You have to hand it to BIQU.
The company has pivoted to be a kind of shadow to Bambu Lab, introducing countless add-ons, accessories and enhancements to Bambu Lab’s products.
It’s not a bad strategy, as Bambu Lab is one of the fastest growing 3D printer manufacturers. It seems that the engineers at BIQU examine every Bambu Lab announcement and new product to identify ways to make them better.
The result has been a stream of unusual add ons and, presumably, some profit for BIQU.
The latest example of this is the new “BIQU Panda Stack”. It’s a stacking table for the A1 series of 3D printers.
Let’s back up a moment. The A1 series, composed of the A1 and A1 mini, both use the AMS Lite, an external accessory that swaps filaments on up to four spools. This enables multicolor 3D printing.
However, the AMS Lite is quite different from the base AMS unit used on Bambu Lab’s X and P series of 3D printers. You could not use an AMS on the A1 series, only the AMS Lite.
But then Bambu Lab announced the AMS 2 Pro, which has an additional quality feature: drying. The spools inside the AMS 2 Pro can be dried, increasing print quality. The AMS Lite cannot operate as a dryer because the spools are exposed.
Bambu Lab then announced compatibility with AMS and AMS 2 Pro with the A1 series, enabling those machines to make use of the new features.
However, unlike the enclosed X, P and H series devices, the A series uses an open gantry designs, where it’s impossible to stack an AMS on top.
Enter the BIQU Panda Stack, which instantly solves the problem. It is a plastic that elevates the A1 series device and makes room for one AMS unit underneath. This maintains the small footprint of the A1 system, and allows A1 operators to dry filament within the Bambu Lab ecosystem.
How long did it take them to develop this product after the compatibility announcement? Not very long, I suspect.
This seems like a pretty simple product, and one that you could probably rig up something on your own instead. However, it turns out the BIQU Panda Stack is very popular — it’s sold out as of this writing.
BIQU wins again!
Via BIQU
