Just wanted to put this idea out there, I feel like it would be faster and save a lot more filament. I think Bambu should definitely add something like this. They could make it work with the ams unit as well.
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price. How much extra would you be willing to pay for that capability? In Prusa’s case, the price with multiple toolheads can be pretty steep.
I mean Bambu currently has some decent prices on their replacement parts so I feel like they could find a way to make it upgradable/affordable.
It’s obviously possible, but unlike the ams, it would need a fundamental change to the design of the printer. If nothing else, a bigger frame, to hold a row of print heads, or a smaller build plate. If the heads are hot swapable, then a beefier power supply needed to. There are obviuos mechanical requirement, such as reliable selection/latching, accurate positioning of nozzle head, etc. I’m not sure if Prusa has it properly sorted. Then other odds and ends like spool holders,etc.
An idex system could be simplert/cheaper, and would solve a number of issues, wrt filament running out, support material, two colout print for lettering, etc. I’m not sure about the necessity of ‘four or more colours’ for most print situations, as opposed to 'nice to have '. If Bambu ran Klipper, I’d most likely have done something by now (not having an ams).
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When I got my X1C with AMS and started to look around for interesting multi-color models to print I quickly realized that 4 colors isn’t enough and the obvious solution was to add another AMS. 8 colors has been enough for me so far but with Bambu I can go to 12 or 16 really cheaply.
The Prusa XL has 5 toolheads. I don’t really think that’s enough for the kinds of designs it would be better than the AMS at and there’s no option to expand it.
I think some hybrid multi-toolhead model where you could have an AMS per toolhead would be an amazing solution but I’d be very pleasantly surprised to see anyone come out with one. I suppose since Prusa is open source there’s a better chance of someone hacking that in than the closed Bambu.
There is someone on Twitch who is building a Voron printer with multiple tool heads. I think he’s hoping to get 7 tools installed. It’s a pretty good size frame. @ZombieHedgehog is the channel. He does pot some of his videos on YT.
Theoretically an ams could be run to each tool head in order to have the same level of filament support. But if you had your main filaments on each tool head the purging would only need to happen once, depending on if the previous color is used again. Like for example if you needed black and none of your tool heads had it, the ams would then load it into probably the least used tool head. And I also think that if the ams got a small update of how the filament is routed you could set it up either as one ams feeding all your tool heads, or several ams feeding into several tool heads. If that makes any sense.
Saving the poop is not most interesting thing.
What I find interesting with multiple heads solution are two major things:
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very fast color changes (like few seconds instead of current 1min30s for single AMS change and in print there can be thousands changes)
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ability to print different materials (for example ASA and TPU) in one print
I do think that Bambu could make the toolheads quite cheap, their carbon rod assembly alone is only 80 dollars, they could probably get it down to 100 per toolhead, meaning 4 toolheads only cost 400 total
Bambu lab printers are primarily designed as work out the box printers,
with 16 colour options via 4 ams ( bigger models ) , it sets the two companies apart amongst other things , also multi toolheads are actually not that new , with other printer companies making use of two / three toolheads, then there is maintenance issues and things that can go wrong, will times 5
I feel like a company like Bambu could find a way to make it a seamless process as they already have with the ams.
Bambu doesn’t do anything because competition does something. When they started company they ordered market research to know what makes sense and what doesn’t (info from available interviews with CEO).
Likely they are still doing that and then decide what’s optimal. Now the question is what is in these surveys/research results…
Lets wait for 2024 flagship.
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I feel it would stop being a bambu lab printer then .