Hi there, in the near future I’ll be taking the plunge and purchasing a Bambu X1 Carbon.
I have been printing PETG for a few years now, using my trusty Ender3v2, but now by business is scaling up I am looking at increasing speed and consistency. This is my main goal.
For me, the attraction of the Bambu X1 series is the “out of the box” setup and print. I’m realistic and not expecting it to be as simple as this, achieving the speeds the marketing is quoting, but I’d like to work towards it.
So I have a few questions, bearing in mind that although I’ve been printing for a while, I’m a complete novice with the Bambu tech…
Are there any beginners guides to help you understand your printer, similar to the Ricky Impey series for the Enders?
How much tuning is required to achieve the high speeds. In the early days, I am planning on using the Bambu filament, it seems to be reasonably priced, and had good reviews.
How much tuning is required for other filament brands?
To you PETG printers. I’m not looking for microns of details, I print mainly large blocks (house brick kind of sizes) with a few holes, fillets etc), so how much tuning did you have to do and what speeds can you achieve without sacrificing too much quality? Do you print on PEI?
Apologies for the long message. I’m going to continue trawling the interweb for tip/trick/guides etc, but am looking forward to starting the journey!!!
I have found PETG to be quite a bit more challenging with the Bambu than with my prior printer. Not so much due to the printer. That felt like like going from a flint stone straight to an LED. In particular regarding precision, repeatibility and stiffness.
But the changes made to the filament to increase flow make overhangs and surfaces quite a challenge. Local warping in particular.
Still, with your experience you should be able to get there quite quickly
Well, I am sure there are beyond the basic wiki (Home | Bambu Lab Wiki). But the best experience is to take a design you are familiar with (like a Benchy), slice it and print it. Probably stick to the Basic PLA for the first print though . The pre-installed sample files were useful to me at the time, but people were having issues with them after the last (or second to last?) firmware update.
There are loads of threads here regarding PETG and PETG-CF. I found this one (PETG Issues) quite helpful as it branches out but there are loads more. Some also have direct links to tested print profiles. Do not jump over the various PETG-CF threads. Can be rather helpful. There’s even a really nice thread on achieving maximum transparency with PETG (Transparent PETG Basic - Any tips?)
I am sure that during your reading in the forum you’ll come across filament settings, print profiles, calibration (both Bambu Studio and Orca). Since you know what you are doing with PETG, you’ll get good results pretty quickly. However, the default Bambu filament fan settings do not seem to be so good. As for price: Question for the group. Why buy Bambu filament over Amazon vendors
Actually, I had fewer problems with non-high speed PETG filaments. Additives changing thermal behaviour, Bambu fan speeds, etc. But that would somewhat defeat your intention of printing faster.
Personally, I had lots of work in tuning. But I did not do advance reading . As a hobbyist, I also go for complex prints where the printer can take its time (overhangs, floating islands,…). Once the X-mass pressies are printed, I’ll take another run at PETG figurines. But with proper research in advance like you are doing . May also want to do a lit review on PETG properties as the CTE value’s I have found to date do not explain why it warps so much when compared to PLA.
Almost coming back to PETG and i like the PEI Plate, this works very well for me (Print many things in TPU or Greentec Pro but there is anyway not problems as long PETG will work…)
However, after the following Video I start asking my self way i ever buy a X1C. Ok, the video is in German and you have to activate the english subtitles - and the Video is more about how to get Qidi Max-3 properly combined with Bambulab parts but they also work with Raise 3D and a whole wall of Ultimakers; Prusas - more or less 80 3D Printer over all…
And since I only letting PETG through, why did I ever buy an X1C? Ok, it was good for experience, but in theory you can just get started with a P1P and if you do… the X1C won’t run away from you. However, and again after the following Video I start asking my self way i ever buy a X1C… not because of what he’s talking about more because of the 30 bamboo prints (and many many P1P`s) he owns and they definitely know what they’re doing… However a specal Video over the “Bambus” are already announced.
Thank you for the polite, comprehensive and very informative reply. Pointing me to the Wiki (which I didn’t know existed) has given me some really good bed time reading, so thank you. I will certainly be trawling the forums, in my limited experience, 90% of issues are “user error” based, so it’s good to get a head start on these.
In terms of filament, I’ve read a lot about the calibrations the printer can do. I’m hoping that for each filament, the parameters can be optimised by the printer itself through a few tests, it’s my understanding this is what it can do. In my Ender experience, the calibrations for each filament type/brand etc used to take a few days, and before you knew it, an entire roll was “wasted” before you actually printed anything!!
