I got a response from them and it contradicts the AMS feature! Why in the world they want the spool to stop for a manual refill or swap in AMS???
If they keep taping those spool, the Auto Refill feature will not work! It will be Manual Refill ourselves!
I’m calling BS on the supposed choice to use tape and having the AMS stopping the print. They have had a lot of time to figure out the defect and either update the AMS/Printer firmware to block the auto-swap on Bambu spools that have tape (I’m sure they have this data), or label spools with a warning that tape is used and can potentially cause print errors. Other alternative would be get into the firmware and activate a Cut and Rewind at end of spool when a high level of torque in the hub motor (aligned with a low spool condition).
My choice. I don’t buy BL filament as a rule, I rewind non-bambu filament onto spool cores that don’t get stuck at the end.
bbl do not make filament, afaik. They buy it in from other manufacturers. They may or may not have a contract with their various suppliers specifying the material formula, and details such as taping or not the filament ends. It is, what it is. The solution is simple. either re-spool their filaments, or otherwise remove the tape, or get your filament from a manufacturer/supplier who can provide what you want. It is obvious that bbl are not willing, or capable of changing the situation in a speedy manner.
I’m sure we are aware they are manufactured by a third party. It is also important to bring this to their attention since it breaks one of the AMS function. Some of us got AMS for the reason of auto refill for big prints or constant print farming if the spool has 10% left, it will auto switch to next spool.
Taping it breaks this function, overnight printing will hang.
We are paying customers at the end.
It may or not may impact you, depends on how you run your printing business.
Had to swap for a new refill roll of Bambu jade white that I bought with the printer last November and may now know why the issues with white and black came to be. (Or not.) If it wasn’t a November shipment it may have been January. Either way, well before the shiny white PLA entered distribution.
It was the old style satin look PLA but it was a solid mass. The filament could mostly unspool but was essentially melted together. It wouldn’t flex to fill the spool, etc. Pulling the filament free would kink it. It had apparently been dried at too high a temperature or for too long. A roll bought last November.
Grabbed another roll from last November and it was better but still “grabby” as it would feed but seems to be ok.
Bambu has had filament issues for a while it seems. They really need to get this stuff sorted but like my experience, there may be lots of spools in inventory out there just waiting to be discovered.
It does bother me that this has been going on for a while and has been handled IMO poorly.
Part of running a business is being able to cope with odd events that may happen, etc. Whinging here does not help. If bbl filament supply is unreliable for anyone in business, I’ve no idea why they would rely on them.
Well, you seem to be ok with a company selling half-baked products. You do you.
Here, customers have the right to complain. I won’t bend. cheer
But complaining here has little impact with bbl. You can spend time on that, or instead spend the time solving the problem for you. I’m not sure where in the sales contract it states the bbl filament will work flawlessly in their ams. If it does state that, then maybe start a class action, or something. But cheaper/simpler/quicker to buy other reliable filament/respool/whatever, until you are certain that bbl filament is OK. But, I expect once you have an alternative, with a backup, you will not bother to return to bbl.
True, but it’s still good to show others that there is a problem with tape at the end of the spool.
What is disappointing is that BBL haven’t mentioned if this has been resolved at their end, but as we all know, they are not one for communicating much on this forum.
Also having a filament jam because of tape can’t be doing the First Stage Feeders of the AMS any good.
You are correct in that, the best/easiest solution is to buy a different manufacturer of filament until it is sorted.
voxelpla is pretty good, they come in a plastic spool, so it works with the AMS. I tried both the PLA+ and high speed PETG+, and they work perfectly out of the box. The good thing is that the price is affordable, only $17; the only downside is they don’t offer silk color.
I just had this happen to me the other day.
I wanted to update you all. Support finally responded to me about the tape:
"Dear Customer,
Thank you for your patience.
I contact our factory to confirm that we will have this issue solved in the mid-October. If you need to buy the black, white and grey colors of PLA basic, black of PLA matte, maybe you could wait until then. "
No doubt they knew about this from the various support tickets put in, this post alone is old as the hills. I’m flabbergasted at the amount of time needed to slap the factory worker with the roll of tape and get them to use the hole. Next issue is the hole doesn’t really solve the issue, they need a better filament attachment system or modify the AMS swap technique.
The tone of the email makes me laugh, sure you’re going to sit on your hands for another few months waiting for basic filament. Yeah…nahhh…
I agree with you. This entire episode has made me do what no one that is loyal to Bambu should need to do and start filament shopping/testing. I have 150+ rolls of Bambu filament and I really doubt I will buy more now… Black and White are the ones i use the most, probably 2 spools each a week. I am very disappointed with the entire situation.
I dont think they will go back to using the hole, just the “Correct” tape, whatever that may be…
What is wrong with using a hole for the filament?
I use mainly Overture filament and have had no issues with using them in the AMS.
On some spools with holes, the filament is poked through, then bent back. The filament. if it gets pulled throgh the hole, the sharp angle jams in the feeder
Bambu should learn from this. They let various lots of problematic filament get out to lots and lots of users and haven’t recalled it. Filament can sit in inventory for quite a while before its owner tries to use it and discovers the problem - and then posts about it.
Even if those lots are now long gone (no idea - they don’t communicate), problematic rolls will bite users and keep these stories and threads at the top of topic lists for a long time. Bambu is dragging their own name through the mud by ignoring the problems and not communicating resolutions.
Of course, if they are still using tape on rolls at the hub or shipping bad filament, all the stories and more are very warranted to warn others about the issues. But I suspect they are/have addressed these issues and are hoping this all just goes away. But inventory has a memory as long as it is deep and will keep these threads “popular” until all the bad filament is finally gone.
They appear to be a bit tone deaf. There shouldn’t have been a need for support to contact the factory. All support persons should be briefed and ready to answer these questions with suitable paths forward for their customers who file tickets.
I’m going to be needing more black, white, etc, before September. Hatchbox seems to be a direct substitute so there are alternatives. And thanks to a few bad rolls so far, I’ve got a number of spare RFID tags I can even just tape onto the Hatchbox spools though there are adapters that hold the RFID for non-RFID spools.
I think you are spot on! People get pissed with bambu Filaments and move on and you never hear from them here again. I am terrified to even try the new PETG HF that I was stupid enough to buy 10 rolls of when it was released after the things I have seen so far compounded with this experience! I was working with our school board about expanding many of the science classrooms with Bambu Printers and filaments but after this experience, they are looking at purchasing 200 printers from a different company.
That’s a shame but I understand it. These are the consequences of just leaving customers to sort this out themselves. So much of this could be prevented with announcements and plans to replace problem filaments.
I’d like to see Bambu have a robust filament supply. Just my own opinion but I’m fine buying my filament from them even if they charge a little more - if it prints well and doesn’t break in the AMS and print head. The convenience of the RFID system is huge.
But it’s their company and their filament. I’ll always go to filament I can use without problems and that prints well.
