Bambulab printers

Manufacturer

Bambulab

Models

X1 Carbon Combo (X1C) with 2 AMS Units

• High-end model with advanced sensors and lidar calibration.
• Dual AMS units allow up to 8 filament spools connected at once.
• Best choice for complex multi-color or multi-material projects.

X1 Carbon Combo (X1C) with 1 AMS

• Same high-end printer as above, but with a single AMS (4 filament slots).
• Great balance of speed, reliability, and color flexibility.

A1 Combo

• Mid-range model designed for ease of use.
• Comes with a single AMS Lite (4 filament slots).
• Smaller footprint but still supports multi-color printing.
• Two units are available, making them ideal for parallel jobs or high-demand projects.

Description

Our makerspace is equipped with several Bambu Lab printers, known for their speed, reliability, and ability to handle multi-material printing. These machines are the easy button of 3d printing, while still offering professional-grade results.

Bambu printers use fused deposition modeling (FDM): they melt plastic filament and precisely lay it down layer by layer to create 3D objects from digital models.
They are well-suited for rapid prototyping, functional parts, and decorative objects. With the AMS (Automatic Material System), they can print in multiple colors or materials without needing manual filament changes.  A CMYK filament set up is used on one of the printers (both A1 and X1C can be equipped) for printing color lithophanes or lightboxes (see end of page for more information).

How to Use the Bambu Printers at Mill Forge

TL;DR: Personal Bambu owners often print via the Bambu Handy app or directly from the Bambu Studio slicer. At Mill Forge, all jobs are started from a microSD card to keep the fleet shared and predictable.

Prerequisites

• Bambu Studio installed on your laptop.
• Model file(s): .3mf, .stl, or .step imported into Bambu Studio.
• A microSD card (provided on-prem). Use short, plain-ASCII filenames. 

Step-by-Step

1. Set up the slice in Bambu Studio

   1. Choose the correct printer profile

      • For the X1C units: select X1 Carbon.

      • For the A1 units: select A1.

   2. Load your model(s) and orient for best strength/surface finish. Add supports if needed.

   3. Pick material and plate

      • Select the filament profile (e.g., Generic PLA, PETG, etc.).

      • Select the build plate profile that matches what’s on the printer (e.g., Textured PEI vs Smooth PEI).

   4. (If using AMS for multi-color/material)

      • Assign each part/color to a specific AMS slot in Studio (AMS 1 slots 1–4; AMS 2 slots 1–4 on the dual-AMS X1C).

      • Verify each slot’s filament type in Studio matches what you’ll actually load.

   5. Slice & preview

      • Tip: Leave first-layer inspection and auto-calibration enabled unless you have a reason to disable them.

2. Export the file to microSD

   1. In Bambu Studio, click Export Plate sliced file.

   2. Save the file to your microSD card

   3. Eject the microSD card from your computer safely.

3. Start the print from the printer (SD mode)

   1. Insert the microSD into the printer’s slot.

   2. Go to Files → microSD/Local (wording varies slightly by model).

   3. Select your .gcode.3mf file.

   4. Confirm speed/mode if prompted (Standard/Sport/Ludicrous).

   5. Start the job. The printer will:

      • Heat the bed and nozzle.

      • Run bed leveling and flow/nozzle checks.

      • (If AMS) Pull from the assigned AMS slot(s).

Lithophane and Hueforge Prints (AMS required)

If you want to make a lithophane/hueforge print (an image/photo that can be printed like an inkjet printer but with filament and back lighting) you must use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, white) setup on the AMS.  This is able to be used on the A1s or the X1Cs, you just have to move the 4 colors (if using the AMS x2 set up you can put a black roll in as well).

To get these prints, use the Lithophane Maker in MakerWorld’s Maker Lab, choose your style of print, upload your image, export the print file for the image and the frame then upload to Bambu Studio.  ***BEFORE YOU PRINT*** – Make sure you use some glue stick on the build plate, especially for larger prints! The thin layers that go on first will curl and destroy the print.  A standard arts and crafts glue stick does the job well, there is one on the shelf above the A1s with the other supplies.

 

STEPS: 

1.)  Go to Maker World > Maker Lab > Make My Lithophane

2.) Click on either “Create from Blank” or “New Project +”

3.) Choose your type – can be color or just shaded and have different types of frames

4.) Upload your image to print

5.) Adjust settings to the scale you would like

6.) Export your file of the image that will be printed AND the light box if needed

7.) Apply glue stick to the build plate on the area the image will be printed

8.) Follow the “Step-by-Step” above to prepare and print the file