Before I get too far designing the frame "my way" (how I intuitively think they should be constructed) I looked deeper into how they are manufactured currently.

While I could adapt a design to fit the process shown, I'm not really interested in a bent wire frame. It also definitely doesn't make sense for 5-45 pairs initially.

I still think that investment casting of a solid frame is the way to go.

I'm curious to see how Gentle Monster makes their frames, I'm a big fan.

Gentle Monster

If I am casting around the lenses I need to consider metal temperature affects on the mica, going by the Wikipedia section "It has superior electrical properties as an insulator and as a dielectric, and can support an electrostatic field while dissipating minimal energy in the form of heat; it can be split very thin (0.025 to 0.125 millimeters or thinner) while maintaining its electrical properties, has a high dielectric breakdown, is thermally stable to 500 °C (932 °F), and is resistant to corona discharge. Muscovite, the principal mica used by the electrical industry, is used in capacitors that are ideal for high frequency and radio frequency. Phlogopite mica remains stable at higher temperatures (to 900 °C (1,650 °F)) and is used in applications in which a combination of high-heat stability and electrical properties is required. Muscovite and phlogopite are used in sheet and ground forms.^[11]"

Anyways, looking at common melting temperatures and knowing that the design needs to stay sub 1600F a good number of metals are not going to happen.

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/melting-temperature-metals-d_860.html

Looking through this list the remaining possible metals could be:

Aluminum, Magnesium, Plutonium, Tin and Zinc.

I am curious what will happen to the mica if it goes above its melting point and if it can cool and reform or does it change? If the transition creeps maybe this will even be a benefit? I think that the first designs will be safe materials and then as funding allows move to other risky materials.