Bambu Lab A1 mini - Is the Filament Switcher Worth it?

I'm pretty impressed with the A1 mini, but is the additional AMS Lite filament switcher worth it? That's exactly what I try to answer in this video.

Click here for my review:

And here you can go directly to the printer:

Disclosure: Links marked with * are Affiliate Links. I earn from qualifying purchases if you decide to make a purchase through these links – at no additional cost for you!

#3Dprinting #DIY #3Dprinter

[thedprinterbee]

Click here to go to Bambu Lab for more information about the printer:

[ameliabuns]

I want the AMS purely because I’m lazy to switch the filaments before prints lol.

[Timber-Wolf]

There is also the option to "Purge to Object" in Bambu Studio, so maybe have a coaster or simple object on the side of the print to make use of some of the waste.

[TheFlash]

If you print several smaller but identical objects on the print plate at once the waste per object is decreased drastically. Also loading the AMS with several spools of the same filament you can use up almost empty rolls and automatically change to the next full one fully automatic.

[internetcancer]

Thank you for making a concise video!

[ExoticFishGuyCOM]

good video and example with the triangles at end was cool

[W.Keeling]

Great video, very interesting, cool models, where do you get them from ?

[LifeonWheels]

I honestly use my AMS just for the auto filiment switching. Or keeping my most used filaments on standby.

[Nooooo]

The AMS systems can be wasteful but if you are smart about it you can get away with a few filament changes to reduce filament loss.
Use it as filament redundancy if a roll runs out.
You have 4KG worth of filament at the ready and do not need to manually load filament for a long while.

It also helps for distance printing if the build plate is clear you can start a print remotely without having to touch the machine at all because the AMS will load the filament for you.


and the best of all convenience, reliability, removes a pain point for new and experienced users.
IF a model can be printed in pieces to be assembled later you can save, time, filament

Also consider there arent too many options for multicolor prints that work of the box what other option is there?
*Palette 3* needs calibration, printer specific, and need to use a web interface to slice
*Prusa XL* is very pricey and the quality is subpar
*Idex printers* are more expensive and can only handle 2 colors
*Ercf* is a whole project and not turn key at all, so out of reach for inexperienced users. Building, calibrating, tuning could mean days/weeks of downtime to get it right.

[Dummydoesd]

Great video. Really help me decide on the ams light. Though I think if you had printed in a gray matte filament more features on the single color print would have visible. The white really looses all contrast on camera. I think that would have really been a home run in the value pyramid.

[edwardnewbold]

Where do you get your models from? I especially like the Gray Wolf. Cheers.

[nickholl]

I’ve got a mini (without ams) on order. Personally I sim to paint the prints I make so no need for the extra cost and time. For Others who don’t plan on printing the ams is probably a better option

[banthafoddervo]

Do you happen to have the time/cost comparisons of the benchy? I'm betting that one would be much more efficient due to it only having 1 color per few layers. At least relative tk the other 4-color prints

[cheebc]

I dont play miniature. I plan to get a 3D printer mainly for gunpla & other scale model custom parts, and also some larger scale figure. Resin has higher detail, but its too fragile for gunpla parts.
So I'm wondering if Bambu lab printer good enough for me?

[TheDepep]

Not really a fair comparison. A more fair comparison would be to compare the multi-color models to painted single-color models. Then im sure the difference in price is alot closer, if not better.

[Jackavatar]

Did you try to adjust the flushment multiplier? Would love to hear more about this.

[oleurgast]

Actually füll colour objects produce a lot of waste - and thats something most people might do a few times, but not very often.
However, there are objects needing just a handfull of changes:

- Embedding text or logos on the bottom or the top of a print. Look at the multicolour display case of the Prusa mk3s+ printers. 3 colours only in the first 3 layers used, rest is one colour only. 6 coulorchanges altogether, but a hugh win in appearance. I did it without a multimaterial system, but with manual filament changes. Doing this manual or with the AMS do not matter in waste, but automatic change is less time consuming of course.
So esp if you do a lot of electronic projects and design objects needing just a few filament changes in the 3 first layers (or maybe 5 or 6 first layers if using translucent filaments and backlightning) the AMS is the best way to go. The absulute amount of waste is quite acceptable there.

- On technical prints, the PLA/PETG Support interface layer trick is quite helpfull if you have big overhangs to get optimal results. Esp. with long horizontal overhangs you only need a few layers with layerchanges. So the amount of waste due to layerchanges is also acceptable.

Actually, both scenarios apply to me, this is the reason I ordered the A1 with AMS light.

However, full colour prints as you show in your video are much to wastefull and time consuming. Only if you print the same object (or at least multiple objects with the same colours) multiple times on the same printjob, this changes. 10 simular objects produce the same amount of extra time and waste as one object. So per object waste and extra time is just 10%.
Due to this, the A1 definitly is the wrong approach. If you have a nice multicolour object, you most likely know more than 10 people who want it. You definitly want a bigger printer than the A1 or the X1C/P1P/P1S. 350by350 mm² bed size or even bigger. Encloased with "Air conditioning" (not only heated for ABS or PC, PA etc. but also cooled by fans to keep 25°C for PLA without opening door and top).

The A1 with AMS light is a nice printer, if you use it for just a few filament changes or if you need a prototype printer for your own multicolour creations (prototyping is always a wastefull process). It's definitly to wastefull for just printing ready to use single decorative full multicolour prints. For printing a lot of same multicolour prints in one go, the A1 definitly is to small.

[autosativa]

People make a big deal out of the poop quantity but the issue for me is more the increased print time.

[Slashingthrough]

Thanks for the video did you regret the mini and not the bigger version?

[tombouie]

Thks & a Question:
??Is there a 3D printer precise enough to print legos??