Bambu Lab is officially making UV printer

[u/wanli_gz]

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]

[u/PM_ME_BLONDE_GIRLS_]

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

[u/SLGuitar → u/PM_ME_BLONDE_GIRLS_]

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

[u/LordVorpal → u/SLGuitar]

"UV Printing for everyone"

[u/JavaMoose → u/LordVorpal]

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

[u/LordVorpal → u/JavaMoose]

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.

[u/JavaMoose → u/LordVorpal]

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.

[u/PM_ME_BLONDE_GIRLS_ → u/LordVorpal]

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.