A combination of excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical properties is proving a winning solution for ULTEM resin from SABIC in lightweight spectacle frames with novel decorative effects from Zhengda Optical.
The Chinese company injection moulds frames for ULTEM resin, a PEI resin that can be metallised to produce highly attractive designs.
Zhengda Optical treats the frames using sputtering, a PVD process that applies a very thin layer of metal onto the surface at a temperature of around 150°C.
This way, Zhengda can combine the design flexibility offered by injection moulding both in terms of shapes and surface textures that can be achieved with the metal look.
Xia Guangnian, CEO of Zhengda Optical, said: “Spectacle frames made partly or all in metal are very popular with our customers. Being able to offer them frames in ULTEM resin that have a metal look, but which are lighter and have design features that are difficult and much more expensive to achieve in solid metal, provides us with a considerable advantage in a very competitive global market.”
“ULTEM resin’s resistance to high temperatures enables it to resist the PVD process very easily and the metal also bonds very well to the resin. The metal effects that we can obtain this way are really very impressive.”
“On top of this, the combination of ULTEM’s high strength and very good flow properties means that we can make this high-performance frames that are thin and light, which makes them very comfortable to wear.”