Chinese firms are accused of stealing US designs, but consumers, who prioritize low prices and innovation, don’t seem to mind much.
A quarter century ago, I was a fledgling engineer at an automated sewing machinery company, sitting alongside the owner at the office. A version of our bread-and-butter machine—a heavy-duty overlock sewing system with a unique Power-Trac material puller—had just appeared in Chinese ads, sold across Europe and Asia for less than half the price of our American-built unit. The owner stared at side-by-side photos, pointing out the details the Chinese hadn’t yet mastered. « They’re about three years behind us », he said quietly. « But they’re catching up. »
Decades later, I’d see China use this same playbook in the 3D printing industry, which had been led by American and European firms since 1990. In 2024, US-based Stratasys sued China-based Bambu Lab’s parent companies and affiliates, alleging infringement on patents covering purge towers, heated build platforms, and sensor-based bed mapping. The case names Bambu’s most popular models: the X1C, the P1P, and the A1.
Stratasys, the largest and most liquid company in the field, is not only seeking damages but also injunctions, which could block imports, and royalties that could amount to millions of dollars. If the suit is successful, Bambu’s margins could be gouged deeply enough to slow its advance—or entire product lines might vanish from US shelves. Meanwhile, Chinese competitors continue to move forward: iterating, refining, and presenting new innovations.
Where do I stand? I’m torn. Part of me is still that young engineer watching his boss mortgage his home to survive. I can catalog the feelings in that room: despair, anxiety, hopelessness. However, another part of me sees the power that affordable, Chinese-made FDM and SLA printers have unleashed onto the marketplace.Consumers Don’t Seem to Care Who Invented What
Recently, while reviewing the Formlabs Form 4 SLA printer for PCMag, I came across a resin system from a company called HeyGears, based in Guangzhou, China.
