Multi-printer multi-ams hub?

Bambu Lab AMS
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I think a great revelation in the industry could be the introduction of what I would call a “multi hub” for AMS(es)
I have 4 printers, and 1-4 AMSs for each - gives a large library of materials, but requires constant juggling of rollers between AMSs - depending on which printer from which material is to be printed.
If there was a common hub (in conjunction with AMS with separate outputs directly from the first stage feeder, without a 4to1 Y-splitter at the output) allowing to power X printers from one common filament warehouse - it would completely change the way a larger printing house works

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Each AMS output would I think require some sort of mechanical selector to connect the AMS ptfe output tube to the correct printer.

Then each printer would need something like the current hub (or a series of then) to route each AMS mechanical selector output down to one printer input.

So for example having 8 single output AMS’ connected to 4 printers would require 8 mechanical selectors, with each printer taking 8 inputs down to one via 2x4 way hubs each then connected to a 3rd 4 way hub per printer - so a total of 12 hubs.

If you changed the AMS’s to have 4 separate outputs each - then that would increase the requirement to 32 mechanical selectors, with each printer then requiring 32 separate inputs - which would need 8+2+1 x 4 way hubs each - so a total of 44x4 way hubs.

I guess some sort of two dimensional mechanical selector would end up needing to be created to keep things practical.

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As Dave mentioned, this would be a logistical nightmare.
4 ams units and 4 printers would be 256 different combinations.

Each ams would need a 1 to 4 hub.
Each hub would need a 1 to 4 hub.
Each printer would need a 4 to 1 hub.

I can’t even imagine the confusion that would entail if you got a clog somewhere and trying to trace that down.

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I really like the idea of a filament station or whatever you want to calm it.

Working out the details is what it is, but the concept is cool.

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Have needed to do quite a lot of juggling of filament spools in and out of AMSs, and between AMS’s and also had to split spools into two - so that colours can be printed on more than one printer at the same time - which reminded me of this old thread.

Luckily most of my current spools are BL RFID’d which makes things a little easier - but ideally I would like to add a few more AMS’s with some sort of ability to swap AMS’s or individual channels of AMS’s between printers ideally semi automatically- as I think was the original suggestion in this thread.

Am thinking of trying out a few things:

  1. Manual AMS swapping - See if it is possible to simplify the process of manually swapping secondary AMS’s between printers - with cable and PTFE couplers and extension leads - perhaps with some sort of patch panel, or maybe some physical switches of some sort to move around the PFTE and cable connections.

My initial testing shows that you can for example remove the last AMS in the chain from a printer while a print is going and everything seems to continue ok - and you can also plug it back in too.

  1. Automated AMS swapping - If the manual AMS swapping process works ok then I am wondering whether it might be possible to automate some of the swapping - with electrical (not electronic) switching over of the cables, and the redirecting of PTFE routes with something like a servo or stepper motor per AMS.

  2. AMS channel switching - Possibly a bit over ambitious - But as well as juggling around an re-patching whole AMS units - I was thinking it might be possible to use a similar automated switchover method to re-patch individual AMS channels around too. Might also be possible to patch in a few extra free standing AMS channels into the configuration too with their own first stage feeder and rollers.
    .I guess this depends on whether the length of the internal AMS PTFE run is critical to the firmware.

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