what features of the bambu X1C do you need over the bambu P1S?
The new perpetual 3D Printing Thread
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I'm not sure what early release niggles you're even thinking of tbh, but it's been rock solid for a while. I have one and know a lot of people with one and no complaints.
I have no regrets buying my X1C instead. But the P1S is very capable and a better outright value.
I've been torturing my X1C with AMS since December and it's been a dream. Previously had been using an old Ender 3 v2 and any anycubic Kobra Max. The X1c has been just about plug and play/print. I've had some minimal issues with multi-color prints but these also seem to be when using cheap filament. When printing single color it works extremely well even with the bargain box ender PLA. That and the waste/purge it puts out on multi-color makes me cringe sometimes.
My only wish is for a bigger print volume. Otherwise I'm enjoying it to the point of thinking about getting a second.
My only wish is for a bigger print volume. Otherwise I'm enjoying it to the point of thinking about getting a second.
Yeah, if/when they come out with a larger model I may need to get another, and probably lose my Prusa Mk3. I have 3 printers already, I don't need 4.
Yeah, that's why I haven't pulled trigger on an X1C yet. I waitlisted the Prusa XL but I haven't pulled trigger because I haven't seen anything trustworthy as to functionality (you can only go so far on reddit et al), and tbh my CR6 Max is sloooow but otherwise pretty good at volume objects.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=886X2geCRrA
TLDW: thermal curing either during or after UV curing increases part strength (results may vary based on which resin you print with)
Thanks, all for the feedback on the Bambu printer. I hadn't considered the P1S, so I'll take a look there.
No real problems, mainly just early run difficulties with what I imagine were teething issues...hence my using "niggles".
No real problems, mainly just early run difficulties with what I imagine were teething issues...hence my using "niggles".
Finally got things all finished setting up. It works! A few bits here and there, I really wouldn't recommend this, yet, for someone who's willing to do a bit of assembly and then have things Just Work(tm). Needs a bit more Just Work(tm) and manual tips & tricks for it to get far enough along.
Got Bench, printed dual. Overall pretty good, a few very bits of filament stringies, but not much. I might not even try and tune that, at least not yet. A bit midway up the hull that just looks slightly different. Not quite like a layer shift, but sorta. Took 90 minutes with default PLA/dual PrusaSlicer profiles provided by the manufacturer. 0.4mm nozzle, 0.2mm layer height.
You can see a early video of it going.
Doesn't come with a webcam, but I'm going to have to print a few mounts for various locations interior. It's just too big an area to easily cover with 1 camera, so I'm going to do 2 or 3.
I'll see how other prints go. Next up, tomorrow after I get some sleep, is a dual-color Benchy. Time to see how well the Ember Prototypes CXC XY multi-nozzle offset camera thingie is. Was pretty easy, but time to test out the offsets I got while using it.
Got Bench, printed dual. Overall pretty good, a few very bits of filament stringies, but not much. I might not even try and tune that, at least not yet. A bit midway up the hull that just looks slightly different. Not quite like a layer shift, but sorta. Took 90 minutes with default PLA/dual PrusaSlicer profiles provided by the manufacturer. 0.4mm nozzle, 0.2mm layer height.
You can see a early video of it going.
Doesn't come with a webcam, but I'm going to have to print a few mounts for various locations interior. It's just too big an area to easily cover with 1 camera, so I'm going to do 2 or 3.
I'll see how other prints go. Next up, tomorrow after I get some sleep, is a dual-color Benchy. Time to see how well the Ember Prototypes CXC XY multi-nozzle offset camera thingie is. Was pretty easy, but time to test out the offsets I got while using it.
So I'm thinking it's about time I get some PETG to play around with, and perhaps some TPU because why not. Anyone have any recommended brands for those?
The Benchy hull line is A Thing: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/the-benchy-hull-line_124745
It's possible to fix it, but fixing it is printer-dependent (and potentially even environment-dependent). Probably not worth the effort, since it's pretty specific to the way that Benchy is constructed.
