Printers from BambuLab have suddenly started printing by themselves, catching their owners off guard with their rogue actions. These 3D printers embarked on tasks without any commands, leaving users astonished and concerned over the outcomes.

(Photo : EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images)
View of a 3D printer at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) engineering school while making face shields -to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus- in San Jose, on May 07, 2020. 

BambuLab Printers Exhibiting Unexplained Malfunctions

BambuLab's X1C and P1P 3D printer owners were unexpectedly disrupted as their machines suddenly went rogue, executing tasks autonomously without any prompts. 

For some, Interesting Engineering reported that this erratic behavior led to unfortunate outcomes, ranging from damaged printers to broken parts.

Notably, a Reddit user under the username "beehphy" shared visual evidence of a malfunctioning printer that took matters into its own hands, initiating a new 3D printing job atop a previously completed one. 

Shedding light on the scenario, the Redditor shared details, describing how starting a print job at 11 p.m. concluded satisfactorily by roughly 2 a.m.

Unexpectedly, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the machine exhibited an unplanned resurgence, launching into another printing session while remnants of the previous print remained on the bed. 

This peculiar occurrence finds support in a timestamped time-lapse video that initiates around 2:30 a.m. By the time the Redditor awoke, the printer's nozzle had also suffered damage.

Also Read: Researchers Use 3D Printing to Create Smart Concrete Wall for Safer, Sustainable Infrastructure

BambuLab's Response

In a statement released on Wednesday, BambuLab addressed the situation, revealing that on August 15, between 10:03 and 11:10 and again from 12:11 to 12:23 UTC, an unexpected cloud outage occurred.

This disruption resulted in unsettling complications that have garnered the company's utmost attention and concern. During their preliminary investigation, BambuLab uncovered a potential cause for these incidents in a phenomenon termed "Job Jamming." 

Explaining further, the company clarified that their systems failed to register a job sent by a user and executed by the printer during the cloud outage.

BambuLab has announced plans to incorporate a LAN mode into its printers, guaranteeing continued usability even during a cloud outage. 

This innovative feature will enable users to operate the printers remotely without dependence on cloud connectivity. Additionally, the option of SD card printing offers an offline alternative for seamless 3D printing.

The company said in the statement, "We wish to extend our sincerest apologies for this incident. We understand the frustration and inconvenience it may have caused, and we accept full responsibility. It is difficult to have a cloud service 100 percent reliable all the time, but we should at least have designed the system more carefully to avoid such embarrassing consequences."

Free Repairs? 

Upon reaching out to Bambu for clarification, The Verge reported that the company did not explicitly commit to providing free repairs and replacements to all customers impacted by the issue.

However, the company expressed willingness to address any damage caused by the incident. Bambu encouraged affected customers to contact their support team promptly to initiate the necessary steps.

Bambu spokesperson Taylor Liu elaborated on their approach, saying they are dedicated to providing appropriate solutions. That could involve replacing specific components or, if circumstances dictate, even replacing the entire printer.

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