Bambu Lab will soon support multiple AMS units on their A1 series.
Up to now the very popular A1 desktop 3D printer is accompanied by only a single “AMS Lite”, which can hold up to four spools of filament. This means that print jobs on the A1 Combo can print in only four colors.
For many that’s sufficient. But the company’s more advanced machines can stack up AMS units and therefore print in more colors. Two AMS units equals eight colors, for example. The H2D 3D printer can handle “Up to 4 AMS 2 Pro + 8 AMS HT simultaneously”.
I’m not sure anyone actually does that, but certainly there are A1 operators that want to do more than four colors in a single job.
There’s also the benefit of just having all your materials ready to go at any time. Keeping spools dry in an AMS 2 Pro, for example, ensures they are not only dry but instantly accessible when you start a job.
In the most recent update to the Bambu Lab Wiki, the “Connection Guide for Multiple AMS Units with Different Printer Models” states this for the A1 series:
- Max Connections: Up to 4 AMS devices can be connected simultaneously, supporting any combination between AMS/AMS 2 Pro/AMS HT.
- Accessories:
- Requires an A1-specific buffer (expected to be released in October).
- Firmware Plan: The compatible firmware is expected to be released in October.
So it appears that more than four colors are possible on an A1 3D printer some time in October!
Note that they don’t mention the AMS Lite, and only mention the original AMS, AMS 2 Pro and AMS HT (which holds only one spool, the others hold four). This suggests that the AMS Lite is not compatible with a more-than-four-spool configuration.
The AMS 2 Pro is an excellent accessory, so it should be more than adequate for an A1 3D printer.
One implication here is that Bambu Lab might have to change their sales options. Currently the A1 Combo includes an AMS Lite, not an AMS 2 Pro or AMS. They may have to offer another option, perhaps the “A1 Combo Pro”?
There is also the possibility of eliminating the AMS Lite from their product catalog and replacing it with the more functional AMS 2 Pro. However, the AMS 2 Pro takes up quite a bit more table space, so perhaps that will be an issue.
Let’s watch carefully to see what happens in October.
Via Bambu Lab Wiki
