Do you need a new printer? A completely different one?
My guess for the initial introduction to the laser space with a stand alone laser is something enclosed similar to whats out there using their existing lasers (10w / 40w). The ventilation will prob be something compatible with their smoke purifier to push more of those sales. The 10w running $300 and the 40w running like $950 alone for just the lasers Iād say ball park the 10w version around $500 and the 40w maybe like $1200. Iād imagine theyāll run the same top down cameras and such. Basically think about what they have existing now ported over to a stand alone to push more sales of those components before releasing something entirely new. Thats how i see this going initially. Hopefully they can compete a little better on the pricing but thats just my guess based off their current pricing of the lasers they do sell. This will also help them sell more of the rotary tool and other laser components. I dont see any kind of reinvention coming with this
EDIT, changed to full tag line..āMeet Bambu Lab R1, the first laser engraver and cutter from Bambu Lab that helps you create with more materials. From 3D printing to laser, weāre building your personal manufacturing hub. Coming soon.ā
Vid from a āproffesionalā guesser.. of course this vid was only published about 9 hours ago and the guy says āSeptember is only a couple of months awayāā¦ (EDIT: Iāll give him room and speculate he meant weeks..)
If youāre referring to a new, completely different, truly innovative, and definitely ground breaking (without forgetting "unbelievable cheap ") 3d printer, then the answer is ā¦ Absolutely! YES!
Iām starting to wander if there was a breakthrough with a new wavelength like X-Ray lasers. Note, breakthrough as in, easy to manufacture modules, x-ray lasers have been around for some time.
In that case: I agree with you!
PLEASE let this be a standalone laser cutter! I would SO buy that. I canāt afford a H series for one so I would love one at an affordable price!!!
I would only be interested in this if it can cut clear acrylic.
Actually also if they make a R1 Mini I will buy one no matter what. Unless the R1 is reasonably pricedā¦
Itās anticipated it to be a blue laser so it prob couldnāt at cheapest, possibly if you upgrade tho
Yeah, it would have to be an IR laser (CO2) in order to cut clear materials.
UV laser would be nice for marking prints.
Just a thought about the new Bambu Lab R1ā¦
What if R1 is not designed around one fixed laser?
Imagine buying the R1 platform once and being able to change or upgrade the laser head over time.
Blue diode ā cutting
IR ā metal marking
UV ā precision marking & plastics
Maybe even:
40W ā 60W ā future laser upgrades
Same machine. Different laser heads. More materials.
That would make Bambuās words āmore materialsā and āpersonal manufacturing hubā even more interesting. 
I have absolutely no information that this is what Bambu is doing ā just a maker thinking about what R1 could become. 
But if R1 were modular like this, I would find it MUCH more interesting than another fixed laser machine.
Would you?
Fixed laser or upgradeable laser heads? 
It wonāt, for the most part, but it will be significantly cheaper, without the entire H2D/S 3d printing part
I have one and what it produces is freaking lovely, but it only makes sense with the right combo of hardware imo.
For either the R1 or any gantry/coreXY style machine itāll just be silly, since the laser spot is so tiny it pretty much requires a galvo head (lens alone moves the beam, ~15000mm/s) to make any sense efficiency wise. Comparably ridiculously expensive too.
Current lines of xTool machines are pretty plug and play, they arrive fairly well calibrated. I wish itās the other way around but their app is also more intuitive than BambuSuite.
It still lacks FDM-level mass adoption. Bambu can make an improved package but most reasons are just fundamental to laser that imo will never be solved.
FDM was a perfect storm of
- Livingroom-friendly PLA/PETG
- Universally adopted STL
- Millions of ready for download
- The file itself containing all needed information so drop-n-print just works
- Pre-colored filaments enough for most, painting truly optional.
Laser would be like if
- FDM only ever had ABS;
- No universal file format;
- Nobody really share CAD files online;
- Every single vector still have do be manually mapped to desired processing mode (like if FDM required manual mapping of inner/outer walls) so no drop-n-cut.
- Besides some specialty sheets, thereās a reason diode lasers mostly cuts plywood/black acrylics/paper: get a paint booth or accept the boring look limiting its appeal and application.
xToolās built-in parameter can use some work, their makerworld-equivalent is near-nonexistent, but solving those wonāt be enough. Would love to see them prove me wrong tho.
You are looking through the lens of someone who already owned and used an xTool. I donāt think the immediate target of the R1 are those existing hobbyists. They may become the target down the road.
The primary target customers are probably those who have never considered using laser so far, or donāt even know what laser does or what it can do.
One more reason why Iām really curious about the R1 laser architecture.
I already own a Gweike 30W fiber laser, so for me the most interesting question isnāt simply how powerful the R1 will be.
Iām much more interested in what the R1 could add to my existing workshop.
If Bambu designed it as a platform with replaceable or upgradeable laser modules, that would be extremely interesting.
A powerful blue diode for cutting, an IR or UV module for different materials and applications, and potentially new laser heads in the future.
For someone who already owns a fiber laser, this would make the R1 much more attractive than simply another fixed laser engraver.
I really hope Bambu is thinking about R1 as a long-term platform, not just a single laser configuration. 
Letās see what September brings.
I do own and use several xTool, but what I said was comparing them against the experiences offered by Bambu machines, from onboarding to finished parts.
Just to be extra clear, Iām thinking from the perspective of non-savvy average users here, in the latter half explaining why I think laser (currently) will never become that appealing to the masses, from what Bambu as a company alone can offer (or any company).
Several prosumer-ish brands already offer gantry swappable diode/2.5W/5W infrared laser heads, itās a fairly established offering. Some even have CO2/5W IR combos.
As from my previous comment, UV laser on a gantry/CoreXY will just be comically slow that it will be hard to justify the high price tag.