Optimal „Framework“ provided by Evonik‘s TROGAMID^® CX: New design for world’s best-selling sports sunglasses

When the spring sunshine beckons and bicycles, inline skates, and walking shoes are pulled out of the closet where they’ve been hibernating all winter, sunglasses are an indispensable accessory: Actually, 85 percent of Germans and two thirds of all Europeans own a pair. In the U.S., with its 300 million or so inhabitants, more than 350 million pairs of sunglasses are sold each year. And thanks to the latest polymer research, they keep pace with fashion trends.

“Innovation in sunglasses can be achieved only via the material,” says Rolf Obermeier, Managing Director of Alpina International in Friedberg, Bavaria. About 25 years ago his company set new standards with SWING functional sports glasses, of which more than three million pairs have since been sold. In a market where the customer can choose from thousands of models each year, SWING glasses remain the world‘s best selling functional sports glasses.

Top marks for Evonik material

On the 25th anniversary of SWING’s debut 1983, Alpina has launched the latest generation on the market: the SWING 44 and the somewhat slimmer women‘s model, SWING 33. As in the previous model, the frame, temples, and connectors are made from TROGAMID^® CX, a high-performance polyamide from Evonik Industries. Alpina has been using this plastic for more than six years on account of its high resistance to chemicals, stress cracking, abrasion, and UV radiation. It scores over its predecessor, polyamide 6, mainly in its higher light transmittance and a lower tendency to water absorption, which means that its excellent mechanical properties are retained even in high atmospheric humidity. more