Bambu Lab has unveiled its first third-generation 3D printer – the H3C – which is capable of multi-material printing to take the category to an all-new level and produce prints we could have only dreamed about just a few short years ago.
The H3C has new Swaptek architecture, which includes nine print tools, each with its own filament path and heating.
A material switch can now be achieved in as little as six seconds which speeds up print time and reduces waste.
To achieve multi-material printing it required a machine that can handle such a capability.
And that’s how Bambu Lab conceived the idea for the H3C.
The company brought all its engineering experience to the table to come up with a machine that could handle more than one material and overcome the limitations experienced with older models.
As a result the new H3C has three new major parts – the Swaptek to handle the tool changes, FlexFeed Extruder to deal with flexible materials, and the AMS 3H, which can store and dry and feed the material to the printer.
When they work together it makes bringing nine materials together as effortless as it is to reach for one.
Each of the nine print tools has its own filament path and its own heating so the filament stays loaded and ready to go.
This means it’s ready to go in an instant and can be preheated ahead of the switch.
This means there’s no need to retract one material to feed the next, resulting in faster more efficient printing.
Swaptek also introduces capabilities like mixing colours and mixing nozzle sizes within a single print.
The FlexFeed Extruder makes printing with soft TPU easier than ever before.
The issue with softer filament was that it would bend and buckle before it reaches the nozzle so regular extruders had to slow down to remain stable and reliable.
But FlexFeed can handle both 1.75 and 2.85 mm filament and switch them on the fly.
The larger 2.85 mm TPU can now stay rigid under pressure, melt in greater volume, and push through with more force.
The result is being able to print at up to three times the flow rate of a regular printer.
This softer TPU is used to print comfortable wearables like shoes which is now easier to print than ever before with the H3C.
AMS 3H integrated filament management system is fully enclosed and has been designed to work seamlessly with Swaptek.
Each spool sits in a sealed airtight chamber to protect it from moisture and filament feeds into the print tool automatically.
Alongside the multi-material system is a motion platform built from scratch.
The toolhead and X-axis assembly are 40 per cent lighter, which means they can operate smoother and faster.
Prints can be finished, on average, more than 10 per cent faster than on the previous models without reducing any detail.
The new Bambu Lab H3C is available now and is priced at $3,999.
Stay tuned to Tech Guide for a full review of the Bambu Lab H3C in the coming weeks.
