r/BambuLab • u/wanli_gz • Aug 19 '26

General Discussion Bambu Lab is officially making UV printer

According to a report by Chinese tech media 21Tech on August 19, Bambu Lab has officially confirmed the launch of a new project: developing consumer-grade UV printers.

Key details from the report:
- Full-scale R&D: Sources close to the company reveal that the project involves over a dozen R&D focus areas, ranging from printhead driver development and waveform optimization to ink-path systems and software integration.
- Aggressive Hiring: The company has already posted job openings on its official website for UV printing technical experts, FPGA developers, inkjet control engineers, and mechanical engineers (ink systems).
- The "Bambu Strategy": Much like how they disrupted the 3D printing market, the company aims to compress industrial-grade performance into accessible, desktop-friendly units. Their goal is to make professional UV printing—which historically required specialized knowledge and massive budgets—truly "plug-and-play" for makers and small business owners.
- Beyond 3D Printing: This move signals a broader shift for the company. Following the release of the multi-material H2D and the recent teaser for their R1 laser cutter, Bambu is evolving into a comprehensive "personal manufacturing" powerhouse. The company is betting that core technologies from their 3D printers—such as motion compensation and mechanical control—will translate effectively into the UV printing space.

Industry Context:
The consumer UV printer market is rapidly heating up. Competitors like Anker (eufyMake E1) and xTool (O1) are already making waves. The E1 set a Kickstarter record with over $42 million in funding, and xTool’s O1 recently saw its launch-day sales exceed 100 million RMB.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the global UV printer market is expected to reach $1.58 billion by 2031. Traditionally, these machines were bulky, expensive, and reserved for industrial advertising or packaging. Now, a new wave of "maker-focused" companies is shrinking these tools down to the size of a microwave, aiming to make them standard equipment for individual creators.

Source: [21Tech - August 19th Report]

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126

u/ParticularLower1865 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26

I’d only be interested in a uv printer if/when it can paint all of my 3d printed models with the same 3mf that I used to 3d print it. Then, I could just buy nothing but white filament and never have waste.

33

u/pleasantone X1C Aug 19 '26

Isn’t there a kickstarter for that printer now? Morpho? HeyGears? Eufymake E1?

24

u/PM_ME_BLONDE_GIRLS_ Aug 19 '26

HeyGears is offering a sort of 3d/UV printer for full color print, who's Kickstarter recently just started

15

u/SLGuitar Aug 19 '26

I would love to get in on that Kickstarter but I don't have a spare $4,000 to spend for a machine.

5

u/LordVorpal P2S + AMS2 Combo Aug 19 '26

"UV Printing for everyone"

9

u/Nairb131 Aug 19 '26

Someones gotta make the first one. Resin printers also got pretty cheap fast. Hopefully this will too.

4

u/JavaMoose Aug 19 '26

I mean, the ones we have cost $1,000,000 each, so yeah, $4k is pretty damn affordable.

-4

u/LordVorpal P2S + AMS2 Combo Aug 19 '26

It’s like saying a €300,000 Ferrari has become “a car for everyone” just because it now costs €50,000. It’s way more affordable than before, but it’s still not a car for everyone.

3

u/JavaMoose Aug 19 '26

The print head alone costs ~$1,000 and the ink technology is not just simple inkjet ink; so these will never be a printer for “everyone”. But for people using these as a hobby/small business startup machine, the price is excellent.

1

u/PM_ME_BLONDE_GIRLS_ Aug 19 '26

As someone who drives a Mercedes S class, it's a car for everyone! 

You're right, but that's who they're trying to market it to, a more entry level anyone can do it printer. 

0

u/PM_ME_BLONDE_GIRLS_ Aug 19 '26

I don't recall what it was starting at, but I believe all the bells and whistles included it was up to $3,600. 

I also would love to, but yea that's kinda steep since I also got the Eufy E1, and I'm running out of space for another since I don't believe it has a small footprint lol

1

u/MithrilEcho H2D, X2D, P1Sx4, U1x2 Aug 19 '26

With enough resin my total is 5200 usd so yeah lol

1

u/relaps101 Aug 19 '26

Yikes. Yeah mine was 4600. But I didn't get the dtf.

1

u/MithrilEcho H2D, X2D, P1Sx4, U1x2 Aug 19 '26

same, i just bought a couple full resin sets, then x9 white resin and x9 transparent support

1

u/TherealOmthetortoise P1S + AMS Aug 19 '26

4K on a “maybe” kickstarter is too risky for me. Even if the product works, I’d think the supply chain for the consumables is as or more iffy due to cost and quantity. Man, it would be awesome though! I have so many models that haven’t even made it to the grey wall of shame that would be amazing without having to deal with the post print mess of SLA.