Optics 3D Printing
3D printing of optically functional plastics is Elimold’s main business area. We offer rapid prototyping of optical design and lighting optics for lighting design and engineering purposes. From CAD to optics in one step, we deliver prototypes and a range of inspiring and functional optical plastics in a short time, without the burden of expensive upfront tooling and minimum order quantities!
3D Printed Optics Manufacturer
Elimold is a global additive manufacturing company specializing in optical 3D printing. Our proprietary manufacturing methods enable the rapid creation of custom optical prototypes for use in lighting system design and engineering, temporary events and interior spaces in multi-market applications.
Based in Shenzhen, China, Elimold has introduced a new additive manufacturing technology for 3D printing custom optics: a fast, flexible and cost-effective method that delivers custom optics in a matter of days. Our printed optics are often used for inspirational and functional demonstration purposes, and have proven to be an excellent method for validating optical designs and manufacturing tools.
Optics printed by Elimold are smooth and fully functional, straight from the 3D printer, with no post-polishing required. Optical design services are available on request, as well as finishing the surface with a variety of decorative or technical performance coatings and photometric measurements.
3D Printed Optics
Our 3D printing technology allows for smooth and functional optical plastics to be printed directly from a 3D printer. Our additive optical manufacturing is a new way to get your custom optical prototypes up and running quickly. Speed, cost-effectiveness and flexibility are the key drivers behind our process.
The large upfront investment in tooling and inventory (and the minimum order quantities associated with it) are no longer a constraint to rapid iterative product development. Elimold’s optical 3D printing technology helps you get inspired and functional custom optics in a matter of days without the need for physical tooling. Now new lighting concepts can be quickly prepared, demonstrated and iterated (if needed) before taking the final step of producing tooling!
Rapid Prototyping of Custom Optics
We offer a 3D printing method for custom optical components for interactive devices. Sensing, display and lighting components can be embedded directly into the housing or mechanical structure of an interactive device. Using these components, unique display surfaces, novel lighting technologies, custom optical sensors and embedded optoelectronic components can be digitally manufactured to enable rapid, high-fidelity, highly custom interactive devices. Printed optics are part of our long-term vision to 3D print entire interactive devices.
Anyone seeking fast, flexible and cost-effective custom optical prototypes and pre-series products can take advantage of the unique advantages provided by Elimold’s digital optical processing. Whether validating your digital design, predicting or justifying your tooling investment, or impressing your marketing team or customers, custom optics can be delivered in just a few days.
Advantages of Elimold Printed Optical Components
3D Printing Custom Optics Components
Fast, flexible and cost-effective prototyping of functional and decorative optical plastics enables our users to quickly experiment with their functional lighting concepts.
3D Frosted Finishes
Frosted finishes (define the desired roughness) can be added to optical pieces or lens components in the same printing process for functional or aesthetic purposes.
3D Textured Surfaces
Complex designs with textured surfaces can be quickly prototyped to validate production tooling or generate marketing samples and functional demonstration models.
3D Reflective Surfaces
By combining the smoothness of the Elimold optical 3D printing process with a variety of decorative or industrial coatings, micro-reflectors and reflective surfaces can be created.
COLOR 3D 'OPTOGRAPHIX'
Optographix includes a unique combination of shimmering 3D printed optical acrylics and colorful design features illuminated by artificial or natural daylight solutions.
Elimold Additive Manufacturing Micro-Optics
With Elimold’s high-resolution optical 3D printing services, you can realize virtually any three-dimensional shape with optical-grade surfaces. This effectively circumvents the limitations of mechanical tools as well as geometric or process design constraints common to subtractive technologies. Single microlenses, hybrid and freeform optical elements, and compound lens systems can be printed without the need to assemble the individual components after printing. Use our optical processing systems. Take advantage of their capabilities for fast and ultra-precision micromachining. Print on a wide range of suitable substrates, including glass, silicon wafers, photonic and microfluidic chips.
Our IP optical resins also offer options for manufacturing advanced micro-optics. IP-S optical resins are ideal for printing microstructures with high shape accuracy, very smooth contours, and optical-quality surfaces. For example, microlens arrays printed with IP-S achieve shape accuracy better than 1 µm and surface roughness less than 10 nm Ra. In addition, the new IP-n162 features a high refractive index of 1.62 and a high Abbe number of 25. The optical properties of IP-n162 are comparable to those of optical polymers commonly used in injection molding, such as polycarbonate and polyester.
Creating Custom Optics
Lens and optics have traditionally been made using molds. Optical manufacturers invest in expensive molds that quickly become obsolete. This results in high financial losses. In addition, mold making is time-consuming, taking weeks to create a perfectly custom mold. Therefore, manufacturers often choose standard optics to control light. These standardized optics do not fully meet lighting project requirements, resulting in energy waste and inadequate light distribution.
3D printing enables optical and lighting designers to custom optics to their projects. Rapid prototyping and small to medium series of optics are already available to the public. With Elimold’s optical 3D printing service, products with complex shapes can be designed almost infinitely, iterated as needed and customized to specific customer needs. With 3D printing, product cycles are very short, taking only days instead of weeks or even months. This enables optics engineers and lighting fixture designers to easily test their optics in a limited time before adopting the design.
Freeform Optics
Elimold’s optical 3D printing enables any type of optical shape. Complex freeform optical shapes can be printed drop by drop, resulting in a perfectly smooth surface. This process is much more efficient than a diamond lathe. By designing the optical shape in a CAD software tool, freeform optics can be printed in a matter of days. Optical designers can unleash their creative thinking with 3D printing.
Materials
- ABS (filament PM)
- PETG (filament PM)
- PLA Crystal Clear (Fillamentum)
- SLA Resin
- Prusa Transparent Tough
- Prusa Trans Red
- Prusa Trans Green
- 3DM Tough Clear
Smooth surfaces without post-processing
The Elimold optical 3D printing process allows for smooth optical surfaces straight from the printer. No separate post-processing steps such as polishing or grinding are required. As far as we know, no other 3D printing process is able to do this, and Elimold seems to be in a unique position in this regard. Especially larger formats and high-surface structures are interesting, as the 3D printing complexity is completely free! At Elimold we are following the development of this technology with great interest and will keep you informed of future updates of Elimold!
Benefits of 3D Printed Optics
Elimold offers a fast, flexible and cost-effective method for custom optical prototyping, both for product prototyping and for serial production. The core benefits of the process include:
- No Upfront Investment: Large investments in tooling and inventory are a thing of the past. Optical 3D printing uses a direct CAD-to-optics manufacturing process that takes you from design to prototype in just one step;
- Manufacturing Speed: The Elimold process has the speed of jetting technology compared to traditional optical manufacturing techniques and conventional additive manufacturing;
- Easy Design Variations: Get multiple lens designs and easily “trial and error” with a single print. Save money and time!
- Easy Design Iterations: Iterate your design process until you achieve satisfactory performance;
- Order on Demand: Order the exact quantity of functional optical prototypes you need, when you need them. No minimum order quantities (MOQs) apply;
- Ultimate Design Freedom: Experience the ultimate freedom in optical design and manufacturing;
- No Post-Processing Required: Optics printed straight from the 3D printer are smooth and fully functional. No post-processing, such as polishing or grinding, is required.
Ready to get your next optical project done?
Keep up-to-date and sustainable with our 3D printed optics and send your drawings to our team of engineers for a quote today.