgio Armani line, new titanium frames have been added that weigh less than three grams each and are made of 100 percent pure titanium. "It's important to point out to consumers that a frame is made of 100 percent pure titanium," Scott says, "because when you mix other metals like nickel with titanium, you negate the benefits the material."

Sama has introduced a titanium frame collection that has an additional high-tech twist. "The titanium frames are coated with the dust of crushed tourmaline opals," explains Ross Herwitz, production manager for the new collection, called Line 3. He claims this finish shields against harmful radiation.

"With so many people carrying cellphones, we felt this eyewear line offers a benefit that addresses a new concern of the 21st century: Protecting yourself against radiation from cellphones," he says. And because these frames push the boundaries of frame engineering, they are targeted to the high-end market. "There is a price to pay for high technology," Herwitz points out.

Stainless steel: High tech at a value price

Knowing that not everyone is willing to pay such a high price for high tech, more manufacturers are utilizing stainless steel, which is non-corrosive and hypoallergenic like titanium, but less expensive For example, Clearvision introduced the Stainless Steel collection under its house brand this fall. "We set out to create a stainless steel line that offers consumers a durable collection of sleek eyewear that's lightweight, anti-corrosive, and moderately priced," says Cathy Kaye, brand product manager at Clearvision. "In short, the line offers the look and benefits of titanium without the high price tag. The line is targeted to retail under $100-that's the sweet spot pricepoint at retail."

Similarly, Charmant has a stainless steel collection called Steel-Eyez that is also priced to retail around $100. The unisex line is comprised of four styles that include traditional ovals, soft rectangulars and a choice of two rimless styles. "The pricepoint makes it ideal for managed care patients," says Rosie Mueller, director of public relations.

Metals of tomorrow

When it comes to ground-breaking metals, manufacturers are looking at materials like bronze, aluminum, and magnesium. For example, in the Kenneth Cole line, Clearvision is introducing a new bronze frame collection that is made of 92 percent bronze, six percent tin and .002 percent nickel. "Since bronze is softer and more pliable than other metal materials, it's easier to laser cut, which opens the door to greater design opportunities," says Kaye. "So the frames have a lot of interesting detail work at the temples."

At Sama, Herwitz says that the company's newest technology "baby" is a line of magnesium frames under the Line 3 collection, "Magnesium is more than six times lighter than titanium," says Herwitz. "The scale doesn't even move, that's how light these frames are. Also, magnesium is softer than titanium so it's not as likely to break."

Lam of Marchon believes that since consumers look for comfort and durability above all else, the demand for metal frames will continue to grow. And though he observes that metal is more prevalent in optical collections and is more in demand among men, he notes that plastics have overtaken the sunglass arena, and are gaining in popularity among women.

The Plastic Frontier

As Dustin Hoffman's character in the movie The Graduate was told, "The future is in plastics." And there are some eyewear industry gurus who believe plastic eyewear will indeed be the dominant eyewear material of the future, especially double and triple plastic laminates have taken off. Frame manufacturers continue to manipulate plastic laminates by carving the frames so that the underside laminates come through to catch the light. Injected molding plastics have also become more important because of the translucent quality the material produces.

Lafont, which is known for its unusual plastic frames, has used cellulose propionate and polyamide injected molding plastic because of its ability to take intricate design work as well as for its durability. "At Lafont, frame technology doesn't drive the business," says Ray Khalil, vice president. "We start with the design and then figure out what technology is available to make that design happen."

Since the design details are so important, the company works closely with its factory in France to produce intricate cutouts and embellishments on frame temples with state-of-the-art laser technology. "The irony is that in trying to produce an unusually designed frame, we actually push the technology to new levels in the process," Khalil points out.

Blake Kuwahara, design director for Kata Eyewear by eyeOTA, has also found injected molding plastic a valuable vehicle to help achieve unusual design. The Gaia collection features transparent plastic temples that reveal sculpted metal eyewires in bamboo, feather or fish motifs. "It looks like the metal eyewire is floating inside the temple and give the frames a three-dimensional quality," says Kuwahara. "I actually worked with a watch manufacturer that had produced a translucent timepiece to come up with the concept."

Inspired by jewelry and architecture

Many designers look to jewelry, automobile design, and even architecture to find new ways to construct innovative frames. For instance, Annie Kajia, design director for Eyespace/Kajia, started out as a jewelry designer before branching out into eyewear. Is it any wonder then that she employs platinum and cloisonn� inlays on plastic frames? "We try to give our frames a whimsical, artistic quality that is very much like an unusual piece of jewelry," says Kajia. "The collection I'm developing now has an Asian influence with black lacquer and Chi rose accents that are inspired by Japanese designs."

Screwless hinges, folding nosepads

The advent of titanium frames with their minimalistic, rimless styling has also presented manufacturers with a chalchallenge to make less obtrusive hinges and nosepads. Many have opted to use screwless hinges to enhance the eyewear's sleek appeal.

