Italiano 
Executing special projects is easier if you have the right tools for the job
Moulding is a key part of manufacturing and building the right mould is essential if you are to execute a successful project and keep production costs within budget.
We spoke to Andrea Scopel, Head of D.F.’s Technical Department, which is specialised in creating moulds and equipment for thermoforming and core injecting acetate.
D.F. is specialised in the processing and manufacturing of metal parts and it also builds the equipment it needs to produce them, as well as equipment for companies who mould or process acetate.
Moulds for “complete” parts that require little or no post-processing
Andrea tells us that D.F. receives a wide range of requests that vary from client to client. The most original ones usually come from niche manufacturers, who come to them with unusual projects demanding innovative solutions: «This is the most interesting aspect of our work. Large-scale manufacturers, who have their own in-house designers, sometimes already have the drawing of the mould they need. Clients with highly original ideas, on the other hand, need special moulds which they’re not even sure will work or if the parts will be thermoformed properly. In cases like this, we bounce ideas off each another; we have more experience building moulds, whereas they are acetate specialists, so are familiar with the material and know where it is better to thermoform it. So we pool our knowledge and are able to reproduce logos, special lines, rounded or recessed details or unusual shapes directly onto the mould, giving the temple or temple tip more visual impact.»
The challenge Andrea often faces in the Technical Department is to design moulds for parts with as many details as possible, so they don’t have to be reprocessed later on.
A faster process and lower production costs
The advantage of this construction approach is seen mainly in the production process, because it eliminates the need for further processing, such as milling to obtain certain effects, after the part has been moulded. «You avoid secondary CNC (computer numerical control) processing, which means having to process the part twice. If we design a good mould, the part is already complete when it comes out; this is obviously a cost saving for the client, if you think of the time needed to remove the part and execute the cycle that is saved, multiplied by thousands or hundreds of thousands of parts in production batches».
«Then there’s the cost of the additional equipment you have to build for the secondary processing of the parts. You therefore save on the cost of the equipment and the expense of processing the part two or more times. We invest more in making the mould but then we use it to manufacture all the pieces.»
Greater efficiency and fewer chances of mistakes
«The likelihood of making mistakes is also reduced when we work like this. The mould ensures every part is the same and that all the dimensions are identical, while the milling machine could get damaged, cut less than it should and there could be flaws in a batch. If, on the other hand, we make a mould that produces pieces in their definitive form, they will all have the same features and quality.»
«Of course this makes things harder for us in the Technical Department. We often face formidable challenges, we have to prepare the mould using special electrodes or tiny milling machines in order to reproduce a logo, for instance. But then the client calls you, thrilled, because you’ve saved him lots of stages in the process, and that’s really gratifying.»
The importance of the ‘handmade’ aspect of production
The human touch is still fundamental when manufacturing eyewear, as it helps deliver outstanding results. «We’re known for the ‘handmade’ aspect of our production because we still do a fair amount of work by hand. It means the results are consistently better.»
«And it’s the same when making moulds. For instance, we still polish our moulds by hand. We haven’t automated this operation because it doesn’t guarantee the quality standards our clients have come to expect. With manual polishing, the operator can spot the points he needs to work on. Nothing compares to the human eye in this stage of the process.»
The satisfaction of finding the right solution
Of course solutions to complex situations can also be achieved with the help of technological advances: «When I joined the company, there weren’t the machining centres we have today; they’ve changed quite a bit over the years. Complex projects call for top-quality machinery. Here we’ve got latest-generation centres, so we can meet all the requests the market makes of us.»
The one thing, though, that you always need and is the same whether it be in the past, present and future, is the passion that Andrea and the team D.F. put into each of their challenging projects and the pleasure they get out of them: «The sense of accomplishment you get from seeing what was originally just a drawing on a piece of paper being transformed into a part made with one of our moulds or even a finished pair of glasses in as little as a month is priceless. From a two-dimensional piece of blank paper, we create something three-dimensional, a pair of glasses that also has amazing visual impact. The great thing is you get to design something that takes shape, that you can actually hold in your hand.»
Problem-solving mentality
«When we get complicated requests, we all gather round the table and we know we’ll end up saying “yes, we’ll do it”. We never say “no, we can’t” just because it appears too hard. We’re all keen to turn a tricky request into a challenge. But we always think our challenges through, we don’t get involved in things we know can’t be done. The first thing we do is work out feasibility. Even if the request may seem impossible, our approach is to find a way to make it work; maybe by increasing tolerances or changing the odd detail ever so slightly.»
«This is what makes us special. We never say ‘no’ to clients. The mentality throughout the company is to come up with a solution that matches the client’s idea. You never get fed up because there’s always something new to challenge you. Our work is fast-paced, hectic but I’m like that too. I love doing new things.»
