2008 Volume 2 Issue 4 Pages 496-506
Most spectacle frames are now made of titanium alloy. Recently, however, frames made of gum metal have become available. Gum metal is a new material having a low Young's modulus, high strength and high elastic deformation. The effectiveness of these spectacle frames, however, has not yet been mechanically evaluated. In this study, by using the recently proposed optical 3D shape measurement method, the deformation behavior of full-rim and rimless spectacle frames, made of gum metal and available on the market, were compared with that of conventional titanium frames. In addition, CAD models of these frames were created and their mechanical characteristics were evaluated in detail by the finite element method. Consequently, the gum metal frames were found more comfortable to wear than titanium ones. However, the rimless type of gum metal frames allowed more load to reach the front than did the titanium frames, causing lens damage due to stress concentration at the screws.