Really looking forward to climbing the learning curve and seeing what the printer can achieve!!!
Hi, yes it’s a tricky one. I think I’m a bit skewed by my Ender experience. I originally bought an E3v2, which was great to learn with when it was stock, but then I began upgrading, and ended up spending probably £x2 than the original cost of the printer. I was originally looking at the Bambu P1S, but then thought, for a bit more money, do I got for the series up (assuming I’ve understood correctly that the X series is “superior” to the P series?)
Absolutely! Actually, you can and should calibrate each roll. Quick and easy unless you run into fan/overhang/retract issues. But you have a head start on that
An older thread, but with a hopefully useful starter on calibration using Orca with more options than Bambu Studio: PSA: START HERE! Calibration made SIMPLE & please SHARE User Tips!
In one of their ad’s Bambu states, that they themselves have NOT achieved the perfect printer. “Just” the best printer they could come up with in the time and with the resources they had available.
Compared to what was there beforehand, it is a hughe step in my opinion.
X1C is quite easy good documentation , it will be breeze after the Ender
The tunning is the same for all printers for X1C and others recommend Orca slicer you can try it on your Ender . Flow rate, Pressure advance , Temperature, Max Flow rate, VFA ( max speed), in that order . Flow rate and pressure advance can be repeated after temperature for fine adjustment . The auto calibration is not good enough . But no matter what you do the PETG speeds are limited and is better at lower speeds on My X1C max PETG speed is 200mm/S with out quality issues. if you want the shiny effect around 70-100mm/S for outer walls . I Have the same speeds with Prusa with Revo Six high flow and honestly on average better results with Prusa with PETG compare to X1C , but i use both
Tunning is the same no matter the brand , once you get used to it and where you can cut corners 3 hours other wise around 6 -7h , but Bambu filament needs the same tunning as the others , out of the box gives you reasonable result but not good enough , These days i do not do very often VFA, Max Flow, and Temperature . But PA and Flow rate do it even for different colors and different batches same brand /color- takes less than 2 hours for me after skipping Pass 1 of the Flow rate as similar vales expected. Even i am able to cut it down to 1h
PETG can not be printed too fast , but 0.6 nozzle helps if you do not want details , i use it on Prusa Revo Six nozzle easy swap. For the X1C and Prusa Revo Six around 200mm/S is the max speed . X1C is slightly faster due to the acceleration , but depends on the model due to the start up time. For big models i get close to 15-20% faster speed on the X1C for small models Prusa is faster , over all time
In general if you want to Print PETG/PLA generally i would look in to Prusa MK4( probably with enclosure ) - but io print on my prusa PETG without enclosure , but if you want ABS/ASA X1C
Also if you want Multilateral handling X1C is miles ahead - i do not print Multilateral as too slow without dual extruder, in general just use it as an easy swap
Also printing TPU ( soft materials) are much better on Prusa - next to impossible on the X1C
All depends on budget and what is the main print material
And Ender 3 has quite nice upgrades , but is a hustle and i did Upgrade my Prusa Mk3s with the Revo Six , but if the Mk4 was out would of bought it instead of the upgrade
The X1C has the LIDAR and (as far as I understand) and a better screen which I believe is incompatible with the P1’s. So it is quite a bit more $ for what could be considered gimmicks. But I do have the feeling the LIDAR is thoroughly underused. I like its convenience for basic flow calibration, but there is so much more it may be able to do. I do not believe that I can even begin to imagine all the test patterns the community would have come up with already if its data was open. Retract calibration should be fairly straightforward but surely people would find innovative single line patterns for things where we use towers atm.
Hi there, you make some really good points here. Just for reference, and I apologise if my Ender terminology doesn’t translate to the Bambu, but here goes.
My understanding is that the Bambu Slicer software is the “go to” for the Bambu printers. I was under the impression that flow rate and certainly PA was controlled by the in built calibrations.
I’m currently printing my models (on my E3v2) with a 0.4mm nozzle at 0.32 layer height. To get any kind of consistency, I have had to reduce my speeds to less than 50mm/s at 7000mm/s^2 max. acceleration. The biggest part I have in my assembly, take approximately 6 hours to print with an acceptable (but no means good) quality finish, and certainly not consistent. The parts I am making are not required to be dimensionally accurate. If they are a millimeter or so +/-, it really doesn’t matter. If I can get anywhere near your 200mm/s speeds with similar quality, but more consistent in terms of both outcome and failure rate then I will be happy. I’m not looking for perfection, I don’t need it.
