I´m rather new to the party of Bambu Lab, but so far i absolutely enjoy that little beast.
As an automotive engineer, i´m currently trying to optimize some parts of my cars. In particular, i´m trying to print an adapter. That adapter needs to be very flexible, so i need to print it in TPU. The X1 handled that perfectly fine. The problem is, that part needs to have some support. Also, the supported areas need to be airtight and clean to match a surface. I can´t print it upside down.
I tried printing the TPU via the AMS and it stuck. So i printed the part from the spool holder with 0.2mm offset between the support and the part, but it is not clean enough.
From what i had found out, PLA can work as a support for TPU and vice versa.
So, the question is, is there a way in Orca or Bambu to print the part and the support by TPU, automatically pause the print at the top layer of the support and eject the TPU so i can manually load PLA and print just that one layer?
Visually in Orca slicer it looks like it would be doing it, but when printing it doesn´t pause to switch the filament.
I hate to say it, but a Prusa 4 XL might be your only way to do this - it uses independent toolheads instead of a filament swap approach so it might (and you’d have to check this) be able to support multi-filament prints that include TPU.
I have to admit, I hate to read that Especially as it should be just a matter of adjusting the slicer. I mean, i´m not asking for a automated solution, i´m very happy with changing the filaments manually.
Not sure if it can be done automatically (using different filaments but not checking “Enable AMS”? I never tried that), but you should be able to insert a pause at the layer where support interface is used (support usually have their own layers at least with independent layer heights, but not sure if that’s always the case).
I also just discovered that in current OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio, it is not possible to insert a pause, at least on a Mac. I’m pretty sure it was there at one point, so either it got GUI-broken or that support was removed…?
P.S. It still works but it only shows the options ~20% of the time, usually it just jumps to a lower layer on right click on the (+) icon… So it is GUI-broken as I suspected, at least on my machine with Sonoma.
The problem is that support always implies changing filament not at a layer but within a layer. You can insert a pause on a layer boundary (in the preview screen move the vertical slider on the right to the layer you want, right click on the + sign and select add pause), but you’d need to print part of the layer with the regular filament then pause so you can swap in support, resume the layer, then swap back for the next layer. And this is assuming that you are really only using the support filament for the interface between the support and the model, not the support below that interface.
While theoretically possible when you asked for a support material that’s different from the part material I assumed an automated process, and the AMS can’t do that with TPU.
I haven’t actually tried this for anything real yet and not actually with TPU - but I think it is possible to do a multi material print that doesn’t have too many filament changes by having the TPU on the external spool and the PLA in the AMS - but tricking the AMS into thinking it is feeding both lots of filament.
It does involve manual intervention for every filament change.
It was a little bit fiddly - but this thread explains how I managed to do it. External spool + AMS
Other alternatives that I have considered for TPU support are:
Create the support interface externally. i.e. Design the model with a tiny gap between the supporting TPU and the actual model. Insert a pause in the print at the point when the support has been printed. Apply something on top of the support like glue or blue tape. Then continue the print.
If you have access to a Palette2 or 3 use that to create some spliced PLA/TPU filament and feed that in through the external spool.
@anony1 I have successfully printed 98A durometer TPU in the AMS by telling the slicer it is PETG. However the issue with supporting with another material is layer time. My first attempt at printing mid-layer material changes created a scenario where the TPU layer adhesion was bad.
I think the best solution is to dial in TPU part and TPU supports.
well… not officially anyways… I print 98A TPU with my AMS all the time… yeah it jams up every now and then, but its easy enough to clear by cutting the filament at the spool, and then pulling it out at the back of the AMS.
Especially as it should be just a matter of adjusting the slicer. I mean, i´m not asking for a automated solution, i´m very happy with changing the filaments manually.