LC Film for Eyewear: From Concept to a Real Project

LC Film for Eyewear: From Concept to a Real Project (Ski Goggles, Sunglasses, Medical Applications and AR)

Liquid Crystal (LC) films have revolutionized eyewear, offering dynamic light control in ski goggles, sunglasses, AR headsets, and medical visors. This advanced technology allows lenses to switch tint, providing optimal vision under fluctuating light conditions.

SFI’s flexible LC film is engineered to be curved, durable, and responsive, making it an ideal solution for tomorrow’s wearable optics. As a normally open LC film, it quickly adjusts transparency when voltage is applied, enabling smart eyewear without bulky electronics.

Beyond consumer applications, SFI’s innovation penetrates medical related applications and performance eyewear. Its superior UV blocking and IR control protect eyes and enhance comfort during prolonged use.

From sketch to scaling, SFI guides every step, from customized design to manufacturing, ensuring each product meets functional, regulatory, and aesthetic standards. The journey from concept to commercial reality is seamless and tailored for each client.

Prototype Production Main Steps

Customer Custom Design is Required

• Clients provide initial concepts including curvature, pad location, thickness and desired Visible Light Transmission (VLT) range.

• SFI engineers assess against production rules, ensuring productivity and reliability.

• VLT (Visible Light Transmission range) is defined to match use case, e.g: deep tint for ski goggles or subtle dimming for AR glasses.

• Layer composition (such as: anti‑UV, anti‑Scratch, anti Reflection, Anti-Fog, Super Retardation Film, Optical Adhesive Film and strengthening layers such as TAC or PC are optimized according to application.

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Production

• NRE and Pre‑Production Run

  An NRE fee covers custom tooling, masks, and film cutting dies. SFI fabricates a low‑volume pre‑production batch to validate materials and processes.

• Sample Delivery

  Within 8 weeks, customers receive sample units for evaluation and testing, optical feedback, and general compliance.

• Frame, Electronics & Assembly Services

  SFI offers integration of LC film with frames, printed circuit boards, flex cables, batterries, sensors and switches turning film into a functional product.

• Approval to Commercial Orders

  Upon sample sign‑off, SFI gears for scale, ordering materials, scheduling production runs and final QC before shipment usually the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) is 1,000 units.

Factors That Will Impact the LC Film Cost

• Size & Shape

  Larger or complex sizes, number of LC layers, curvatures require, holes or segmentation increase per‑unit costs due to waste, yield and tooling.

• Design Complexity

  Unique designs, segmented control zones or uneven curvatures reduce yields and augment inspection time.

• Scope of Work

  Full turnkey builds with electronics and frames cost more than film‑only, as it includes assembly labor, component sourcing, and testing.

• Quantity

  Higher volumes drive down unit costs via economies of scale in material ordering, tooling amortization, and production efficiency.

Intellectual Property

• Customers retain full ownership of their bespoke design.

• SFI protects client IP via NDAs and design‑specific confidentiality, ensuring proprietary advantage in market.

Main points for choosing your Right LC Film Production Partner Experience

Partnering with an experienced LC film manufacturer is essential, particularly when your design involves complex curvature or multi-layered structures. A seasoned team can effectively translate concepts into production-ready designs while offering critical guidance to optimize structure, reduce risk, and maximize manufacturing yield.

Material

Choosing the right materials is vital, not only for achieving excellent optical performance but also for ensuring mechanical durability and long-term reliability. An expert supplier will recommend materials that deliver optimal clarity, switching speed, and robustness, while remaining cost-effective and scalable for mass production.

Production Capacity

Your partner's production capacity must align with your growth plans. If you're targeting high-volume output, look for a manufacturer with the infrastructure, consistency, and lead-time reliability to scale seamlessly, from prototype to full-scale production, without delays or quality compromise.

Communication

In our experience, success depends on working with a partner, not just a supplier. LC film is a core component of your product, and it’s crucial to collaborate with a team that understands the broader system, your customers’ expectations, and the end-use environment. A proactive partner accelerates development, shortens timelines, and maintains rigorous quality control throughout the process.

Examples of Applications with Dynamic LC Film

Ski Goggles. In snow sports, visibility changes rapidly due to weather and light reflection off snow. LC films allow ski goggles to instantly adapt their tint based on ambient light or user input, eliminating the need to swap lenses. They enhance contrast, reduce glare, and protect against UV exposure—making them ideal for high-performance environments.

Sunglasses. For everyday wear or sports, LC film-based sunglasses offer on-demand light control without photochromic layers. Unlike traditional lenses that slowly adjust, LC films respond in milliseconds and can be segmented or triggered manually or automatically. They’re particularly beneficial for sport, pilots, cyclists, and runners moving between varying light conditions.

