Only a couple of months ago, Bambu surprised everyone by launching a tiny bed slinger. The company is well known in 3D printing circles for its top-notch coreXY models, and many thought it wouldn’t bother with bed slingers.
Now, there’s another surprise: the A1. Maybe we should have all seen it coming given the A1 Mini’s name, but here it is.
Instead of a cantilever design, the A1 is similar to many other bed slingers out there such as the Ender 3 and has a two-post gantry for the Z axis. The covered design stops dirt getting into the drive system, and prevents you getting greasy fingers.
Importantly, the A1 has the same build volume – 256x256x256mm – as the P1S and X1C, and is compatible with the AMS Lite that launched alongside the A1 Mini. That means it can print in up to four colours.
When is the Bambu A1 release date?
The A1 is available to buy immediately from Bambu’s website, and the company says the first batch of Combo units (see below) are ready to ship from local warehouses.
How much does the Bambu A1 cost?
The printer on its own is £369/$399, which is £100/$100 more than the A1 Mini (which can print models up to 180x180x180mm).
There’s also the A1 Combo which comes bundled with the AMS LIte for £509/$559, again £100/$100 more than the A1 Mini Combo.
It’s worth pointing out that the P1S Combo, reviewed, is considerably more expensive at £869/$949, yet lacks some of the A1’s features.
What are the Bambu A1’s features and specs?
A couple of those features are a colour touchscreen (3.5 inches, which is larger than the A1 Mini’s 2.4-inch display) and flow calibration, which helps ensure accurate prints even at high speeds.
For a $399 machine, the spec list is simply mouth-watering. It uses metal rails and linear bearings instead of traditional plastic v-shaped wheels. That also helps with accuracy and essentially needs no adjustment or maintenance.
The print head looks to be the same as the A1 Mini’s, and it has a lot of clever features including a built-in runout sensor, a sensor to detect tangles on the filament spool, and an electromagnetic Eddy Current sensor to do the aforementioned flow calibration.
Bambu Lab
This is all packaged up into the HMS – health monitoring system – which means you get alerts and error codes to the mobile Bambu Handy app so you know if there’s a problem.
Plus, there’s a built-in 1080p camera so you can see remotely how prints are progressing and it can record timelapses.
Additionally, the hotend can be swapped in under 30 seconds, with no wires involved – just a single clip.
Beyond this, there’s full auto calibration of bed levelling and vibration compensation (for both X- and Y-axes) and a clever noise-reduction system that prevents noisy movements.
Paired with the AMS Lite, the A1 brings multi-colour printing to the masses.
As it isn’t enclosed, Bambu recommends the A1 is used with PLA, PETG, TPU and PVA, but not ABS, PA, PC, PET or ASA which have a tendency to warp if the ambient temperature isn’t controlled, and the A1 isn’t enclosed like the P1S.
Let’s hope the touchscreen isn’t laggy as the A1 Mini’s is reported to be.
Bambu A1 specs
- FDM 3D printer
- Steel + aluminium chassis
- All-metal hot end
- Nozzle diameter 0.4mm (optional 0.2, 0.6 and 0.8mm nozzles)
- Uses 1.75mm PLA/TPU/PETG/PVA filament
- Max print size: 256x256x256mm
- Max build plate temperature: 80°C
- Max nozzle temperature 300°C
- MicroSD slot + Wi-Fi
- 1080p camera
- Max print speed 500mm/s
- Max acceleration 10 m/s²
- AC 110-240V input
- 1300W power consumption (220V)
- Weight 8.3kg
- Printer size: 385mm×410mm×430mm (WDH)
If you’re interested in other models, do read our roundup of the best 3D printers.