In-Store 3D Printing: French Start-Up OOmade Says It Has Put Frame-Making Machines in 1,000 Optical Stores

A printer on the dispensing counter promises same-day repairs, white-label frames and a new revenue line. Australian practices should weigh the claims against the evidence.

French company OOmade says it has installed 3D printers in about 1,000 optical stores, letting eyecare professionals make frames in front of the customer. The company is marketing the machines as a “workshop on your sales floor” rather than a supplier relationship.

A company representative told us at SILMO that there are no plans for an Australian launch or local distribution yet. However, the software subscription is available worldwide, though the Bambu Lab P1S Combo 3D printer must be purchased separately.

A platform of six services

OOmade bills itself as a "service platform for responsible eyewear". It is built around a single in-store printer and a 3D generator that designs the frame, with six services layered on top.

1. OOframe is the revenue play. The practice measures the wearer's facial morphology, including pupillary distance, bridge width and temple length. The customer then adjusts shape, colour and finish on a tablet, and the frame prints while they watch. OOmade says the final frames are made in PETG and comply with ISO 12870, the standard for spectacle frame requirements. They are fully white label, so the practice's name goes on the product, including custom engraving on the temples. The company says final frames take "tens of minutes". The smartphone-based facial measurement step is still under development.
2. OOtrace targets emergency repairs. The eyecare professional photographs the customer's intact lens with a smartphone and the software redraws a matching front. A temporary frame prints in about ten minutes in bio-based PLA, and the customer leaves with their original lenses refitted. OOmade says 30 to 40 per cent of wearers helped this way return to order a final frame. It also estimates 1.6 million frame breakages a year in France.
3. OOproto brings the prototype into the consulting room. A customer can try on a printed version of a made-to-measure or designer frame before the order goes to the usual supplier. OOmade pitches it for hard-to-fit patients such as children, strong prescriptions and very narrow, wide or asymmetrical faces. It also positions it as a way to avoid costly remakes and to close sales on the day.
4. OOlib is a library of printable items for the machine's downtime, including cases, cords, sports clips, workshop tools, seasonal window displays and branded giveaways. The idea is to turn the printer from an occasional device into a daily production station.
5. OOcare is a humanitarian program that gives used lenses a second life through partner NGOs. The company cites a June 2026 mission in Morocco with the Lunettes Espoir project, where printers were set up on site to make frames for children. OOmade stresses that it is a commitment rather than a purchasable service.
6. Vision Minute is a consumer-facing directory of equipped stores for emergency repairs. OOmade pitches it as a source of walk-in traffic from people who are not existing customers.

Industry uptake

The company lists several French retail names among its equipped or partner chains, including Krys, Atol, Optic 2000, Lissac, Alain Afflelou, Optical Center, Écouter Voir and Le Collectif des Lunetiers. OOmade won the Silmo d'Or in 2024 and nominated for a Silmo Responsible Company Prize award in 2026.

Practitioners quoted on the company's website are enthusiastic. A Krys store in Dieppe reports repairs in about 15 minutes and says it helps wearers who are not its customers. A Lynx Optique You Do store in Claira says placing the printer in the middle of the shop draws curious passers-by. These testimonials are selected by the vendor.

What Australian practices should ask

For local independents and groups, the announcement leaves several practical questions unanswered:

• Regulation. Australian practices would need to consider how 3D-printed frames sit with local product safety and standards expectations. OOmade cites ISO 12870, but the site does not address Australian or New Zealand requirements.
• Material performance. Frames in PETG and temporary repairs in PLA raise durability and fit-over-time questions that long-term wear data would help settle, especially for high-prescription lenses.
• Skills and workflow. The company says opticians "approve" auto-generated designs rather than draw them, but the time cost per frame in a busy practice is something to test in a live demo.
• Support. Local servicing, training and supply of materials would matter outside OOmade's European base. A company representative told us at SILMO that training can be done remotely for the software.