From Prototype to Production: 3D Printed Visors for Next-Generation VR Hardware

Modern VR headsets are complex assemblies combining precision optics, sensor arrays, embedded electronics, and ergonomic components that must work together seamlessly. While the lenses and displays attract the most attention, some of the most critical components are hidden from view entirely. These are the structural and comfort elements that determine whether a headset can be worn for minutes or hours at a time.

One such component is the visor frame—the facial interface structure that sits between the user's face and the optical assembly. This part must align optics precisely, distribute pressure evenly across the face, block external light, and support modular accessories. It is one of the most ergonomically sensitive components in any headset, and getting it right requires extensive iteration that traditional manufacturing simply cannot support at speed.

Recently, Forge Labs supported the development of a visor component for a next-generation VR headset from a leading hardware platform developer. The project demanded both rapid design iteration during development and production-scale manufacturing for initial hardware runs—a combination where HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Nylon PA12 proved to be the ideal solution.

Why VR Hardware Benefits from Additive Manufacturing

VR hardware presents a unique set of design challenges that push the limits of conventional manufacturing. Headsets must accommodate the enormous variation in human facial geometry while maintaining optical precision across every unit. The components that interface with the user's face need to be lightweight, structurally sound, and comfortable against skin for extended sessions.

Traditional injection molding has long been the default for consumer electronics at scale. However, it comes with significant constraints during development:

• Tooling costs: A single injection mold for a complex visor geometry can cost $50,000–$150,000 and take 8–12 weeks to produce
• Design lock-in: Once tooling is cut, geometry changes require costly mold modifications or entirely new tools
• Iteration speed: Each design revision adds weeks to the development timeline
• Complexity constraints: Internal features like lattice structures, lightweighting channels, and integrated mounting points require multi-part tooling or secondary assembly

Additive manufacturing eliminates these constraints. Engineers can design organic shapes optimized for comfort, incorporate complex internal features, and produce new revisions overnight. For wearable hardware where ergonomics are paramount, this freedom to iterate is transformative.

The Project: Custom VR Visor Frames

The project originated from a leading VR hardware developer preparing a new-generation headset platform. The component in question was a custom visor frame—a structural element that serves as the interface between the user's face and the headset's optical assembly. During headset development and into early production runs, the visor needed to meet several demanding requirements:

A next-generation VR headset in use, featuring a custom visor frame manufactured in MJF Nylon PA12

• Lightweight rigidity: The visor had to be structurally stiff to maintain optical alignment while adding minimal weight to the headset assembly
• Ergonomic facial interface geometry: The face-contact surfaces needed to distribute pressure evenly and accommodate a wide range of face shapes
• Precise mounting features: Snap fits, alignment pins, and accessory mounting points had to hold tight tolerances for reliable assembly
• Skin-safe material: The visor contacts the user's face for extended periods, requiring a material that is resistant to oils, sweat, and skin irritation
• Production-ready quantities: The project needed to move from design prototypes to hundreds, then thousands of units without switching manufacturing processes

3D printing was chosen not as a stopgap before injection molding, but as the production method itself. The combination of design flexibility during development and throughput capability during production made MJF the clear choice.

Why Multi Jet Fusion Was Selected

HP Multi Jet Fusion is a powder bed fusion technology that uses an infrared fusing agent to selectively melt nylon powder layer by layer. Unlike laser-based systems that trace each cross-section with a single point, MJF applies fusing agent across the entire build area and fuses full layers simultaneously. This architecture gives MJF a distinct throughput advantage for production parts.

For this project, MJF offered several critical advantages:

Visor components being depowdered after an MJF build cycle, with unfused PA12 powder brushed away to reveal finished parts

Why Nylon PA12

Nylon PA12 was the clear material choice for a wearable consumer electronics component. It combines the mechanical performance needed for structural applications with the surface and chemical properties required for prolonged skin contact.

