Certottica: hi-tech decorations on eyewear

The eyewear district is a ‘know-how’ laboratory and Certottica is one of the privileged locations. Scientific research is developed here in close contact with the companies that collaborate on the projects. The latest frontier is hi-tech decorations on plastic, but not just any plastic: plexiglass. The Institute in Longarone has rewritten scientific literature, there are no other experiments of this kind in the eyewear world.

The aim of the project, ‘Using PECVD for the laser-assisted selective metallization of non-conductive materials and of plastic in particular’, funded by the Veneto Region with the participation of various companies in the Belluno and Vicenza areas, is to introduce to plastics writing and logos in precious metals like gold. There is no other scientific literature of this kind: the experiments are based solely on those that were carried out in a previous project by the Certottica laboratories. An innovation in the true sense of the word. And it does not stop here because last week the Institute’s researchers decided to accept a challenge from the entrepreneurs involved in the project: attempt to deposit gold on plexiglass, a type of plastic that is used in a variety of sectors.

The expected outcome of this project is the conclusion of research that will once again provide a new decorating technique for the eyewear and fashion accessories industry, such as precious and costume jewelry. The process should enable exclusive and personalized finishes to be applied to plastic with substantial competitive advantages.

Researchers will have three months to carry out the experiments: another project status meeting will be held with entrepreneurs in December. Only then will it be known if this innovative idea will find space in product industrialization and therefore become a bona fide process.