【3D Printing】A Conversation with Bambu Lab CEO Dr. Ye Tao - Why the H2C is the Ultimate Machine for "Lazy Makers"

 
But Tao doesn't seem to care about these external voices. "We are a vision-driven company... We believe that 3D printing or personalized manufacturing can have a huge impact on the world, and we want to have millions of customers - the general public. Instead of focusing on providing solutions for specific vertical industries, we hope to create greater added value here."

The H2C's unique selling point is, of course, its ability to replace one of two nozzles with five spare nozzles as needed, thereby achieving nearly zero-waste printing with up to seven materials. "The fluidity of the entire nozzle changing action exceeded my imagination. Even I sometimes involuntarily stare at it for a long time."

The H2C is the culmination of three years of research, design, and engineering, aiming to solve a problem Bambu Lab had long foreseen – "You immediately realize the limitations of single-nozzle solutions, especially in multi-color printing – everyone is heartbroken and guilty about wasting so much plastic. Even before we finished the X1C project, we started brainstorming how to solve this problem."

"For the H2C, even though we invested more engineers in R&D, it still took 36 months to finally complete." After two years of those three, the company already had hundreds of machines in operation and printing, but even then, it still took some time to see Vortek, and quality standards and process optimization were cited as reasons for the delay, Tao said with a laugh, which "is actually a euphemism for 'delay'."

The H2C was unveiled at Formnext, where three compelling and competing multi-material printing solutions were showcased: the H2C, featuring the Vortek nozzle changing mechanism, where nozzles share the filament path fed by the AMS unit; Prusa's upcoming INDX upgrade for the Core One machine, which uses similar induction-heated nozzles but is independent of the INDX path, a combined device for tool changing; and the U1, which uses a "traditional" near-complete tool head change.

Together, they demonstrate an exciting era in consumer-grade desktop 3D printing. "They are everywhere. This is what makes this industry – competition – interesting and inspiring. We were never convinced that [Vortek] was the best – I don't think anyone can draw a definitive conclusion at this point, and the industry is changing rapidly. You can always discover new advantages and disadvantages of each solution, and ultimately only customers and time can prove which one is the best choice."
 
Given early reports that nozzle changing speeds were not as quick as expected, Tao's response did not inspire much confidence in significant improvements coming soon. "There is always room for improvement, but that doesn't mean the room for improvement is infinite. You can only push it to a certain limit." With this in mind and the "delays" in optimization, I couldn't help but wonder if the Vortek we are currently seeing is already the final version. Judging from its R&D timeline, Bambu Lab seems to be already fully developing an alternative to Vortek. To its credit, I have used this system in the All3DP lab, and given the hard limit of Vortek's shared filament path for all nozzles, its speed seems pretty good to me.

Although there is talk about material savings with multi-color printing, frequently changing nozzles during the printing process might overlook the true purpose of the H2C as a 3D printer for lazy makers. "I think I am the typical Bambu Lab user," Tao explained. "I basically throw everything from my computer or phone onto this printer – sometimes simple tasks, sometimes I want to print a Hueforge model with a 0.2mm nozzle.

Beyond the specific hardware, Bambu Lab's influence is ubiquitous. Informal conversations with key figures from larger, more industrial-focused companies inevitably turn to Bambu Lab and its achievements.

At the same time, emerging tech companies from China, as usual, raise concerns. Some see it as the elephant in the room: security concerns. But for Bambu Lab, this is an artificial narrative. "Of course, some vertical industries find our printers useful, and we are happy that they can adapt and use them," but ultimately, the company positions itself as a consumer brand, committed to creating the highest quality products for the masses.

Bambu Lab's explanation of its machine security is simple. "I think if you really focus on the facts – not speculation, predictions, or assumptions – we have a very good track record. Yes, firmware issues did cause a lot of controversy, but that was all based on assumptions. You know, 'Bambu might do something in the future'."

"I don't like the idea that 'Bambu Lab is evil because it might do something bad in the future' – any electronics manufacturer could face this risk; Apple could do bad things to you. Google could too." The company's intended point – a statement that garnered enthusiastic agreement from the three people present. "Considering we have sold millions of printers, if there really was a problem, why hasn't anyone exposed it yet?"

Expanding the discussion to include not just 3D printing, but also the government-level resistance encountered by Chinese electronics and infrastructure-related companies – especially pertinent given Mr. Tao's key role in DJI's rise in the drone industry – the company's strategy is clear: to make good products and let consumers vouch for the quality. "I think third-party certification is more convincing. They have more professional skills to judge and review everything. I think that's the way we should go."

Finally, he concluded: "It's not up to us, right? We can only try our best to be trustworthy, and everything else is beyond our control."

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