PA12 also offers excellent long-term stability. Unlike some engineering plastics, it resists moisture absorption and maintains its dimensions over time—important for a precision component that must maintain optical alignment across the product's lifespan.

Rapid Iteration During Development

The development phase of any VR headset involves extensive ergonomic testing. Engineers need to evaluate how the headset feels across a wide range of face shapes, head sizes, and use scenarios. The visor geometry directly affects pressure distribution, light leakage, field of view, and thermal comfort—all factors that are nearly impossible to predict through simulation alone.

SLS for Initial Fit Testing

For the earliest design iterations, many of the initial visor builds were produced on our EOS P 110 Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) system rather than MJF. This was a deliberate choice driven by the realities of rapid iteration at low volumes.

SLS offered several advantages during the initial fit-testing phase. The EOS P 110's smaller build chamber meant significantly shorter build and cooling cycles compared to the larger MJF HP 5200 platform. Where an MJF build requires a full build-cool-unpack cycle that can span 24+ hours regardless of how few parts are in the chamber, the P 110 could complete a small batch of visor prototypes and cool to handling temperature in a fraction of that time. For a team that needed two or three visor variants by the next morning, this speed difference was critical.

SLS PA12 also delivered tighter dimensional accuracy during these initial builds. As detailed in our MJF vs SLS comparison, SLS PA12 (PA2200) achieves comparable tolerance specs to MJF but with more flexible layer height options (60–100 microns vs. MJF's fixed 70 microns) and superior build volume uniformity in the center of the bed. For visor frames where mounting features needed to mate precisely with optical assemblies on the first attempt, this accuracy advantage reduced the number of iterations needed to nail the fit.

Once the visor geometry was validated through SLS prototyping and the design stabilized, production transitioned to MJF on the HP 5200 for its superior throughput at volume. The combination of SLS for rapid initial iteration and MJF for production scale gave the project the best of both technologies.

Production Iteration on MJF

As the design matured and iteration volumes increased, the workflow shifted to MJF for its production-scale throughput:

Progressive design iterations of the visor frame, with each revision refining ergonomics based on user testing feedback

This speed allowed the development team to test multiple ergonomic variants simultaneously. Instead of committing to a single geometry and hoping it worked, engineers could produce three or four different visor profiles in a single build, distribute them to testers, and converge on the optimal design through real-world data.

Critical design parameters that were refined through rapid iteration included:

• Facial contact surface curvature: Adjusted to distribute pressure evenly across the brow, cheeks, and nose bridge
• Nose bridge clearance: Modified to accommodate a wider range of nose geometries
• Structural reinforcement ribs: Optimized for weight reduction without sacrificing stiffness
• Mounting point geometry: Refined for reliable snap-fit assembly and disassembly
• Ventilation channels: Tuned to balance airflow with light leakage control

Each of these refinements would have required a mold modification in traditional manufacturing. With MJF, they were incorporated into the next print file at zero additional cost.

Scaling to Production Volumes

As the design matured and the headset moved toward production, the project transitioned from iterative prototyping to sustained manufacturing runs. This is where the throughput of MJF on Forge Labs' HP 5200 production systems became the decisive factor.

Bins of finished visor components from a production run, demonstrating the throughput achievable with HP Multi Jet Fusion

The HP 5200 platform is specifically designed for production throughput. Its build volume (380 × 284 × 380 mm) allows high packing density for components like visor frames, and its continuous build-cool-unpack workflow enables back-to-back manufacturing cycles without downtime.

Why MJF Excels at Production Scale

• High Density: Visor frames nest efficiently in the build volume, maximizing output per cycle.
• No Supports: Unfused powder supports parts during the build, enabling 3D nesting throughout the full volume.
• Consistent Quality: Part-to-part and build-to-build consistency meets production quality requirements.

For the client, this meant they could begin shipping hardware without waiting for injection mold tooling. Early production units used 3D printed visors directly, with the option to transition to molding only if volumes justified the tooling investment—a decision they could make with real market data rather than forecasts.

