Can small fashion enterprises benefit from 3D printing? Yes. For nearly a decade, Danish eyewear manufacturer Monoqool has designed and produced 3D-printed glasses in close collaboration with Prototal Denmark.
A stroke of luck first opened Monoqool’s eyes to the advantages of additive manufacturing. An urgent request for a fashion fair in Paris in 2012 served as the starting signal. Monoqool needed to rapidly develop a new collection for market presentation. The process had to be fast, but not at the expense of design, quality, or functionality. To ensure the collection reached Paris in time, the company decided to embrace 3D printing.
They haven’t regretted it for a second: the quality proved to be at least as high as conventionally manufactured eyewear, with a host of additional benefits. These advantages mean that today, Monoqool is 100% committed to 3D-printed eyewear.
Shortened Development Process
Since choosing to become a pioneer in 3D-printed eyewear nearly 10 years ago, Monoqool has achieved significant success. Today, they supply fashion eyewear to more than 1,000 retailers worldwide.
Several factors underpin the Danish firm’s success, with speed being a primary driver. While it typically takes at least 12 months to design and manufacture an eyewear collection, the partnership with Prototal Denmark ensured that Monoqool’s new developments could be completed in under five months. Monoqool collaborates with Prototal Denmark on both prototyping and series production.
“The timeframe—from having a design idea to holding a prototype in our hands—is ultra-short. It is a fantastic toolbox that speeds up our processes. We can test ideas instantly because our design phase has been accelerated. 3D printing is truly suited for all companies needing shorter product development phases and those operating with low volume and a high mix. 3D printing has significantly reduced our time-to-market,” says Allan Gröndahl Petersen, Founder and Director of Monoqool.
While conventional eyewear design and production rely on lengthy processes and global shipping—with risks of delays, errors, and waste—the 3D printing collaboration with Prototal Denmark is entirely different. Today, drawings are sent simply via email to Prototal Denmark, who, after test printing and quality checks, return the manufactured parts to Monoqool for final assembly and shipping.
Adjustments are rarely needed, and because development and production happen so quickly, the window for decision-making is expanded. Simultaneously, delivery reliability is at its peak. Allan Gröndahl Petersen explains:
“Today, we can wait to produce until 2–3 months before we choose to launch a new frame on the market. The possibility of near-production—both in time and place—gives us a clear competitive advantage and makes us far more agile regarding fashion shifts. It facilitates our ability to decode and adapt the collection to current market trends.”
A Creative Playground: Effortless Collection Adaptation
3D printing does more than significantly reduce the development process and long-distance transport. It also allows Monoqool to expand the scope of its collection because the technology provides infinite development capacity.
“A new eyewear collection often consists of more than 60 different variants. 3D printing guarantees us immense design freedom,” says Allan Gröndahl Petersen.
Today, Monoqool can release collection updates with new colors twice a year. This high frequency helps strengthen the company’s market position.
“With 3D printing, we have gained access to a value-creating ‘experimentarium’ that allows us to launch far more shapes than before,” notes the Monoqool owner. He also highlights the lightweight nature and superior fit of 3D-printed glasses. “Because we can experiment, we are able to ensure our glasses always sit well on the end-user. Design adjustment always takes a few rounds, and one should never accept the first draft. But unlike conventional production, 3D printing gives us more time for fine-tuning. This benefits both retailers and end-users.”
Goodbye to Large Batches: Minimal Waste with 3D Printing
Fashion changes quickly. In the eyewear world, it is not uncommon for 20–30% of a collection to remain unsold and end up discarded. In low-wage manufacturing, low prices depend on high volumes. Large quantities of the same model often mean a high percentage of glasses simply cannot be sold if consumers pass them over in stores.
This well-known pursuit of low-cost production and long transport chains is environmentally and resource-heavy, but unnecessary for Monoqool. With a short time-to-market, they can produce almost on-demand.
Thanks to the collaboration with Prototal Denmark, Monoqool operates with a marginal buffer, which Allan believes makes 3D printing a more sustainable solution—both environmentally and economically.
“We want to contribute to a break with the throw-away culture. When we 3D print, 98% of the raw materials used in the process can be recycled for other 3D-printed products. This stands in contrast to conventional eyewear production, where 75–80% of the raw material is often discarded. We are not dependent on large series and long-distance transport, which means 3D-printed glasses help reduce CO2 emissions,” says Allan Gröndahl Petersen.
