Could you develop an AMS unit that can handle soft filaments - like TPU?
Same 4-spool approach, same general form factor, just different filament feed components that can push a softer filament to the printer?..
Just an alternate AMS model (part-number) developed specifically for soft filaments, that could seamlessly be connected to the X1C - just like the current AMS, and allow to be connected as a 2nd AMS (again same as the current AMS system).
How are you handling it in the meantime? I’m considering buying a Creality Space Pi dryer juse to use TPU. (I’d love to buy a Bambu dryer if they sold one! and yes, I’m drying some PETG in my X1C as I type)
The AMS pushes the filament. It’s hard to push a soft filament like TPU, it kinks in the tubing and jams up the works.
AMS would need a total redesign.
The saying of old was “you can’t push a rope”.
I use a Sunlu filament dryer and run it up the back spool via a 3D printed Y. Works just as easy as the AMS. Plus I use the dryer to dry out filaments when not printing TPU.
Instead of focusing in just TPU, I’ll propose to have hardened gears so we can use CF-GF filaments.
Total redesign is exactly what i am talking about. As.long as it plugs in the same way and is the same footprint.
As for pushing rope - that is only a problem when its sitting on a table.
Put that rope in a well fitted tube and as long as its not compressible to change its diameter or zigzag - you can push the rope all day long. Tpu is not compressible like that.
How do u get tpu filament to the printer head on the x1c when its hanging on the rear spool holder and you want to start printing with it?
Good point but it’s not being pushed by a motor that doesn’t know how to stop until it burns out trying to push a clog. The filament has to reach a sensor, or it rewinds and tries again a few times. I’ve had no problem feeding TPU on my “side” spool holder. But in all honesty, I have had problems pulling it back when I forget to cut the filament. 
The issue with hard.filaments is that they are brittle and shatter in the filament-handling systems.
Agree - would be great to have a system that can handle them. Probably just a mod to the existing design…
Agreed.
My request is to put their engieers on it and make it happen. It.can be done. And it would be a big differentiator fornthe platform.
In other words - lead the charge in innovation and capability, and consequently lead the market in sales.
Cheers!
I wouldn’t want the engineers to get in a rush to put “something” out. Heads could have rolled on the A1 fiasco. I don’t think they’ve caught up yet. I’d rather see them improve stock before they bring out new products. They have great products but can’t keep stock for more than a week it seems. It’s a good position to be in but not a very good business model. Leading an industry can change overnight if they don’t improve soon.
I think it could work with just a software change that slightly retracts the filament after every half second of moving it to unjam the system. It probably wouldn’t be 100% reliable, but would be enough to remotely start a TPU print without changing spools, or maybe switch during a print a few times.
I think the OP wants to multi-color print TPU, at least that’s what I would want the AMS of the future to be able to do
So two different YouTubers have posted up videos with moded AMS to print TPU; I can see someone selling pre-modded AMS units with these IF they really do work:
This one says it’s a reversible modification to the innards, removing/swapping some springs and parts; but that you cannot use anyting other than TPU with the Mod installed:
This one modified his AMS into a drybox with active heating and air movement, and seems to be a lot more drop in, and pull out without modding the inner works:
Note that Bambu Lab have a toggle in Bambu Studio settings to “Disable AMS Blacklist Check” which skips red-flagging TPU and other unsupported filaments. I’m very intersted to see how popular this becomes, I would love if someone sold a dropin solution like the Bento Box for Bambu Lab printers (Voxel sells these) it would be nice to buy this, drop it in, print TPU, and pull it out to get back to normal - imagine if it was the shape of a spool too, so it didn’t look to crazy.
Right now the best idea that I came with is to redesign the bottom of the AMS so the filament not only have a wider path but also use a hardest material instead of PTFE, but I’m still on the design board or like we say in my country “Tirando patadas voladoras” (launching kicks in the air)
I agree having an AMS being able to handle soft and really hard material would be ideal.
But for TPU and AMS wouldn’t it also be OK to have a TPU working fine with the AMS.
The AMS wiki tells that the AMS will support 55D or harder - OK this seems to be really hard.
I did see there are some super soft TPU using foaming to alter from soft to super soft - not tried the material, but looks cool.
Searching for foaming TPU only did give me TPUs starting at 92A - so too soft for AMS.
Wouldn’t it be OK to have some foaming TPU using temp. to alter from hard (so it works properly with AMS) to reasonably soft after the hotend.
Not sure if this would even be technically possible.