Bambu Lab’s relentless rise has galvanized the industry into a furious response, making desktop 3D printers much faster and more reliable.Other competitors are in denial and, like deer in the headlights, will probably be run down.In April of 2023 we already looked at the impact that Bambu was to have, dividing the industry into an era before Bambu and after Bambu, going as far as to say that, Bambu’s launch will lead to the “rise of 3D printing to tens of millions of users and the death of the software, boards, and vendors that got us there.” Bambu’s cloud-centric proprietary software approach is one of the main secrets to its success.
More data on more geometries, more extruded kilometers of filament, and more data on pressure, temperature, and motion give the company a better idea of how to extrude and build up geometries.Also, a closed system improves the user experience, making it easier and more controlled.For Bambu, improving part build performance, reliability, and UX are key goals to help the company build a mature, usable system that could expand the 3D printing market to tens and hundreds of millions of users.
3D printed mules using TPE 85A.Image courtesy of Presq/Bambu Lab.Ok so this is a bit concerning, I have zero clue how their system is setup (yay proprietary closed source) but it looks like a disruption in Bambulab`s cloud service cause a whole bunch of peoples printers to just…..start printing last night.
pic.twitter.com/Sqbk9zmc60 — Nero3D the Canuck Creator (@CanuckCreator) August 15, 2023 The cloud and closed ecosystem have also been key problems for Bambu and areas where the firm is criticized.The open source community doesn’t like the approach by definition and sees this as undermining core open source tools and functionalities.They look at the app-to-cloud workflow as encroaching on user freedom.
Bambu sees its level of control as being key to ease of use.Cloud outages—an embarrassing error that causes P1P systems to print unwanted jobs while unattended—strengthened people’s doubts.In response, Bambu was pragmatic; the company has an X1E printer that can run in LAN-only mode.
That printer soothed those who wished to use it with their own software, with their own cloud farm software tools, or who were wary of Bambu as a company or of the fact that Bambu is a Chinese company.Privacy and security concerns should be top of mind, especially for firms that are making prototypes of new inventions or highly innovative parts.Now Bambu has gone further to address those concerns.
The company now has a Trust Center where you can check out the firm’s privacy and security commitments and certifications.They also made a Security White Paper and obtained ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and TRUSTe Enterprise Privacy certifications.27001 is a security certification for information security, dealing with how to set up and keep an information management security system.
27701 is an extension of the first standard dealing with managing a privacy management system.TRUSTe is a path towards compliance with GDPR and other privacy and data requirements.The White Paper is 38 pages long and examines devices, cloud, and software security, as well as initiatives such as a bug bounty program.
The company wishes to show its “commitment to empowering users with clear information about how their 3D printers, data, and creative work are protected.As 3D printing becomes increasingly integrated into homes, workshops, and businesses, Bambu Lab recognizes that security and privacy protections are foundational to user trust.” Bambu Lab CEO Dr.Ye Tao said, “Users deserve to understand exactly how their printers and data are secured.
The Trust Center removes the mystery.We’re making our security practices, certifications, and ongoing efforts completely transparent so users can make informed decisions about their equipment.” Will these moves go far enough in assuaging user fears? I don’t think any move will really appease much of the open source community.They represent the riotous terrarium that is hundreds of competing vendors, tools, and interoperable systems that established desktop 3D printing globally.
This ecosystem is under threat from closed-system printers.So I think they’ll continue to see Bambu as a mortal threat.For many users, this kind of thing is very transparent and easy, and it will motivate them to trust Bambu more.
For enterprise customers, these certifications will be particularly used to influence buying decisions.So this is an excellent move by Bambu, giving people more reasons to trust and work with them.It seems that for a lot of players, specialized applications and workflows will be the only pockets of air left for them to operate in.
Other players will have to either find a way to make a sector or application-specific printer that is much better or take the fight to Bambu with a better overall system.Through being sensible and confronting issues, Bambu seems to be taking the oxygen out of many existing players in the market who will face extinction if they do not seriously up their game.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
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