Well...it's more that it's 2 different colors, from 2 different manufacturers. So the various properties can be slightly different, shrinkage, cooling, or what not.
today i learned you can just copy, rename & edit a .xml file in the ThreadData folder for fusion 360 to easily make new sets of thread profiles w/o having to do coil or other nonsense. my kid has a playset w/ not quite 1/2" 8 threads per inch plastic machine screws that one of them broke, so calipers and a custom .xml file, got it right on the 2nd try, and now we can have whatever length fasteners we want for that kit.
More expensive, but there is also the X1E.
Bambu Lab X1E 3D Printer
X1E inherits the stability and reliability of the X1 series, with optimized functionalities and network security for professional users and engineering applications.
I've ordered that one in particular for my lab, because of tight regulations on needing to filter VOCs and particles.
The stuff Home Depot sells in the paint section is for sure 100% acetone. I just buy the full gallon of it these days given I can use it to smooth prints, clean the build plate, all sorts of things. Cheaper in bulk.
I don't do much TPU so I can't really say, but I have two favorites for PETG, depending on how good the part needs to be. For the good stuff, I use Atomic PETG Pro. Prints really well, and I get nicer results overall. Close second is the regular Overture filament that you can get on Amazon. It seems to pick up a little more moisture than Atomic. I know PETG shouldn't be super moisture sensitive, just something I've noticed. If I dry the Overture stuff a little after it's been out for a few months, it lays down smoother and doesn't string as much.
I got some SunLu as a recommendation of a good quality cheapish brand, I'll give that a try eventually. Might try some of their TPU too.
Soo been using the Mars 4 DLP for a while, have not had any issues using it with eSun's PLA Pro resin.
Biggest problem i've been having is figuring out a good post-processing procedure where i only move the build plate across cleaning steps and maybe cure (without buying the overpriced wash/cure stations). Bought some parts to make a magnetic stirrer (magnets, stirbars, brushless motor and controller) and got some UV led strips for curing. So now just trying to find a perfect container for cleaning/curing (Ikea 365+ 4.2L container looks big enough to fit the whole print volume + the full build plate, but have to buy to check).
In other news, from their sneak peek posts, looks like creality has cloned the AMS, probably for their K1 printer (would be hilarious and a bit stupid if they make a whole different version of the K1 for their AMS, but not out of character for them).
[EDIT] I guess they did the right thing and made it compatible with the K1 (and new K2) models.... AND also with the Ender 3 V3 models. Dont know how they're pulling that off (things can still change) but surprised at that...
Biggest problem i've been having is figuring out a good post-processing procedure where i only move the build plate across cleaning steps and maybe cure (without buying the overpriced wash/cure stations). Bought some parts to make a magnetic stirrer (magnets, stirbars, brushless motor and controller) and got some UV led strips for curing. So now just trying to find a perfect container for cleaning/curing (Ikea 365+ 4.2L container looks big enough to fit the whole print volume + the full build plate, but have to buy to check).
In other news, from their sneak peek posts, looks like creality has cloned the AMS, probably for their K1 printer (would be hilarious and a bit stupid if they make a whole different version of the K1 for their AMS, but not out of character for them).
[EDIT] I guess they did the right thing and made it compatible with the K1 (and new K2) models.... AND also with the Ender 3 V3 models. Dont know how they're pulling that off (things can still change) but surprised at that...
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Hm, should I graft on Creality's new AMS to my hot-rodded Ender 3? I could just sit that sucker on top of my enclosure... apparently the K1 with AMS is running Klipper so in theory I could do it. I'll wait for someone else to figure it out and post a howto, lol.
Norm from Tested has a first look at the Form 4:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Dxkyuhw2o
The tl;dw is that they're dropping laser and moving to masked LCD like most of the market, but with a few interesting twists that are giving them an edge on print speed.
