Surprise! Bambu Lab announced a new 3D printer today, the H2D Pro.
The H2D Pro, as you might suspect, is a modified version of the popular H2D, which was released several months ago.
Years ago when a 3D printer manufacturer announced a “Pro” version, it usually meant that the build volume added another 200mm to the Z-axis, with everything else being the same.
That’s definitely not the case with the H2D Pro, as this is a substantially modified machine that might even deserves a new name. The H2D Pro is designed specifically to print higher temperature materials in high quality due to a number of modifications.
What’s different? Here are the major differences between the H2D and new H2D Pro:
- Active Chamber Heating and Cooling (up to 65C) with smart airflow control. This should dramatically reduce warping as the thermal gradient is much smaller.
- Dual-nozzle system featuring tungsten carbide nozzles for high durability, making it possible to print very abrasive materials without nozzle wear.
- Enhanced toolhead cooling fan for stable high-performance printing, enabling high speed printing, even at higher print temperatures.
- 350C High-Temp Nozzle for engineering-grade filament compatibility (more on this in a bit).
- Enterprise-grade network security with WPA2-Enterprise WiFi and Ethernet port, for professional installations.
- AMS 2 Pro & AMS HT included for versatile multi-material workflows, meaning the H2D Pro is by default a bundle.
- Vision Encoder for advanced motion control and print reliability, with a powerful neural engine.
It’s all about material compatibility, and Bambu Lab has provided this chart showing what works on the H2D Pro. The machine can reach a whopping 340C, making it ideal to print PPS-CF. Most other desktop 3D printers top out at around 300C or lower.
This is the list of compatible materials:
”PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PET, PA, PC, PVA (dried), BVOH (dried), PP, POM, HIPS, Bambu PLA-CF/PAHT-CF/PETG-CF/Support for PLA/PETG, and TPU for AMS”
Interestingly, they also provided a list of materials NOT supported:
“TPE, generic TPU, PVA (damp), BVOH (damp), Bambu PET-CF/TPU 95A, and other filament that contains carbon fiber or glass fiber”
Note that some materials seem to appear in both lists, for example, PET and PET-CF. I suspect this is because the quality goals of the H2D Pro are so stringent that they can’t guarantee results on materials other than the ones for which they’ve deeply tested and developed print configurations.
Bambu Lab also notes that some materials will require a higher drying temperature than is available in typical drying units. This means that you should choose the high temperature AMS HT in some situations over the regular AMS 2 Pro.
This is an interesting new feature, a “kill switch”. It’s not for the machine’s operations, but for the network.
The tungsten carbide nozzle is quite unusual. Tungsten carbide is extremely hard and durable, and that makes it ideal to withstand the very abrasive fibre-laden materials that will pass through it. Here’s an image from Bambu Lab showing the durability of this heavy-duty nozzle.
Bambu Lab has also beefed up the air filtration on the H2D Pro. It has a G3 pre-filter, an H12-rated HEPA filter, and also an activated carbon filter made from granulated coconut shells. This should result in probably the best air filtration we’ve seen onboard a desktop 3D printer. That should make it more compatible with professional office environments.
The machine is supported by Bambu Studio, of course, but they say it is also supported by third party slicers, such as “Super Slicer, PrusaSlicer and Cura, but certain advanced features may not be supported.” Those features are very likely the direct job dispatch that now must go through the new BambuConnect tool.
All of this means that the H2D Pro is a machine capable of producing high quality, end-use products in a wide range of engineering materials. It is very likely to be used by many operators for production purposes.
It seems that you might have to purchase them through their reseller network, as the web page includes a “Find a Reseller” button. This is a bit of a switch for Bambu Lab, but you can still buy them regardless.
Via Bambu Lab
