Non-Stop Robot Precision for 7 Years: Cobots Deliver the Last “Magic 5%” in Swim Goggle Production
In Short
By automating the final "magic 5%" of production - the precise trimming of swim goggles’ silicone gaskets based on individual face scans - UR cobots allow THEMAGIC5 to deliver affordable, custom-fit goggles. Universal Robots provided the only platform nimble and flexible enough to integrate with THEMAGIC5's proprietary software and durable enough to sustain non-stop production for more than 7 years, enabling the company to scale from a Kickstarter sensation to selling over 400,000 goggles worldwide.
Mass Customization Now Doable
Inside THEMAGIC5’s Brooklyn loft, the floor is filled with thousands of prefabricated goggles. "The goggles are 95 percent done when they arrive, the magic happens in the last 5% – that’s where the robot comes in,” says CEO of THEMAGIC5, Rasmus Barfred, explaining the origin of the company name while pointing at the UR3 robot on the desk behind him.
The UR3 receives a 3D map of each customer’s face, based on a scan in their smartphone app. Using a hot wire, the robot trims down the goggle’s over-extruded gasket according to the map. “It’s mass customization,” says Barfred, adding how that concept is no longer an oxymoron: “It’s our guiding star on product development; taking a standard product and customizing it. It used to be very difficult to efficiently scale, but with the robot, that’s now doable.”
THEMAGIC5
The Quest for the "Least Bad" Goggle
The company was born from a common frustration among fitness swimmers: goggles that leak, bruise, or cause headaches. When co-founder Rasmus Barfred, an avid triathlon athlete, told a friend to just "go for the least bad goggle," he realized there was a massive market gap for a product that actually fit the human face.
The challenge was price. "We can easily make a custom goggle for the Michael Phelps of the world, that would cost $500 - $1,000," Barfred notes, but the goal was to reach the everyday swimmer for under $100. After finding that 3D printing wasn't scalable, the team discovered that the UR3 was "superior" in subtractive manufacturing, using a hot wire to trim gaskets based on a 20,000-point 3D face map generated by a face scan in the swimmer’s smartphone app.
"Like a Kitchen Appliance": Simplicity and Scalability
The integration of Universal Robots has allowed THEMAGIC5 to treat high-tech robotics with the simplicity of a household tool. "It is extremely easy to operate and work with the Universal Robot," Barfred says, noting that training takes only thirty minutes. "It’s like operating a kitchen appliance, you push the button and the robot goes".
This simplicity translates directly into aggressive scalability. When demand spikes, such as during Black Friday, the company can expand its production line in just 48 hours. "We get another desk at IKEA, we get another UR3... and we install it, put the wires in place, and plug it into our production pipeline," Barfred explains. Because the UR3 features built-in safety, these robots work in "tight-knit collaboration" alongside humans without the need for bulky safety guarding.
The Reliability of an Open Platform
The decision to center the entire business model on the UR3 came down to the robot’s "perfect size" and its open software architecture. Because no two customer scans are identical, the robot must perform a unique trimming task every single time.
This flexibility is matched by a level of durability that has surprised the founders. Their oldest UR3 has been working non-stop for more than 7 years without major issues. "It has been super reliable, produced thousands and thousands of goggles," Barfred says. This reliability has allowed the company to even take the robots on the road for "pop-up" shops at swim events, where goggles are scanned, cut, and delivered in 20 minutes.
Looking Beyond the Goggle
With nearly half a million units sold, THEMAGIC5 is now using its robotic success as a blueprint for future products. “When we discuss customization now, we always start by discussing ‘how can we use the robots to give the customer a much better product experience?’” Barfred says. "That’s always where our brains are going because the robots have proven so efficient and successful".
Rasmus Barfred, CEO and Co-founder, THEMAGIC5When we produce a thousand goggles, it’s a thousand different face scans, and a thousand different cuts, provided by the UR3 robot.
Key Value Drivers
Scalable Customization: Produces 30+ custom goggles per hour per robot. Cost Efficiency: Enabled production of custom-fit goggles at affordable prices. Rapid Expansion: New production capacity can be launched in 48 hours using standard furniture and a UR3. High Precision: Trims gaskets based on 20,000 individual data points per face scan. Proven Longevity: Robots have operated non-stop for eight years without major issues.
Tasks Solved by Collaborative Robots
Executing unique, non-repetitive cuts in 3D for every individual customer. Subtractive manufacturing using a hot-wire end-of-arm tool. Working alongside human operators without safety guarding. Mobile "pop-up" manufacturing at athletic events. High Precision: Trims gaskets based on 20,000 individual data points per face scan. Proven Longevity: Robots have operated non-stop for eight years without major issues.
Automation Challenges Solved
Difficulty of scaling mass customization for the consumer market. The lack of speed and scalability in 3D printing for high-volume production. The need for an open software platform to integrate proprietary fitting algorithms. Space constraints solved by the small footprint of the UR3 on standard desks.
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