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Hmm I was hoping for it to be UV or multi with switching heads
Will it actually cut or engrave metal?
Nope. To big of a dream… 
It is announced after the wait! To bad it cannot engrave 3d prints however.
We’re unlikely to see metal cutting at a price point similar to Bambu Lab’s other products. High-power lasers are expensive.
Cutting sheet metal takes at minimum 150W CO2 laser (preferably with oxygen assist). Machines with 150W CO2 lasers run in the USD$6,000–15,000 range. I don’t think we are going to see that in the R1. The laser tube itself is a $1500 part, and it’s a consumable part!
Engraving is possible with surface treatments. Xtool sells a special spray coating for this, for example.
I think it more likely that we see a refined, dedicated laser for etching and cutting lightweight materials, similar to what the 10W or 40W laser add-ons for the H2 series does.
An affordable laser that can do wood cutting and engraving would be of great interest to my spouse. They’ve talked about it for years, but have been put off by the high price of the good ones, and the pain-in-the-butt factor of the cheap ones.
I have the Creality Falcon and I engraved aluminum using the Brilliance Laser Inks spray, and all it does is burn the spray on top of the aluminum, but doesn’t etch the aluminum, so it can be wiped off with some work.
Maybe it’s time to get an actual engraver?
Metal material removal at-home is never going to have easy solutions, I’m pretty sure it’s just physics.
20w~60w galvo fiber lasers can engrave thick metals, albeit at extremely slow speeds for anything deep so they really market it more for jewelers… but this type of device is not suitable for cutting. Thin sheets will heat warp, thick sheets take too long and have angled edges.
Maybe it will print 3D holograms..
I thing they went with co2 as they want to be able to cut clear acrylic/ transparent materials.
Now that we know it is CO2 what are your predictions regarding the price?
The cheapest CO2 go for around ÂŁ500 for 40w.
They all suffer cooling problems.
I wonder how Bambu solved cooling and what power it will be.
You can do at home cnc for under 2 grand if you stick to metals like aluminum, copper and brass.
I know you can, but even the best looking finished brass parts shared online that I can find (using Makera Z1) still seems to show visble imperfections up close, probably due to hardware sacrifices made for the price. Maybe with a flagship device or expert tuning, so again what I’m saying is, (even softer) metal is hard.
It requires post processing. Even 3d prints will have layer lines.
Just wait until you realize that imperfection can actually be a selling point - sometimes even intentionally - and you can charge double for it. Especially when it’s framed as vintage or a unique pattern that makes the piece one of a kind.
Disclaimer: Naturally, this doesn’t apply to every item, but in the right context, a little quirk can become part of the appeal.
Maybe an add on printing color module like the m2 from xtool ?
at some point, marketing will run out of puns and then they will have to launch
“big job. light work.”, “a new ray of making” etc
I currently engrave my 3D prints using my Xtool F1 ultra (diode and Fiber). I don’t see why a CO2 wouldn’t be able to. As with all laser engravers, tuning the laser to the material takes time and practice.
Which is why Bambu came up with the idea of printers running “out of the box”… Let’s not forget that most of its target audience is formed by first time users, consumers who don’t want to have to fiddle with various settings and test them multiple times. Their interest in Bambu machines is simply due to the "plug and play " approach; no tinkering, no trouble, no hassle, very little to worry about. I believe that Bambu intends to apply the same MO for their laser machine.