It does mean though they they're not so differentiated anymore, and that big price delta is still there.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Dxkyuhw2o
The tl;dw is that they're dropping laser and moving to masked LCD like most of the market, but with a few interesting twists that are giving them an edge on print speed.
It does mean though they they're not so differentiated anymore, and that big price delta is still there.
Do you think people were paying specifically for laser? I always figured that the price delta was for their B2B market: pay this premium and get high uptime, consistent results, and responsive service if something fails.
I've heard mixed stories about the responsive service part.
What you're really paying for I think is their software and proprietary resins. And that will remain a thing. But moving to LCD mask does make it easier to compare their output with what consumer printers are doing.
Apparently they couldn't get the speed they're advertising with a higher rez panel. The 50 microns isn't amazing for detail. Before you couldn't really compare the laser to LCD mask, they were just too different. Now my GKTWO has higher fidelity than what they're offering, so that is a thing.
Funny that they went with galvo lasers, then to the 'LPU' carriage, to just regular LCD. Kinda expected them as a pretty large company to find a way to implement a >2k UV DLP instead of going with the crowd to differentiate themselves while getting the speed benefits they were aiming for.
(Maybe Carbon 3D was taking their lunch on the speed end and wanted parity....)
(Maybe Carbon 3D was taking their lunch on the speed end and wanted parity....)
It is funny to suddenly see them touting the benefits of masked LCD when they used to shit on it to make their laser approach look better.
But the Formlabs software and Proprietary resins are hardly top of market anymore.
Asiga has more or less mugged them for the high end software features position, and Heygears is working on that as well (My experience doing technical evaluation for a business that owns a Form machine, and has been being courted as a customer by Asiga and Heygears). In either case, they are at least on par with Formlabs and are pushing further, faster.
As for resin development, they have a relatively limited portfolio of resins, and their only advantage is precise tuning of the profiles, which TBH, most printer manufacturers are starting to get a lot better about putting calibration features in, and you can chose where the balance makes sense for your application, prioritizing speed versus crisp detail etc. But I will give them their due, they allow 3rd party resins with adapters, and the resins they have in house are excellent if overpriced.
IMO, I think Formlabs has been sitting on their laurels too long, and may be facing the same issue as Prusa where they need to get back to the innovation and polish that established them as a market leader in the first place if they don't want to end up sidelined as the market expands and changes.
Yeah, I've been wondering about that too.
I think there's a market still for their printers, if you're the kind of professional shop that just isn't that price sensitive and wants a real turnkey solution. They're not really aiming for the consumer space after all.
But the better the competition gets the more the price delta feels hard to justify.
Heygears looks interesting, but another company trying to lock you into only using their resin is pretty unappealing to me personally. I get it, it's a business model that's attractive, but I'd rather seem them compete on offering well tuned features. Buy their resin because it just works so well and is easy.
I buy Bambu filament now, because it's good, works well with my printer, and the RFID chip is a nice little bonus. I also love that I can buy raw cardboard spools and reuse the plastic holders for less waste. They're not locking me in, but I still want to buy their product.
And yet, when I want to print some other filament I can.
If you're not price sensitive,you buy Asiga at this point, or Carbon3d if you need throughput. Form is kinda the low end of professional prototyping. And that's their problem. They're stuck in a niche that has good profit margins, but low volume, between the even higher margin and the high volume suppliers, and competing with the consumer space that has a much faster iteration cycle to do development, and the actual high end stuff that's got more money to throw at the problem.
I think that at some point, the consumer space will be "good enough" to kick them to the curb, or that the high end stuff will extend their software advantage downwards (Like Heygears is trying to, since they do a ton of dental work, which is part of why they want to keep the lock in, since dental/medical approvals effectively require it)
I just don't have any experience in those professional spaces to speak to them, I'm just a hobbyist and self-taught maker, but it makes sense.