I do do some smaller prints in ABS, but my E3v2 copes with them really well, it’s really well tuned for this, and prints them quick and with great quality.
It’s also well tuned for my TPU parts. I can set that going on a 12 hour TPU print (printing 20x the same part) knowing with almost 100% certainty there will be no issues. All you have to do is keep feeding it and removing the prints when it’s completed a batch. Speed is not critical here. It just churns parts out 24/7, reliably and consistently.
My intention is to keep the E3v2 ticking over with the smaller gobs, and let the X1 deal with the larger parts that take the time…
Another question, I have many, and I may be premature in asking this if I haven’t reached the relevant section in the documentation.
How does the printer manage filament run out?
I added a runout sensor to my E3v2 recently as I got fed up of having my heart broken when my filament ran out. The sensors triggers, pauses and parks the print head whilst I change filament, but after the resume, a layer was missed (or appeared to be missed), meaning it had a weak seam where the runout occurred.
You only had to look at the print funny and it would break at the weakened seem. Kind of defeats the object of the runout sensor…
You can enable the switch to a different spool for the AMS upon filament run-out. The replacement spool must be exactly the same as the spool to be replaced though (brand, type, color). It will then load the other spool and continue. AMS slot numbers are (were? [1]), checked counting up so users reported problems when wanting to switch from say spool 3 to spool 1. If there’s no replacement spool the printer will just wait for your command. You can then select a different AMS slot.
I had one case where a single line was missed during the run-out as it resumes at the next Gcode command from where filament runs out.
[1] Bambu is doing well with frequent feature increading updates imo
Your questions are very difficult to answer - I also have S1 from Criality running. Development is rapid and what you say today may be completely outdated tomorrow. Even or especially at Bambulab, an announcement can come out of nowhere. There isn’t a really bad K1 review that’s older than 2 months - nobody’s sleeping at the moment. Closed printers are popping up on the market every month. My X1C was also out of operation this week for 4 day because of a bed plate load sensor - the repair didn’t take long but you just have to have time to look at it.
Bambulab is perhaps (may still) the best for if just one of the following fits:
Advanced home users or Prototypes (including material tests) with low demands on data securit.
(Model X1C for someone who doesn’t will cry after the money after it`s gone or P1S for those with a slightly tighter budget).
Color change or one color prints on PLA and PETG (Bambulab Model P1P without housing)
Color change for ABS, ASA (Bambulab Model P1S and X1C)
because you asked, I like the Orca better than the Bambu for Bambu. Orca has more filaments from alternative suppliers and is less overlaid with advertising by starting the programm.
And
If you need a Prusa, go to one that has a Prusa print farm. They do it well and cheaply.
I thought Id’ chime in. Just got my x1 carbon 2 days ago. I went from Ender3 to this. For the last 3 years I’ve been putzing mainly PLA once in a while. I had tried PETG but I never could get it dialed properly so I had given up. I still have a couple of rolls of PETG that I thought I would try out. So I dried the PETG overnight. I fed it in and used the lidar to do the auto calibrations and it gave some strange k number I think that it somehow saved. I have to look into this further. So I printed the 3DBenchy on the engineering plate that came with the printer and to my surprise, it stuck to the plate and printed a pretty much perfect benchy. I just can’t believe it! I was just memorized by the speed. Depending on what part of the model it prints, outer wall, inner wall and all the others, the defaults are anywhere between 250 and 500 mm/s except for the first layer which was set at 50mm/s.
I am far from being an expert on this 3d Printing. And the PLA, Holy macro, I’ve never had good results like that. I did not even know that this was possible. I definitely will be using this printer a lot more.
Well, you can also do the Calibrations “order” of Matirial on Bambustudio and so it will by stored to the matirial on the slicer and not on the Printer. However I got by my first PETG print ever also some problems and if you see whats mater it`s also no issue anymore on other printers.
This try to point out under 1. “Prototypes (including material tests)” to fill up some expiriances and if you have it, the P1P is the littel more interesting choice. If not and you still need testing and support X1C… So no recomendation fits all
And here a recomendation to someone how goes under troubles with PETG…
Out of interest, did you have to use the glue stick with the PETG on the Engineering plate (as a release agent)?
I’ve ordered a PEI sheet with mine, but I have read the calibrations are not as accurate with the PEI. Somewhere did recommend doing the calibrations with a smooth plate, then swap out before you print. I’ll have to play with this.
