Can One Factory Make Both Sunglasses and Optical Frames?
HOW TO FIND RIGHT EYEWEAR MANUFACTURERS FROM CHINA? · BUYER GUIDE
A practical B2B sourcing guide by JM Optical (Shanghai JM Optical Co., Ltd.).
Quick answer: Yes. JM Optical makes both sunglasses and optical frames in one Wenzhou factory, on the same acetate, metal and TR90 lines, with one QC protocol and one shipment. A single order can mix the two categories: custom OEM starts at 300 pcs per style (≥100 pcs per colour) with a 60–90 day lead time after sample approval; ready stock starts at 12 pcs per colour and ships in 7 days.
📌 This guide complements our 11-part series “How to Find Right Eyewear Manufacturers from China?” For the numbers behind an order see Part 5 (MOQ & payment terms), for the production clock our sampling-to-mass-production lead-time guide, for materials Part 6 (frame materials) and for market access Part 7 (CE, FDA & ISO).
1. What “One Factory” Actually Covers
| Category | Materials we run | Shared front-end | Category-specific step | MOQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optical frames | Acetate, metal, titanium, TR90 | CNC cutting, tumbling, hinges, polishing | Lens-fitting tolerance, nose-pad alignment | 300 pcs / style |
| Sunglasses | Acetate, metal, TR90 | Same fronts and colour development | UV400 / polarised lens cutting, tint matching | 300 pcs / style |
| Reading glasses | Metal, TR90 | Same fronts and assembly line | Diopter sorting (+1.00 to +4.00), magnifying lens | 300 pcs / style |
| Magnetic clip-ons | Acetate / metal + clip | Same base front | Magnet positioning, clip tolerance | 300 pcs / style |
| Smart / AI glasses | TR90, acetate | Same fronts and finishing | Electronics integration, charging case | 300 pcs / style |
All five categories pass through the same incoming inspection, colour approval under D65 lighting, tumbling, assembly and final QC. The split happens late: lens specification, clip hardware or electronics. That is why a magnetic clip-on programme can share a front with a standard optical frame without a second supplier.
2. Why Buyers Consolidate Both Categories With One Supplier
| Decision point | One factory | Two separate factories |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order | 300 pcs per style, ≥100 pcs per colour, mixed categories in one run | Two separate MOQs, often 300 pcs each |
| Colour consistency | One Pantone strike-off and one physical master for the whole collection | Two colour masters, visible mismatch on shelf |
| QC & documentation | One protocol, one test-report set, one pre-shipment inspection | Two report sets, two approval cycles |
| Shipping | One carton plan, one invoice, one consolidation | Two shipments, two freight minimums |
| Accountability | One contact, one production schedule | Each supplier blames the other for a mismatch |
For a brand launching both an optical and a sun collection, the saving is usually in the approval loop rather than the unit price: one sample set, one 60–90 day production clock and one person answerable for it.
3. The Technical Differences That Still Matter
“One factory” does not mean the two products are identical. Sunglasses need UV400 or polarised lenses with tint consistency across the batch; optical frames are usually shipped with demo lenses and tight lens-fitting tolerances for the dispensing lab. Metal parts on both are checked against EN 1811 nickel release for the EU and FDA drop-ball for the US, and frame construction against ISO 12870. Sunglasses sold as PPE also need CE Category I documentation. Because we hold one set of reports per material and lens family, a mixed order does not double the compliance paperwork.
Brand assets are shared too: pad printing, printed cases, boxes and cloths are produced on a 300–500 unit print run that can cover both categories in one artwork freeze.
4. How to Place a Mixed Order
- Choose the base fronts. Start from one shape family so the tooling, hinge and size set are shared.
- Fix the lens specification per category. State UV400 / polarised / photochromic for sun, and demo or prescription-ready for optical, in writing.
- Allocate the MOQ by colour. 300 pcs per style with ≥100 pcs per colour; the colour split can be shared between the optical and sun versions of the same front.
- Approve one sample set. One Pantone master, one logo strike-off and one packaging proof cover the whole collection.
- Inspect and ship together. One QC protocol, one pre-shipment photo set, one carton plan.
If a programme needs a lens or a diopter split outside our standard range, we quote the extra minimum in writing before sampling — it is never folded silently into the 300-piece figure.
5. When Two Suppliers Still Make Sense
Be sceptical of any factory that claims it is the best at everything. If your collection is built around pure titanium with IP plating, or around prescription lenses with individual diopter grinding, a specialist may be the right partner for that line. For most private-label and wholesale programmes — acetate or TR90 optical frames plus a matching sun version — the shared front-end, one colour master and one shipment outweigh the marginal gain of splitting. Ask any supplier to show the factory walk-through and verification documents before you commit.
6. FAQ
Q: Can one factory make both sunglasses and optical frames?
A: Yes. JM Optical produces both in our Wenzhou factory on the same acetate, metal and TR90 lines. The shared stages are cutting, tumbling, assembly and QC; the categories diverge only at lens specification and clip hardware.
Q: Can I combine sunglasses and optical frames to reach the MOQ?
A: Yes, when they share a front family. The 300 pcs per style minimum is counted per style with a ≥100 pcs per colour floor, and the colour split can be allocated across both categories. Confirm the split in the pro-forma invoice.
Q: Do sunglasses and optical frames need different certifications?
A: They share frame-level standards (ISO 12870, EN 1811 for metal parts, FDA drop-ball for the US). Sunglasses sold as PPE additionally need CE Category I documentation and UV400 / polarised lens reports for Europe.
Q: Will the colour match across both categories?
A: Yes — one Pantone or physical master and one strike-off cover every front in the collection, which is the main reason buyers consolidate. Splitting suppliers is the most common cause of a visible mismatch on shelf.
Q: How long does a mixed order take?
A: A sample of an existing style takes 7–14 days; a new development sample 30–75 days; mass production 60–90 days after sample approval. Ready stock ships in 7 days. See the full lead-time breakdown.
7. About JM Optical
Shanghai JM Optical Co., Ltd. designs in Shanghai and produces in our own factory in Wenzhou (since 2015), with 20 years in eyewear manufacturing. We work in acetate, metal, titanium, TR90 and PC, and supply optical frames, sunglasses, reading glasses, magnetic clip-ons and smart / AI glasses for B2B wholesale and OEM/ODM programmes, exported to more than 50 countries. Our QC follows ISO 12870, EN 1811, FDA drop-ball and CE documentation for the destination market. Every commercial figure on this page is the same one printed on our product specification blocks, so a buyer can verify it against a specific model before requesting a quote.
MOQ: 12 pcs per colour (ready stock) | 300 pcs per style (OEM/ODM, ≥100 pcs per colour) | 600 pcs per style (injection moulding, ≥200 pcs per colour)
Lead time: 7 days (ready stock) | 7–14 days (sample) | 30–75 days (development sample) | 60–90 days (OEM, after sample approval)
Contact: jim@shjmoptical.com | WhatsApp +86-137-6415-0962 | https://shjmoptical.com
Related buyer guides: OEM lead time from sampling to mass production · MOQ, pricing & payment terms (Part 5) · Magnetic clip-on solutions · CE, FDA & ISO (Part 7) · Frame materials · Custom acetate frames · Custom logo & decoration · Pad printing & brand rollout (Part 9).