Manage Flow calibration

Bambu Lab X1 Series Bambu Lab X1C
1

Would like to suggest the following:

  1. Manual Start Flow Calibration, helpful with multicolour Prints with the AMS, because at the Moment only one Filament gets Auto Tested. With the Manual Feature we could test every Spool befor we start the Print.

  2. A Possibility to save the Flow Calibration Results to a local Filament Database. So we can change Spools and Simple Select the Saved Spool in the Bambu Studio and load the previous Results.

  3. The Filament Database could be expanded to a real Database with automatic Calculation of Rest Filament on the Spool and so one.

11 Likes
2

User @MortalWombat described this already very well in his to-do list: https://forum.bambulab.com/t/my-list-of-issues-deficiencies-with-the-x1-and-bs/1221

3

Plus one here, but rather than Manual I’d like a hybrid solution.

I’d like a wizard built into the printer interface.
Call it “Filament calibration” or something.
Whenever you load a non RFID filament into the AMS, it asks if you want to run it.
You tell it the type the manufacturer and it does a lookup to a db in the cloud. (Generic if not found)
You then select a filament type i.e. PLA/PETG/PA
You then type the filament colour
You enter the weight of the full spool and aproximate remaining % (Default value 100).
It then scans the bed type, or asks the user which bed it’s on.
It then runs a series of calibration prints and prompts for user input.

Temperature tower → User selects best finish/bridging/stringing temp

Using selected temps
Print three blocks with different extrusion multipliers (i.e. 0.95, 1, 1.05), Scan the top surface/Ask the user the best top surface. Iterate to narrow down the best value. (Lidar can automate)

Use selected temps
Speed Tower → User selects Max speed and Cosmetic speed based on height. Maybe add a fat layer between changes, so it’s easy for the user to select. This selects a Max volumetric flow as max speed. and external perimeters and top surfaces as Cosmetic speed.

Use selected Temp and speeds.
Seam tower → Print a Circular tower varying the PA value and ask user input for the best Seam settings.
Lidar can do it’s PA calibration before to precheck and then as the user to fine tune/confirm with the temperature tower. Or scan between layers until it’s perfect.

Using all the above settings.
Print a calibration cube → User checks dims for accuracy and punches in XYZ, Hole Diameters measurements. It can also scan the 1st layer for elephants foot.

All these values can then be pushed back to the cloud to populate the database.
Over time, the values in the database will be statistically significant and people can choose to run with average settings or calibrate their own. The interface can then warn if their values deviate significantly from the average.

The Slicers can then pull these settings before slicing. And push the print to the right slot in the AMS

I really think this could be a killer feature which no-one else could have because it makes use of the closed garden no one else has access to.
It would also drastically improve multi material prints as different settings can be used for different filaments. At the moment everything uses the PA values created by the calibration of the first filament.
P1ps could use the db for tuned settings with zero calibration.

by knowing the density of the filament and the weight you selected, it could estimate a filament capacity/remaining for the display.

9 Likes
4

This is a great idea… and BambuLabs would definitely benefit from it, as well as the customer.

1 Like
5

I am also waiting for this since day one. Right now, automatic flow calibration does not really make any sense to me…

2 Likes
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Then you should be using this:

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Minimum for the moment:

Use the filament/ AMS-Slot of our choice for flow-calibration.
It is nonsense to make flow calibration with Bambu Lab Support W instead of the generic PLA.
But that´s happening now. I have the Sup W in Slot 4 and my color-PLA from Spectrum in Slot 2.
As soon as I give both in the printjob I loose control wich filament the X1C uses for automatic flow calibration.

1 Like
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Something that’s been pointed out by CNC kitchen, is that different colour filaments of the same type have significantly different properties.

I’ve noticed my Black SUNLU PLA goes Matt, but the White doesn’t so I have had to beef the temperature by 10c for the black.

So using a cloud db including colours seems to make even more sense, as the generic profile isn’t siutable for everything.

2 Likes
9

I would like the Flow Calibration had exportable info so I could export, name, and import it based on what I load. It’s not clear how Flow Calibration works with multi-material since it’s just it just does one cal sequence. I don’t actually know what’s stored in the System based on these cals and how long it lasts.

1 Like
10

That is, in my opinion, the best solution. Just grab the infos from automatic flow cal and type it in your profile.

11

Does this thread assume that the same brand, type and color of filament will always be manufactured consistently and without any change?

My fear would be that there is change over time and the DB would be useless as the materials drift. I could be totally wrong here, but wanted to raise this topic to see what people’s thoughts are on it.

I imagine it would be best to run a flow rate calibration on every filament as the first task and then it remembers it for the life of that spool. Next spool, regardless of match or not, the process runs again.

Food for thought.

12

That sounds like a good idea SirPrintsAlot

1 Like
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2024 - any updates on this matter?

1 Like