Both Silhouette's Titan Minimal Art collection feature screwless hinges in the titanium frame styles. "Every time a new material comes out, it brings with it the challenge to find new ways of constructing hinges and nosepads," says Norbeck of Silhouette. On the drawing board at Silhouette is a rimless frame with screwless hinges in gold and temples using pearls as a hinge component.

Luxottica recently came out with seven new titanium frames under its house brand that are made with mono-block spring hinges. "The advantage of a mono-block hinge is that it has one less solder point than other hinge designs. With fewer solder points, the frame is more durable and is less likely to break, which is a concern when you're dealing with titanium," says Scott.

At Marchon, there's a hinge innovation in the Donna Karan line, which feature hinges made of a button hook that work inside the temple casing.

Edward Beiner, president of Coco Lunettes, analyzed the hinges on a door and ended up inventing a frame that folds at the nose bridge. The collapsible frame is available both in readers and prescription frames. He says, "Engineering new frame technology is a laborious process of trial and error but once you develop something that is truly unique, the thrill of it all drives you right back to the drawing board to start over again."

And what other frame innovations do manufactures believe will be the wave of the future? "I've seen unusual concepts like bubble nose pads in Europe, but since they're more for design effect than function, I'm not sure how popular they would be," answers Lam of Marchon.

Scott at Luxottica adds, "The challenge for us is to raise the level of comfort and durability in all our frame collections. By focusing on that, innovative design naturally follows." EB

Frame Material Guide

To better recommend frames to your customers, here's a guide that explains the benefits and disadvantages of each frame material. The Metals Titanium + Benefits: Hypoallergenic, non-corrosive, ultra lightweight, heat resistant, sturdy. - Disadvantages: Limited color selection. If it breaks, it can't be repaired easily. Nickel + Benefits: Extremely durable and flexible. Endless color and design options. - Disadvantages: Heavy, corrosive, allergic reaction is possible. Stainless Steel + Benefits: Non-corrosive and tarnish resistant. Hypoallergenic, flexible, lightweight. Extremely durable. Available in thin material. - Disadvantage: Becomes brittle in hot temperatures. Aluminum + Benefits: Lightweight, strong, holds an adjustment well. Durable. - Disadvantage: Becomes brittle when exposed to very hot temperatures. Cobalt + Benefits: Thin, lightweight, non-corrosive. Available in a variety of colors. - Disadvantage: Difficult to adjust. Monel + Benefits: Non-corrosive, thin material. Available in a wide variety of colors and finishes. - Disadvantage: Becomes brittle when exposed to hot temperatures. Heavy, depending on size of frame. Memory Metals + Benefits: Flexible and durable material that can be twisted and bent without breaking. Upon release the metal remembers and returns back to its original shape. - Disadvantage: difficult to adjust, have design limitations. The Plastics Cellulose Acetate (Zyl) + Benefits: Lightweight, flexible, endless color and intricate design options. Holds adjustments well. - Disadvantages: Heavy, depending on the style and size. Cannot be manufactured as thin as other materials. Will fade and become brittle with age. Material can yellow, discolor and have a chalky appearance. Not hypoallergenic. Optyl + Benefits: Extremely durable, difficult to break. Hypoallergenic, memory metal. Lightweight. Color options are endless. - Disadvantages: Requires high heat to adjust. Once heated, adjustment is final. Adjustments can be time consuming. Frame will melt in extreme heat. Material will shatter if exposed to extreme temperatures during short periods of time. Polycarbonate + Benefits: Extremely impact resistant and durable. Light-weight. - Disadvantages: Lens must be cut to size, difficult to colorize. Pure Nylon + Benefits: Lightweight, extremely durable, impact resistant, making it ideal for sports goggles, sunwear and children's eyewear. - Disadvantage: Exact lens cut out is necessary. Reaction with skin acids and oils may discolor and yellow frames. Fades and becomes brittle with age. Non-memory plastic. Extreme heat may cause to shrink and loose its original shape. Cellulose Propionate + Benefits: Endless color and intricate design options; Hypoallergenic, lightweight, extremely durable. Can be manufactured thinner than other plastic materials. - Disadvantage: Intense heat will ruin material. Material discoloration will occur whenever acetone or alcohol is used on the frame. Polyamide/Softyl + Benefits: Impact and scratch resistant, hypoallergenic, lightweight, extremely durable, maintains color. - Disadvantage: Sensitive to overheating. Carbon Fiber Graphite + Benefits: Holds adjustment well, resistant to heat, lightweight. Can be manufactured thinner than other plastics. - Disadvantages: Difficult to adjust, and has a limited color selection. Kevlar + Benefits: Impact and scratch resistant, lightweight, resistant to heat, extremely durable. - Disadvantage: Difficult to adjust because the material doesn't shrink or stretch. Requires exact lens size. Limited color selection. *Guide courtesy of Bruce Scott for Avisia