Bambu Lab P1S with AMS Makes Fast Multi Color 3D Printing Simple for Beginners and Pros Alike

Anyone stepping into multi color 3D printing for the first time often expects a long list of adjustments and failed attempts before anything useful comes out. Bambu Lab’s P1S paired with the Automatic Material System (AMS), priced at $479 (was $549), changes that experience right away. Unbox the combo, run through a short assembly that takes about fifteen minutes, load up to four spools into the AMS unit, and the printer handles bed leveling, vibration checks, and basic calibration on its own. From that point a phone app or computer program called Bambu Studio sends jobs wirelessly.

Seasoned users who already have a few devices will feel perfectly at home here. They will experience the same comfort and speed as before, but at a faster rate. The tool head can travel at a whopping 500 millimeters per second, and the acceleration is so rapid that it can finish out a test boat in less than 20 minutes on regular settings, which is very fast. Don’t worry, quality will not suffer because the system automatically handles pressure advance and vibration correction, ensuring that edges remain sharp and surfaces remain constant even when things move quickly. The entire device is also housed in a lovely enclosed housing with a carbon filter to keep temperatures consistent for sensitive materials like ABS and ASA, which tend to distort when left out in the open. With an all-metal hot end that can withstand temperatures of up to 300 degrees Celsius, you can print almost anything.

Multi-colors are a significant feature here, and they’re applied thickly. You can get away with utilizing just one AMS unit, which can store four spools and switch between them while printing without lifting a finger. Plus, the RFID tags on the Bambu filament will automatically load the proper settings, and the humidity sensor and desiccant slots will keep your material dry. For those truly large tasks, you can simply chain on more AMS units to increase the number of colours to sixteen. If you need to use PVA support material, simply pop it into one of the slots and your components will come out nice and clean, without the effort of cleaning up afterwards.

The software is also rather slick, as you can simply select your colors and click a few times to construct a model, and it will even tell you how much filament you’ll need and where the purge tower will be placed. Now, I’ve heard that there is some waste from color changes, but the software has it addressed as well, with options for reducing it such as printing numerous objects at once or adding extra pieces to sponge up the surplus plastic.

You also have remote monitoring, which adds another level of convenience. A built-in camera streams video and records time lapses, allowing you to check on your prints from another room or while out and about. If the filament runs out or the power goes out, the machine will simply pause and resume the operation, which is especially useful for lengthier multi-color prints that can take hours.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced maker, this machine will provide for you. Beginners will appreciate that they may begin with simple single-color models and progress to full-color figures without breaking the bank or having to acquire a completely new set of abilities. Meanwhile, experienced makers will welcome the ability to use engineering filaments, extend to other colors later, and utilize the machine as a reliable workshop tool rather than a weekend hobby project.