I did see that the SLS space is starting to get more competition too. I don't know how good this printer will be, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than anything else out there, Form or otherwise.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLqSaEiXzIU&t=12s
I'm very excited about Micronics as well.
My experience in the professional spaces is kinda weird, I don't professionally work on 3D printers, but do work in industrial systems and at one point prototyping, and am the designated tech guy for a friend with a small business making miniatures via 3D printing (which he's been doing commercially for 10y+), and thus when a company is trying to sell him on a new printer (which is frequent enough, as B2B reps are currently pretty hungry for commission) he takes me along to ask the tech questions, and avoid him getting snowed. But I do have lots of time working with printers of multiple stripes (dating back to the original Form and beyond, including having looked at getting some of the 4K projector driven resin printers that were basically a pile of aluminum extrusions with a commercial projector strapped to the bottom)
My experience in the professional spaces is kinda weird, I don't professionally work on 3D printers, but do work in industrial systems and at one point prototyping, and am the designated tech guy for a friend with a small business making miniatures via 3D printing (which he's been doing commercially for 10y+), and thus when a company is trying to sell him on a new printer (which is frequent enough, as B2B reps are currently pretty hungry for commission) he takes me along to ask the tech questions, and avoid him getting snowed. But I do have lots of time working with printers of multiple stripes (dating back to the original Form and beyond, including having looked at getting some of the 4K projector driven resin printers that were basically a pile of aluminum extrusions with a commercial projector strapped to the bottom)
have the patents on SLS printing gone out? I think it's a big part of what's still holding it back, not withstanding the stringent requirements necessary while printing with that method and the processing steps (a humidity free and heated chamber for starters). For the latter they could go the same way Formlabs did theirs with more forgiving media (AFAIK, less delicate, easier to melt), but that also has it's drawbacks...
According to Wikipedia the last relevant patent expired in 2014.
Maybe I missed something relevant, just a surface level search, but I suspect it's just something that hasn't been heavily explored in the more prosumer space yet.
SLS is really neat, but it's not really the most friendly for just hobby level use. Dealing with the processing is a step above resin.
Not only that, but the material is highly sensitive and flammable, especially the metallic powders, which should be processed only in an inert atmosphere, the laser power sources are themselves large and expensive, and every step of the process is generally a new and exciting kind of hazard.
What's a good filament for outside/in the elements? Might include some rain, and I'll figure out gasket water sealing, but will definitely be in sunlight, so needs good UV resistance. Is there also a coating I can apply that'd help with that?
I would go with ASA. It's basically "outdoor ABS", it's more durable and has more UV resistance. Water shouldn't be an issue.
I printed a threaded adapter for a water tank out of PETG years ago. It's held up totally fine. Stays outside year round from -40C to +40C.
I'm planning on going to MRRF this year (in goshen, indiana, usa), and taking my 6 tool stealthchanger equipped voron 2.4 with. any suggestions for sample prints to display the capabilities (along with a note w/ the weight of the print waste & print time for each)? i figure some multi color benchies, maybe some 3d printed dart blaster stuff, any other suggestions?
Perhaps some gears or something, with a 3D printed pins/holder/whatever so they rotate together, and fits into some legos/technics or the like?
Hm, maybe we'll end up seeing some TPU for 3D printers with this? I might have to substantially switch to it if we ever do, as my primary material.
https://arstechnica.com/science/202...ic-that-includes-bacteria-that-can-digest-it/
https://arstechnica.com/science/202...ic-that-includes-bacteria-that-can-digest-it/
One of these days I need to go back there. Maybe take my very much not stock Rostock v2 if seemecnc is still supporting/somewhat hosting the show.
As for suggestions, maybe compliant mechanisms with TPU for the flexures, or a macro scale version of the PLA/TPU coextrusion to demonstrate dialable material properties? For a more aesthetic sample, perhaps multicolored printed wearables like NASA fabric or embedding tulle in the prints?