I intend to practise printing with the practise files loaded onto the printer and see how we go…
Flow calibration is done by the filament settings so it needs to be done manually
PA has option to be done automatic using A lidar Not good enough
In the latest Bambu Studio - has a method for both calibrations to be done for the filament using Automatic method and manual method with test prints - works ok ish - but result is stored in incredible place and can be lost easily over all i find it horrible and stay with Orca Slicer calibration methods and done a way automatically to transfer it to Bambu studio with G-Command in the Fillament which is not needed if orca studio is used
Despite some thing you can not go wrong with X1C and i do like the X1C with AMS as one of the best printers out there for the price, compare to Prusa Mk4 is on par in my personal opinion
Consistence is easily achievable on the X1C and Prusa mk4 or Modified Mk3S- for PETG i think both will be ok for what you want but AMS of X1C is a great especially with the runout transfer of the rolls . I personally use it as a dry box and keep the 4 most common materials i use
Run out is ok but sometimes i have a line skip and was visible on the print but nothing major. I usually replace the pool in the AMS instead of keeping a second roll
Probably P1S with AMS( combo) can be suitable as well cheaper and i do not use any of the lidar features . Only thig the hardened nozzle needs to be ordered separately is using -CF materials
There is a black Friday Deal at the moment and X1C combo is 200$ off and the P1S is 100$ off
One down side is that local printing is not very good or with some problems , and practically only cloud print needs to be used but for the last few months only once seen it down for 1 hour. and only is a problem if the print job has not started
I did not use glue stick on the Engineering plate. I think it’s just a suggestion. It says right on the plate “Glue stick can help”. I actually just used windex and that worked really good for me. (from youtube)
I also ordered the PEI sheet. (still waiting for it). Yes, I read, I think on the wiki site that the PEI sheet interferes with the LIDAR.
I remember reading somewhere that the loaded models are not reliable for printing with generic filament because they were slided with Bambu filament parameters. Something to keep in mind if you don’t get good results with PETG. I will try it and see what happens.
I’m having information overload right now, so treat my comments with a grain of salt.
Rich
Exactly - there are 2 things that you have to turn 180° in your head from the Criality world.
You no longer do the flow calibration with the scale on the printer. You insert the engineering plate. Than you will start the calibration in the slicer, send the calibration job to the printer and after it is done, you will save the data into the slicer settings of the fillament (Bambulab studio or Orca slicer). Then each printer receives the information tailored to the fillament - that’s what the video was about: how to integrate a QIDI into a Bambulab production (although the information also depends on the respective exdruder, so there may be deviations but certainly more accurate than before or did you record filament-specific data by every new filament, new color and then add the data to the Cura material profile each time?). Or just get to the point: A single printer carring out the analyzes for all printers - although with deviations depending on the respective exdruder.
Fillament is no longer only determined in the slicer (it is still possible, but it is a detour). You insert the filament into the printer - you define the filament on the printer and then the printer informs the slicer (if you run a synchronization) which filaments are available in the printer - So you will slices the parts accordingly by select the fillaments during slicer through information provided by the printer…
And by the way: Based on my non-3D printer experience, it is a bit off that filament spools do not contain on printed lot datas. Normally, when such calibrations play a role, I usually buy the quantities for 1-2 years of production. Do the calibration once and then leave the machines on this lot for 1-2 years without recalibration (but mainly becouse of warranty claims because of possible mixing errors by suppliers)… However, 3D printing is still a very young welding process but also did a lot right and better than all others…
Agree , external spool with TPU 95A , but that is not soft try something like TPE or anything with hardness bellow 90. I was able to dot it , but had to modify the tensioner and drill through the Print head plastics( there is a thread how to do it ). And at the moment a bit more negative as my X1C can’t print large object with ASA/PETG/ASA/PLA as there is warp in the Heat bed of 0.4-0.5mm and as you heat it it gets to 0.7mm . But checking with support hopefully they replace it . But i did put on hold my next X1C planned for this Black Friday, and considering getting a Second Prusa instead, this time Mk4. The Warp may have been for a few months and just the print designs did not encounter it, and i print a lot on Prusa as well and remember printing long designs mainly on the Prusa
. The pre-installed sample files were useful to me at the time, but people were having issues with them after the last (or second to last?) firmware update.
. May also want to do a lit review on PETG properties as the CTE value’s I have found to date do not explain why it warps so much when compared to PLA.
