At first, the Bambu Lab A1 seemed like one of the best 3D printers on the market, and frankly, it still is. However, unlike all the other machinery you would see in your everyday life, the A1 and A1 Mini have their limitations.
To cope with that, we saw its compatibility with the AMS Lite, which is one of the most affordable multi-material systems, ideal for multi-color 3D printing.
In this guide, we are going to cover whether the AMS Lite is worth it for multi-color filaments. More importantly, how good is this product for printing multi-color objects? Let’s find out.
What Exactly is the AMS Lite?
The term AMS stands for “Automatic Material System”. You might know about the Bambu Lab AMS. That product is the flagship, but when it comes to AMS Lite, it is essentially a smaller version that is budget-friendly. The Bambu AMS, at the time of this writing, is around $369, but the AMS Lite is around $309.
For people who don’t want the AMS to take up a lot of their desk space, AMS Lite gets the job done perfectly. Moreover, it also does that job for much cheaper. The main attraction of the AMS lite is that it lets your 3D printer automatically switch between filaments during printing.
So, instead of manually swapping filaments in between your prints, which can be a time-consuming process, the AMS Lite automatically does the job, making some of the best multi-color prints for you.
To understand the effects of AMS lite and its multi-printing capabilities, we must know its specifications and what makes it so special.
Specifications & Other Details
If we’re talking about the specifications, here is a detailed overview of what the AMS Lite has to offer:
- 4-Color Printing: Thanks to its amazing design and functionality, the AMS Lite can print up to four colors of your choice into one print.
- Innovative Design: Not only does the AMS Lite integrate well with the A1, but it doesn’t slow down the process and takes less space on your desk.
- Spool Detection: The best part about AMS Lite is that it automatically recognizes spools and then adjusts settings accordingly.
- Filament Protection: Instead of buying a separate dry box for your filaments, the AMS Lite keeps your filaments protected from things like humidity.
- Easy Setup: The Bambu A1 and A1 Mini are compatible with AMS Lite without even having to go through a complex walkthrough. This means that you can easily do plug-and-play and get your AMS Lite up and running.
Even though the AMS Lite doesn’t allow full enclosure, there are other enclosures, such as the Bambu Lab A1 and A1 Mini enclosure by Chitu Systems. With this enclosure, you can easily protect your 3D printer against mess, harm, and all sorts of other issues.
How AMS Lite Revolutionizes the Multicolor Printing Experience
If you want multi-color printing, then the AMS Lite is undoubtedly one of the best products you can use to achieve it. The first important part that makes it such a good option for multi-color printing is the smooth transitions.
You see, the AMS Lite handles color swaps easily and effectively. Color transitions are one of the hardest things to do manually. However, for multi-color printing, they must be done in a very sensitive manner.
However, when using the AMS Lite, you are essentially automating the whole process while making awesome accessories. Thanks to AMS Lite, the whole process of filament loading and unloading has become seamless.
But by far, the biggest benefit of pairing AMS Lite with Bambu Lab A1 and A1 Mini is the compatibility. Since both are made by Bambu Lab, the integration is seamless with both the Bambu Handy App and the Bambu Studio.
This makes printing a whole lot easier.
Pros & Cons of AMS Lite
Pros
- The AMS Lite is affordable compared to the original AMS. You can print up to 4 colors at the same time while saving yourself some money.
- The product is known for its color accuracy and precise filament transitions. So, you’re not only saving time, but your results will be amazing.
- The AMS Lite is also made for beginners, which means it is easy to set up and maintain for long-term use.
Cons
- While it’s still better than printing manually, the overall printing speed is still slow due to filament changes and purging.
So, Should You Buy AMS Lite?
The short answer is YES! AMS Lite is one of the best products if you’re into multi-color printing. The single best feature about AMS Lite is how easy it makes multi-color printing. Instead of you having to load up a new filament and have multiple colors in a print, you can instead get an AMS Lite and let it do its magic.
With Bambu Lab A1, the compatibility is great, and it works seamlessly without causing any issues. Moreover, if you buy the Bambu Lab A1 in a bundle with AMS Lite, then you are going to get a good discount as well.
Final Verdict
AMS Lite is a cost-effective variant of the regular AMS. However, it still does the job perfectly, allowing you to use 4 different colors in your 3D prints. Sure, there’s waste that comes after AMS Lite’s usage but it’s worth every penny for multi-color prints./
If you’re serious about your 3D printing setup, then you can get the best possible 3D printer accessories with Chitu Systems.