Automotive Sun Visors. LC films can be integrated into windshields or overhead sun visors to dynamically darken specific areas, reducing glare from sunlight without blocking full visibility. This smart shading system improves driver safety and comfort while maintaining a sleek interior design.

Augmented Reality (AR) Glasses. AR glasses require highly controlled light environments to optimize digital overlays. LC films help manage brightness and contrast, creating clear visuals on demand. They can also block external distractions temporarily during focused tasks.

Stroboscopic Glasses. Used in athletic and neurological training, stroboscopic glasses powered by LC film flash between transparency and opacity to challenge the brain's visual processing. These glasses are crucial in training for hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and cognitive performance.

Medical Applications (e.g., ADHD). In medical devices, dynamic LC lenses are used to create visual stimuli or filtering patterns to aid focus and attention in users with ADHD or sensory processing disorders. Controlled dimming helps reduce visual overload in therapeutic environments.

Case Study: Stroboscopic Training Glasses for Nike

Nike approached Smart Films International (SFI) with a unique challenge: to develop LC film for stroboscopic training glasses designed to enhance athletes' sensorimotor skills, including reaction speed, depth perception, hand-eye coordination, and visual memory. These glasses are used in elite training environments to strengthen the brain’s visual processing speed and decision-making ability under stress.

The Requirement

Nike specified a solution that used plastic-based LC film rather than glass, primarily for safety and weight reduction. The film needed to be normally open, fully transparent when no voltage is applied, and capable of completely blocking light when activated. Since the device is battery-powered, the LC film also had to operate at low voltage and with minimal power consumption.

The Result

SFI successfully developed a customized LC film stack composed of multiple precisely aligned layers, including LC films, polarizers, and optical adhesives laminated to polycarbonate (PC). The solution met all optical, electrical, and mechanical requirements for both performance and safety. Initially, SFI supplied LC films integrated with flexible printed circuits (FPCs) and connectors for modular testing.

Today, the product line includes three variations, 1-segment, 2-segment, and 4-segment LC films, allowing selective strobe control in specific lens zones. These customizable segments enable fine-tuned training protocols across different sports.

SFI now provides to Senaptec LLC (Spinned off company from Nike) full product assembly, including electronics integration, frame design, and final packaging. This partnership highlights SFI’s ability to evolve from component supplier to full-solution partner in mass production.

Summary

SFI’s LC film technology transforms eyewear with dynamic, curved, multi-layered lenses suited for sports, medical, and AR applications. From early-stage design consultation to pre-production tooling, sample evaluation, and full-scale manufacturing, each step is optimized for quality and scalability. Cost factors include size, complexity, electronics integration, and volume. Importantly, clients maintain full IP ownership on their specific design, empowering them to innovate and differentiate. With fast sample delivery and in-house assembly options, SFI offers a seamless pathway from concept to sampling within 8 weeks.

FAQ

• How fast can sample prototypes be delivered?

  SFI delivers fully functional LC eyewear samples within approximately 8 weeks of design approval, allowing quick validation.

  
  

• What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for commercial production?

  The MOQ for commercial orders typically starts at 1,000 units, following successful sample validation and client approval.

  
  

• What voltages are required to operate the LC film?

  Typically between 3V-12V AC. Voltage range depends on LC type.

  
  

• Can films be curved for ski goggles or glasses?

  Yes, SFI specializes in conformable LC films that adhere to complex curvatures without losing optical clarity, 2 axis curvature is still a challenge.

  
  

• Who owns the intellectual property?

  The customer owns all the LC lens design IP, all other matters that related to the LC layer configurations, optical specs, and all other maters are the IP of SFI.

  
  

• Can LC films be segmented for zone-specific control?

  Yes, SFI offers customizable LC films with independently controlled segments, ideal for training glasses, AR, and adaptive lens designs. We can segment each LC film to a number of controllable areas, important to understand that it is a direct drive and not multiplexing, therefore there are design rules for patterning the conductors for such segmentation.

  
  

• What drives up the cost per unit?

  Larger sizes, number of LC layers, tighter tolerances, integrated electronics, and smaller batch quantities increase overall cost.

  
  

• Are UV and IR protection included?

  Absolutely, films can be tailored with UV-blocking layers and IR filters to protect eyes in intense sunlight.

  
  

• Is turnkey assembly available?

  Yes, SFI provides full assembly services including circuit board design, mounting, testing, and packaging.

  
  

• How do I choose the right LC production partner?

  Focus on three key factors, experience in curved/multilayer designs, proven material selection, and the production capacity to scale with your demand.