Advanced 3D Printing

The AMS — Automatic Material System — is the feature that made Bambu Lab famous for effortless multi-colour printing. It is genuinely impressive: load up to four spools, and the printer switches between them automatically mid-print. But multi-colour printing has a real cost in wasted filament that many buyers do not understand until they see their first purge tower. This guide explains how the AMS works, what it costs to run, and how to minimise the waste. How the AMS Works The AMS holds up to four filament spools and feeds them to the printer on demand. When a print calls for a colour change, the system retracts the current filament, loads the next, and resumes. There are two versions in the current range: AMS Lite: Used with the open-frame A1 and A2L. Four spools sit on an external rack and feed into the single nozzle. Up to 4 colours. AMS 2 Pro: Used with the enclosed and active-chamber machines (P2S, X2D, H2S, H2D). An enclosed unit that also actively dries filament, and can be daisy-chained for many more colours. For larger colour counts, multiple AMS units can be linked — Bambu machines support up to 16 colours (and some configurations more) by chaining units together. The Hidden Cost: Purge Waste Here is what every multi-colour buyer needs to understand. Because a single nozzle handles all the colours, every colour change requires purging the old colour out of the nozzle before the new one prints clean. That purged filament has to go somewhere — usually into a 'purge tower' printed alongside your model, or flushed as waste. On a complex multi-colour print, this purge waste can consume 15–25% of your total filament and print time. A model that uses 30g of visible filament might consume an extra 40–60g in purging across many colour changes. This is not a flaw in the AMS specifically — it is inherent to single-nozzle multi-colour printing across the whole industry — but it is a real running cost that affects the economics of multi-colour work. How to Reduce Purge Waste Minimise colour changes per layer. Designs where colours are grouped by height (one colour finishes before the next begins) purge far less than designs that alternate colours every layer. Use 'flush into object infill' and 'flush into support' options in Bambu Studio, which redirect some purged material into parts of the print that are hidden, rather than wasting it entirely. Tune flushing volumes. Bambu Studio lets you adjust how much is purged between specific colour pairs. Light-to-dark transitions need more purging than dark-to-light; tuning these saves material. Consider a dual-nozzle machine for support-heavy work. The X2D and H2D dedicate a second nozzle to support material, eliminating purge waste between part and support entirely. The AMS Also Dries Your Filament The AMS 2 Pro does more than switch colours — it actively dries filament, which is a significant benefit independent of multi-colour printing. Hygroscopic filaments like PETG, TPU, PA (Nylon), and PC absorb moisture from the air and print poorly when wet, causing stringing, bubbling, and weak layers. The AMS 2 Pro's active venting and drying keeps filament dry during storage and printing — Bambu states it dries up to 30% faster than sealed heating. For anyone printing engineering materials, this is a real reliability advantage. Which Filament Works Best in the AMS The AMS handles standard filaments — PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU — reliably. A few practical notes: PLA and PETG are the easiest and most reliable in the AMS, ideal for multi-colour work. TPU (flexible) can be challenging in the AMS Lite due to its flexibility in the feed path; firmer TPU variants (higher Shore rating) feed more reliably. Cardboard-spool filament wound cleanly and consistently feeds best — tangles and uneven winding cause AMS feed errors. This is one reason consistent spool quality matters for multi-colour printing. Eolas Prints manufactures PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, and ASA filament in Spain wound for consistent feeding, certified to ISO and REACH standards — all compatible with the Bambu AMS. Is Multi-Colour Worth It? For decorative prints, signage, models, and gifts, multi-colour printing adds real value and the purge cost is acceptable. For functional engineering parts, multi-colour is rarely needed — and where multiple materials are required (rigid plus flexible, or dissolvable supports), a dual-nozzle machine like the X2D or H2D is more efficient than AMS purging. Match the approach to the work. Available from Eolas Prints Eolas Prints is an authorised Bambu Lab reseller based in Cantabria, Spain. We stock Bambu printers, AMS units, and manufacture our own filament range — all shipping across Europe. Contact us for advice on building a multi-colour or multi-material workflow.

The A1 and A2L are Bambu Lab's two open-frame printers — bed-slinger machines without an enclosure, built for PLA, PETG, and TPU. They look similar in spirit but serve different needs. The A2L is not simply a bigger A1; it is a newer machine with a meaningfully upgraded motion and extrusion system, plus a feature the A1 does not have at all. Here is how to choose. The Core Difference: Size and Generation The A1 launched in late 2023 with a 256×256×256 mm build volume. The A2L arrived in June 2026 with a 330×320×325 mm build volume — 105% larger — and a set of internal upgrades that reflect two and a half years of engineering progress. The A2L is the large-format, second-generation A-series machine the community had been asking for. Side by Side Bambu Lab A1 Bambu Lab A2L Build volume 256×256×256 mm 330×320×325 mm Max nozzle temp 300°C 300°C Max bed temp 100°C 80°C Extruder Direct drive PMSM closed-loop servo Vibration control Input shaping Adaptive vibration compensation Max speed 500 mm/s Up to 1000 mm/s Multi-colour AMS Lite (up to 4) AMS Lite (up to 4) Cutting / pen modules No Yes (optional) Materials PLA, PETG, TPU PLA, PETG, TPU Why the A2L's Bed Temperature Is Lower One spec looks like a downgrade: the A2L's bed maxes at 80°C versus the A1's 100°C. This is deliberate. The A2L's bed is much larger, and heating that area to 100°C would draw enough power to strain a typical home electrical circuit. Bambu capped it at 80°C for energy efficiency and safety. Since both machines are designed for PLA, PETG, and TPU — none of which need a bed above 80°C — this does not limit their intended use. Neither machine is suitable for ABS or ASA regardless; that requires an enclosure. The A2L's Unique Trick: Cutting and Drawing The A2L has a mounting point for optional modules that no other Bambu printer offers. The Blade Cutting Upgrade Kit adds a cutting module and pen module, turning the A2L into a vinyl cutter and plotter. It cuts stickers, paper, vinyl, and thin leather, and draws with a pen — Cricut-style craft work on a machine that also 3D prints. For a craft room or small personalisation business, this dual capability is genuinely useful. Note the A2L does not support laser modules, due to safety considerations with its open frame. The Real-World Upgrades Beyond size, the A2L's PMSM closed-loop servo extruder monitors extrusion in real time and detects problems before they ruin a print — technology shared with the X2D. Its adaptive vibration compensation actively corrects ringing and ghosting as a print grows taller, which matters more on a large bed-slinger where tall prints wobble more. These are real quality improvements, not just marketing. Which Should You Buy? Choose the A1 if: you are new to 3D printing, you mostly print single-colour or multi-colour PLA and PETG at normal sizes, and you want the most affordable, proven entry into the Bambu ecosystem. It remains an excellent machine. Choose the A2L if: you need the larger build volume for cosplay, large decor, or one-piece prints; you want the cleaner tall-print quality from adaptive vibration compensation; or the cutting and pen modules appeal to your craft or personalisation work. Both are PLA/PETG/TPU machines. If you need to print ABS, ASA, or engineering materials, neither is the right choice — look at the P2S (enclosed) or the active-chamber machines instead. Available from Eolas Prints Eolas Prints is an authorised Bambu Lab reseller based in Cantabria, Spain. Both the A1 and A2L are in stock and ship across Europe with EU warranty. Pricing is on each product page. Contact us if you would like help deciding.