Surface Finishing: Vapor Smoothing

During the project, the team evaluated vapor smoothing as a surface finishing option for the visor components. Vapor smoothing is a chemical post-processing technique that exposes MJF parts to a controlled solvent vapor, which partially melts the outer surface to produce a smooth, sealed finish.

A batch of visor components after vapor smoothing, showing the glossy, sealed surface finish that gives parts an injection-molded appearance

For early development builds, some visor components were vapor smoothed to evaluate the cosmetic and tactile improvements. The results were impressive—the smoothed parts had a sophisticated, injection-molded feel that would be indistinguishable from traditionally manufactured components in a consumer product.

However, the final production decision came down to a practical assessment: the visor frame sits inside the headset assembly and is largely hidden from view during normal use. The face-contact areas are covered by a foam gasket, and the structural elements are concealed within the headset shell. Given that the as-printed MJF surface was already comfortable and functional, the team ultimately decided to skip vapor smoothing for most production units, prioritizing speed and cost efficiency. Select units for display hardware and review samples continued to receive the smoothed finish.

VR Companies Using 3D Printed Components

This project is part of a broader industry trend. VR hardware manufacturers are increasingly turning to additive manufacturing not just for prototyping, but as a production technology for components that benefit from geometric complexity and customization.

Bigscreen Beyond: Mass Customization in VR

One of the most prominent public examples is Bigscreen Beyond, a compact VR headset that uses 3D printed face interfaces customized to each individual user. Customers submit a 3D face scan captured with their smartphone, and Bigscreen manufactures a unique facial interface geometry for every unit sold. This approach delivers:

• Ultra-lightweight headset design (127g total weight)
• Personalized comfort with custom face-contact geometry
• Superior light blocking due to precise facial contour matching
• No need for adjustable facial interface mechanisms, reducing weight and complexity

Bigscreen's approach demonstrates that 3D printing in VR hardware is not a compromise—it enables product features that are simply impossible with traditional manufacturing.

Broader VR Industry Applications

Beyond custom face interfaces, VR and AR companies use additive manufacturing for a range of components:

• Optical alignment structures: Precision mounting for lenses and waveguides
• Sensor housings: Custom enclosures for tracking cameras and IMUs
• Ventilation components: Complex airflow channels for thermal management
• Development housings: Rapid enclosure iterations during hardware R&D
• Accessory mounting systems: Modular attachment points for straps, audio, and accessories

Why 3D Printing Is Ideal for Wearable Hardware

The advantages demonstrated in this VR visor project apply broadly to any wearable hardware category. Whether the product is a VR headset, AR glasses, a medical device, or a consumer wearable, the same manufacturing challenges appear: ergonomics matter deeply, development cycles are aggressive, and early production volumes rarely justify injection mold tooling.

For hardware startups and established companies alike, MJF production fills a critical gap: the volume range between “we need a few prototypes” and “we're ready for 100,000-unit injection mold runs.” Many products live in this gap for months or years, and additive manufacturing lets them ship real products to real customers during that period.

Lessons from the Project

This VR visor project reinforced several principles that apply to any hardware program considering additive manufacturing for production:

Conclusion

VR hardware is evolving rapidly, and the components that define user experience are becoming more complex, more ergonomic, and more personalized. The visor frame may be hidden inside the headset, but it plays a critical role in determining whether a headset is comfortable enough for hours of immersive use.

For this project, HP Multi Jet Fusion and Nylon PA12 delivered exactly what the program required: the speed to iterate daily during development, the throughput to produce over 1,000 components every 72 hours during production, and the material performance to meet the demands of a consumer wearable product.

As VR, AR, and wearable hardware continue to evolve, additive manufacturing is becoming an essential production technology—not just a prototyping tool. For engineering teams building the next generation of immersive devices, the question is no longer whether to use 3D printing, but how to design for it from the start.