Manufacturer of optical products and low vision aids: eyewear frames, lenses, magnifiers and filter glasses since 1840.
A. SCHWEIZER GmbH
91301 Forchheim (Head office: administration, production, warehouse, shipping)New on Amplifa
Optical products since 1840
A. SCHWEIZER GmbH in Forchheim has been producing optical products since 1840. The company manufactures eyewear frames, lenses, magnifiers, illuminated magnifiers and filter glasses and has positioned itself as a specialist in low vision aids that support people with visual impairments in everyday life. Its value chain includes glass grinding for in-house lens production as well as plastic injection moulding of lens materials made of PMMA; production is carried out industrially in series production. Well-known product lines include the modular magnifier system MODULAR, the LED illuminated magnifiers ÖKOLUX and the Magnetclip filter glasses series. In 2025, the sustainable product line Green Line was introduced. Products are distributed through a network of specialist retailers in opticianry, complemented by international sales partnerships, among others in Turkey and France.
- Site
- Forchheim
- Processes
- Glass grinding (lens production), Plastic injection moulding, Production of optical products (lenses, frames, magnifiers, visual aids), Low vision special aids, Consulting (virtual product advisor), Specialist retailer distribution network, Plastic injection moulding (historically documented, PMMA processing)
- Materials
- PMMA (lens material), Nickel, PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), Glass
- Certificates
- AMD competence partner programme
- Founded
- 1840
- Industries
- Opticianry, Low vision/visual aids, Medical/healthcare sector
- 01
Material production (glass, plastic)
- 02
Injection moulding
- 03
Glass grinding
- 04
Quality control
- 05
Assembly
- 06
Warehouse and shipping
Materials and processes
PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate)
Lens material that has been processed in the company's own plastic injection moulding shop since 1984.
Nickel
Historic material of nickel spectacle production from 1853 onwards.
Glass
Raw material of the mirror glass grinding shop, from which lenses have been produced since 1877.
Site
Forchheim
DEHead office (administration, production, warehouse, shipping)
- Lot size
- Large series
- Materials
- Glass, PMMA
- Injection moulding machine
- Glass grinding shop
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass grinding (lens production)Surface | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Plastic injection mouldingPlastics | – | – | – | – | PMMA |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding machine | – | – | – | – | Forchheim |
Additional services
Quality
At the Forchheim plant, products undergo the company's own quality control. The low vision solutions include a programme for the care of people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
| Evidence | Forchheim |
|---|---|
| AMD competence partner programme |
Company history
- 1840
Foundation of the company Asif by master buckle-maker Abraham Schweizer in Fürth; initially metal and optical toys, later eyewear frames.
- 1852
Range expanded with imported French glasses; Eduard Buverier moves to Fürth
- 1853
Foundation of the Royal Bavarian Privileged Steel Spectacle Factory; switch to industrial production
- 1858
200 employees produce around 1,200 nickel spectacles per week
- 1866
Death of Abraham Schweizer; widow Karoline and sons Max and Albert take over the management
- 1877
Acquisition of a mirror glass grinding shop in Forchheim, start of own lens production
- 1879
Simon Hummel strengthens the company management; exports also to France
- 1907
Administration relocates to Forchheim, Fürth site abandoned
- 1937
Conversion into a corporation (A. SCHWEIZER, optical factory)
- 1957
Johann Schüttinger acquires the company
- 1960
Ludwig and Hans Schüttinger become managing directors; new company headquarters in southern Forchheim
- 1984
Construction of a plastic injection moulding shop for PMMA lens materials
- 1990
MODULAR: the world's first modular magnifier system
- 1995
Alfred Schüttinger becomes managing partner
- 1997
Market positioning as a low vision specialist; First Class partner programme
- 1999
MODULAR mobil: first modular illuminated magnifier
- 2000
ÖKOLUX LED floor-standing illuminated magnifier and ÖKOLUX mobil
- 2001
MODULAR TV color
- 2023
ImproVision merges with SCHWEIZER; sales partnership in Turkey (Master Diamos Optik); products available at CFLOU in France
- 2025
Presentation of the Green Line (sustainability initiative)