Based on user feedback and the tickets received by our Customer Support team, we have conducted an internal analysis to determine the filament tape issue reported by our customers. We would like to explain the situation better and inform our customers about why we chose to use tape for the filament end, and how this helps improve the user experience. We also want to share more information about a faulty batch which is causing some trouble.
In the past, we identified a problem that might occur where the end of the filament could clog the AMS feeder or the extruder. When the filament spool was depleted, the small section of the filament was not straight, leading to issues during the feeding process. If the filament has absorbed moisture, the small piece of filament could break inside the AMS feeder or extruder, leading to a clog or to feeding issues.
To solve this problem, Bambu Lab Filament has implemented tape to hold the beginning strand of filament attached to the spool. This design ensures that the end of the filament is straight and minimizes the chances of a clog.
The design was tested multiple times to ensure the filament is able to escape from the tape and cardboard roll when the spool is depleted.
Recently, we have discovered an issue where the tape was incorrectly applied on a very small batch of filament during production. The tape covering the end of the filament strand was incorrectly applied.
In rare cases, the tape could disconnect from the cardboard spool and be pulled by the filament as shown in the image below:
We also suspect that the tape could become loose and remain attached to the filament strand, not working as expected, when the filament was used directly from the drier. The hotter air could assist in disconnecting the tape from the cardboard roll but also keeping it attached to the filament end.
In order to solve this problem, the jig used for the filament tape application was updated to ensure a better application. With the new application method of the new black tape, the filament end is secured and will allow the filament to safely detach once it is depleted, while the tape remains attached to the cardboard roll.
We apologize for this issue, and we recommend customers that encounter issues with the filament to contact our customer support team using the General Inquiry request for assistance, by providing the Serial Number of the filament spool and pictures of the issue that has occurred.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter.