SLIM eyewear is entirely covered of marble, except for the lenses and the parts which ensure the mechanical functionality of the eyewear (e.g. hinges, nose-pads, etc.). The process to obtain such a final product is long and technologically challenging.
During the first period, the work involved a series of activities such as:
- study and in-depth analysis of the raw material (marble), base of our product, with classifications of the various types of materials with their recurring features and criticalities;
- definition and optimization of the preformed inner core constituting the reinforcement of the marble structure and, more in general, of the coupling between the two materials;
- development and optimization of additional components and/or surface treatments to be combined with the marble raw material;
- creation and execution of a series of procedures and tests for the verification of the finished product;
- definition and optimization of the production process, both in terms of eyewear assembly line and improvement of machining operations and/or CAD/CAM programs;
- improvement of the production process with the introduction of an Anthropomorphic Robot used as a high precision automatic work center;
- creation of a quality control system, as well as the achievement of the CE certification for the Medical Device/ Personal Protective Equipment.
These points have been further investigated and optimized during the second period enabling us to pave the way towards mass production of SLIM eyewear.
For example, further improvements have been applied on the surface treatments and in the production cycle with the introduction, for example, of CAM polishing programs with ad-hoc tools to obtain a better finish with a consequent reduction of the subsequent manual phases. Furthermore, it is important to mention the additions made to the quality management system to avoid some of the unforeseen risks that emerged during the project (especially regarding the verification of possible non-conformities on some of the purchase components).
In addition, noteworthy is the continuous research aimed at improving the production process, not stopping at the mere introduction of the anthropomorphic robot, but also at the evaluation of alternative production cycles that involved other machines already present in the company such as the Breton CONTOURFIVE NC700 work center for the first phases of obtaining semi-finished products.
In the second period, the activities carried out focused on finalizing the following additional objectives:
- definition of a solid and reliable chain of suppliers (from packaging, to components and various tools) that could guarantee the maintenance of a product of high quality and reliability as SLIM eyewear;
- support from various technological suppliers that allowed us to respond to some of the problems that arose during the project;
- market analysis and strategies that would allow Budri to build solid relationships with potential customers and distributors (high brand optics, boutiques, etc.) and to exploit different communication and dissemination channels (website, e-commerce, participation in fairs and events and other promotional activities)
- analysis and strategies with a special focus on the Asian region (Korean and Japanese markets, Hong Kong and Singapore, but above all the Chinese market), for which a specific market study was carried out, focused on deepening our knowledge in the potential but also the substantial differences with which we shall deal when approaching it.
