Engineer looking for machine and filament advice…

Bambu Lab P1 Series General Discussions
1

Hello,

I’ve been spending time researching 3d printing and materials I need or would like to use. There is so much information and opinions it’s hard to decide on the typical question do I get a p1s or a x1c. I did an amount of work on these when they were known as rapid prototyping machines many years ago but I never ran one at work or owned one. I am an engineer in aerospace and will be using a machine for parts to go on my Ultima GTR etc. Likely majority of parts being my own design drawn on fusion360 etc.

My immediate requirement is printing light housing bodies for a new led headlights I’m designing. Looking, I think I need to be using ASA as a minimum for temperatures and elements they will be exposed to.

Now I was siding with a p1s with ams and have seen the panda touchscreen controller. This including touchscreen upgrade is a £400 (UK) saving on a x1c with ams.

What materials will need the hotter bed temps of the x1c and it looks like there is ‘only’ a 10degC difference in bed temperature between the models? Is this really something that really comes into play?

At what point does the hot end parts need to be replaced in the p1s with parts to widthstand temperature and abrasive qualities of some of the materials that the x1c can handle out of the box? Will or might the x1c need uprating?

I had it in my head I wanted an ams. However, I was thinking to use this as a convenient way of housing and using different types of filament (not on the same job), not different colours of the same type. So say 1x pla black for fit and form, 1x asa black for parts, maybe abs or pc probably in black, and I do like the idea of being able to use cf although I think I read the ams is not suitable for cf and for tpu. I may get bold and try a different colour at some point depending on the job I’m on if there is a need or clear benefit. Is it still worth having the ams?

I will be using this as my own machine at home printing jobs I need for certain applications like car parts and other projects us engineers/hobbies get up to. I won’t be using it all the time but it’s the capability I need over speed etc.

Ease of use is also useful as I am a beginner to a point and have a lot to learn. I am aware of the lidar, the processing power differences etc.

I am able to buy either but don’t want to waste money on something I won’t need but also don’t want to find after needing to upgrade parts I could have just got a higher model for similar money.

I’ll stop here for now as that’s quite a bit of reading. I would really appreciate any help from people who really know the differences etc with a view of my requirements. I hope this isn’t so much a typical what vs what thread.

Many Thanks, Justin

1 Like
2

Hi,
I don´t have the same goals as you, but I had similar doubts as I use a 3D printer mainly for functional prints. Note that I only have experience with the X1C.

Regarding the material requirements and printers, check this table:

PC is one of them, as is PA and its composites. This may come into play in specific and likely rare prints.
The P1S is a superb 3D printer with an optimum performance/cost ratio, yet note that the X1C entails further features besides the 10ºC higher bed temperature.

Yes. I am not into colourful prints, but having an AMS is a game-changer. Having four spools properly conditioned for printing makes a huge difference. If you can go for it, you will not regret it.
You can find details about material limitations in the table. In summary, a few materials are unsuitable for AMS usage, such as PA-CF and PET-CF, which are highly abrasive or TPU. However, you can use it with PLA-CF and PETG-CF (with a warning regarding the abrasive behaviour), and the materials you consider (ASA, PC, PLA and ABS) are compatible.

I am confident regarding the AMS, but selecting between the P1S and X1C is not so trivial. The X1C exceed the P1S but at a significantly higher cost. Whether you need the additional features of the X1C or not depends on your goals.
As mentioned, the P1S rules regarding cost/performance ratio and the only change for printing abrasive materials relate to upgrading the P1S extruder ($34.99) and nozzle ($34.99) to hardened steel.

Your main requirements are not a challenge for any of the printers. To keep your objective of cost-effectiveness, the P1S can be the ideal one.
Things can be different regarding you hobbies. Are you referring to interior or mechanical car parts? The latter can be highly demanding, and the printer’s volume may hinder your objectives.

2 Likes
3

What matters most for your work ?
SPEED, ACCURACY, SIZE ?

Unless you need actual engineering materials literally any printer will do fine.
That is a printer with a decent quality, not some $100 model from the local hardware store on special…

There is ultra light PLA and other filaments available that foam up during printing.
Saving you about 20 to 30% in parts weight.
None of these require a prototyping printer.
If I would be in your shoes I would consider size and speed first.
Some printers offer larger build volumes than others…
Having a proper enclosure even you have little need is better than not having one when you need it :wink:

There is a ton of fast and good quality printers out there costing far less than a P1 series let alone X1.
Since you rely mostly on your own creations something an open source firmware might be better suited.
Comes all down to flavour and what you want…

4

I use predominately ASA, ABS and very little PLA. My goto filament is ASA and ABS. I use the X1C because it is better build with resources and beefier hardware wise over the P1 series.

Filament wise, Bambu ABS is good but they lack color options that Polymaker provides. I can get about 2 dozen colors in Polylite ABS and ASA so I use a blend of the two. In a nutshell, ASA for outdoor use and if not exposed there then ABS works good. In engineering arenas ABS is the main material, many facilities I work with use black or blue ABS exclusively.

Bed temp that Bambu list is just wrong for both of these, you really need 110C unless you have a hot enviornment and can maintain the chamber temp of 60C. Most will not go over 50-55C which make weaker layer strengths.

Enclosures for the Bambu’s are poor, they allow the heat to excape and filtering styrene gas is poor compared to my Voron.

5

For which filament(s)?
I don’t have the same experience, but I have mine within a repurposed wardrobe, so it may not be a fair comparison.

1 Like
6

For all abs / Asa filament. The elevated bed temp helps with chamber temps and added bed adhesion and reduces print warping.

7

this original request appears in two categories.