In the manufacture of high-quality sunglasses by Silhouette, a modernized multi-spindle manufacturing plant accurately cuts the polycarbonate glasses, while an articulated-arm robot precisely feeds the blanks - both with Sinumerik CNC.

Under the Silhouette brand name, the world’s lightest sunglasses are manufactured in Austria and then exported to approximately 100 countries worldwide. The glasses are produced with a significant amount of handcraftsmanship, a distinct design language, the best materials and the latest technologies. In both the elegant Silhouette sunglasses and the sporty sunglasses from the Adidas eyewear brand, a special glass design ensures a clear perspective without creating fatigue. Herbert Flattinger, head of special-purpose machine development at Silhouette International, explains: "Especially for glasses inclined toward the eye, as is often the case with sporty glasses, the eye needs to compensate the small amount of light refraction arising. This results in long-term strain and sometimes causes headaches. We have succeeded in balancing this effect already in the glass manufacture."

The foundation is built during injection molding of the polycarbonate glasses, but the subsequent production processes need to follow through. This means that the outer cutting of the individual sunprotection lenses must take place in an exact position and within several steps. In the Silhouette production line, this task is performed by multi-spindle milling machines from Anger. Until a few years ago, the individual lenses were inserted into the machine by hand. The integration of a gantry robot meant that the operation could be automated - though not fully at first.

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