I don’t think this topic would work under any of the 3 alone so asking here. Mods can move if they like.
I have an H2D as my R&D printer and am looking to add 4 printers to start the farm. I would like 4 H2d, but the price is a bit high for startup. If you had to choose between the 2, which would you choose and why?
I print multicolor products, sometimes up to 9 colors, though really need an HT for that. I batch print up to 25 objects at a time, fitting them on the bed so that both heads can work the field. This is #1 reason going to H2D is top of the list. The X1 and P1 I believe have the same bed sizes, but which one works better, is easier to work with, and has the better uptime?
If I add it up properly, it looks like for the cost of 4 H2D I can get 6 X1C, however I don’t have the space for 7 machines, only room for 5.
Big question, how fine does the X1 or P1 print, do they have .2 nozzles and can they fine print down to 1mm? The H2D is doing this with good results. Speed wise, are they about the same, or slower?
I considered the K2+ since its on par price wise with the X1, but it wastes a lot of filament and doesn’t produce as fine a job as the H2D. It is also not compatible with Studio, and I don’t care to run several slicer programs when on works just fine.
The multicolor is a bit of a killer. You may want to experiment a bit with Studio to see how long it will take the H2’s to outperform the X1/P1 in terms of output. Just try to slice for both the X1 and the H2D and extrapolate from there.
I dare say it’ll not be long until 4 the H2’s have printed as many parts as the 6 X1’s.
Between the X1 and P1, it is pretty much the Lidar’s autocalibration that makes a big difference for me. But I doubt that this would carry over to a farm as you’d want to cover that through your workflow.
I did do a slice test, and 5 hours on the X1 to 4 hours on the H2, then I played with the settings and knocked the H2 down to 2 hr 33 minutes. I have a test printing out right now to verify quality. Same print on the X1 3 hrs 19 mn.
Now I need to find out if Bambu will take a tax exempt form, and they are charging $89 for delivery, so much for free delivery over $89.
It does look like the H2’s outperform the X1’s sooner rather than later. Depending on revenue, they probably have the potential to recuperate the extra cost quite quickly.
You can probably gain a little time on the X1 by clever placement of the AMS, minimizing PTFE path length. But you can do the same for the H2.
Another thought that came to my mind was the A-series. While they can only do 4 colors, i.e. requiring product changes, there are automatic plate changing mods available which would enable 24h production. For well below 8h prints, that could outperform the H2’s on a daily basis.
Bambu started catering for businesses when they released the X1E. A contact is available through their shop page for that printer.
Thats true about the auto plate, which I see on UtUb the P1 and X1 can do something similar. The difference in price between X1c with 2 AMS2 and the H2D with 2 AMS2, which they have a combo on, is $827. Not as big a difference as first thought, I might have compared the K2 by mistake, that one came out $1000 less.
Going to dig into their site and see bout business relations.
I like the A1 for anything I can get away with it. Simple rock solid cartesian that tunes predictably and can handle low layer heights despite being so damn cheap. Easy and FAST to work on. As long as the open frame and y-axis waggle don’t scrub the project, A1 is my fave
I would definitely suggest to get P1s for your print farm, more reliable cheap, easy to fix, and just overall better for print farm than X1C. Specifically I would suggest getting four P1Ps because of their open enclosure, and ease of fixing if something malfunctions. In a print farm no matter how durable the printers are they will have mechanical issues pretty fast because of the constant printing. So, P1P best for print farm, X1C best for hobbies, prototyping, and playing around with.
Hope this helps.
The P1S/P1P and X1C have very minor differences, they are equally reliable. The only thing that would make the P1P easier to repair is the open sides, and there isn’t really anything that needs to be accessed from the sides. The price and do you need an enclosed chamber would be the two main factors.
Well in my opinion the P1P is way cheaper than X1C and if he wants a low price option he should go for P1Ps as they also have no sides that make potential repair easier. They are around 500 euros now on the store if I remember correctly, standalone printer. So, in my opinion P1P best option for CoreXY print farm. But for most profitable and cheap farm I would go for the A1 standard, same print volume, and cheaper by 200 euros, so big bang for the buck in a print farm, only thing is if you need enclosure you have to purchase some weird enclosure, but I would go for P1P if I needed enclosure.
X1C has many features not needed in print farm, like lidar, AI print fail detection, heater, and much more, while P1P strapped down version much cheaper and practical for print farm.
What it boils down to is time to print. I did some experimenting with the H2D and swapped in the X1C and P1, both have the same print times, but neither compare to the H2D. The H2D is an hour faster on a 4 color double sided print. I also found I can fit 30 units on the bed, compared to the X1 and P1 with 18 max and thats with a very close purge tower.
Noise levels are a factor too since I am in an enclosed basement with no windows and bare concrete walls, so it can get quite noisy. Enclosures are a must. So the P1 doesn’t come enclosed, open frame?
I assume print quality on CMYK would be identical to H2D. How about vibration? With 3 sitting next to each other is there enough isolation that one wont affect the other? I’m sure they are since I see them on racks, but still a concern.
I wont use an A1 due to the spools being out in the open, my basement is over 60% humidity and damned near impossible to get dry. An AMS2 is a must.
I also will have ABS parts being made which will require the heated enclosure.
So sounds like a couple X1C will do the trick along with at least one more H2D.
Between the H2D and X1C, 30 parts vs 18, the times were 13 hours for 30 and 11 hours for 18. That puts the H2D as the bulk fast printer, and the smaller bed printers could be more for the one offs or if needed, overflow.
OK, This helps, a lot, Two X1C and two H2d with a third of one or the other should be a good start.
I use the HULA vibration isolators on my X1. They work really well. I did make a probably important change to the feet though due to my vibration control background: I lowered them so far below the build plate that only 2 solid layers of TPU 95A provide purely an anti-skid function. That makes the HULA’s work as intended.
Mass works great for antivibration and print quality too. Put 200+ lbs of paver stones on your sturdy table [and optionally strap the printers down] Take that, Newton’s third law!
Oh, my bench is SOLID. It’s bolted to a concrete wall, supported by 2x4’s and does NOT move. My work bench that I build my planes on is two layers of 1" particle board glued together on top of a 2x6 frame on 4x4 posts again bolted to the concrete wall. I have rebuilt transmissions on it. Right now I have a home built 8’ wide cabinet on wheels with 9 drawers and cabinet with two layers of 3/4 MDF laminated. The H2D does shake it a little when its in Ludicrous mode. It only shakes because its on wheels.
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