Bet you didn’t expect a review of this on a dental-specific page. When the Bambu Lab X1 was released to the world, it created shockwaves amongst the consumer-level FDM market. Here we had a relatively easy yet reliable and consistent FDM printer at a very reasonable price churning out results that came out faster and better than some of the prosumer units on the market. Suddenly, FDM printing was opened to the masses and it was fast, it was cool and it was easy. However, where does this unit fit in the dental industry?
Figure 1: The Bambu Lab X1-Carbon AMS Combo packaging is feline-approved
Disclaimer:
This is a personal and individual opinion on the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon. Bambu Lab nor any of its global distributors have not been involved in the writing or editing of this piece and have not restricted any conclusions made by myself of this product.
Notable features:
- Fast for a single nozzle CoreXY FDM printer
- Replaceable parts that are all sourced from the Bambu Lab online store at a reasonable price
- Open system for filament with Bambu Lab filament settings already pre-configured
- Pre-orientated and supported files to print from MakerWorld, Bambu Lab’s online library that can be transferred to the slicer directly
- Build size may be limited for larger prints
- Multi-colour prints result in substantial filament wastage and mess
- Software and set up will be straightforward for the tech-savvy but will still be quite daunting for the inexperienced
Basics:
| Printer size | 38.9 × 38.9 × 45.7cm |
| Weight | 94 bananas* |
| Technology | FDM |
| Print volume | Std plate: 25.6 x 25.6 x 25.6cm |
| Slicer | Bambu Studio |
| Nozzle diameter | 0.2mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm |
| Price guide | US$1200 |
* 1 banana = 0.15kg
Figure 2: The Bambu Lab X1-C in all its glory
Set up:
Gotta admit – it’s kinda amazing how the X1-C is packaged. It’s actually a little too ingenious how they manage to cram so much in the packaging. There’s a number of parts that need to be removed in order to unravel the whole unit and it’s not going to be as straightforward as your typical resin printers. FDM printers consist of a lot of moving parts. I did have to set aside a good half an hour to really get the unit unboxed and ready. It does come mostly pre-assembled but there are a number of components that do need to be installed manually
Fortunately, there’s a very handy wiki page which pretty much explains everything. Keep your phone close – you’re gonna need it if you’re a noob.
Wi-Fi connection has been alright, but I’ve found it to be haphazard on the odd occasion. There is micro-SD functionality thankfully.
Honestly, for a consumer-grade FDM printer it’s as “plug-and-play” as you can get it. There is a very useful mobile app – Bambu Handy. As unfortunate as the name is, it’s actually quite the useful app, allowing you to control your printer remotely and view your prints in real time. Snazzy. Every printer needs a Bambu Handy.
Figure 3: You may not be printing surgical guides with this printer, but can your Asiga print IRONMAN HELMETS?! I don’t think so.
Software:
The X1-C uses Bambu Studio, which is basically a version of Prusa Slicer that has been optimised for Bambu Lab printers. A lot of users also use OrcaSlicer. There are pre-configured calibration tests you can run from the slicer, which is useful if you want to “dial in” your filament settings. If you’re not used to FDM printers, be prepared to be gobsmacked by all the settings you have access to. From infil pattern, acceleration, speed at which the nozzle moves, support settings, etc., there is a tonne of customizability. It takes a bit of time getting used to it and most users won’t even touch half of the settings.
What’s really cool is that from Bambu Studio, you can head onto MakerWorld within the slicer where you can download pre-configured 3MF files to print and MakerLab where there are some simple CAD apps, such as the Make My Desk Organizer and Make My Vase apps. Nothing dental of course, but it’s awesome.
Figure 4: One of the coolest (and probably creepiest) dentally-relevant applications would be printing jaws and parts of skulls for “dry runs” prior to surgery
Filament library:
There are a stack of Bambu Lab filaments available to purchase – while they are obviously pricier compared to other brands, you do have the benefit of having all the settings for Bambu Lab-branded filaments already pre-configured on Bambu Studio – there’s a huge variety of materials, from your stock standard PLA, to PETG, CF-PETG, ABS, TPU, etc. The X1-C is enclosed, so it is suitable for printing materials like ABS which can emit a foul and noxious odour at high temperatures.
Figure 5: Clear PETG orthodontic bracket holder
The printing experience:
The X1-C has been an absolute blast to use and it’s probably the most fun printer I’ve played with by far.
However, it is by no means perfect. As with most other FDM printers, there are a lot of moving parts and moving parts = friction. FDM printers need to be maintained regularly and every user will at some point need to replace worn parts. Thankfully, as mentioned before, pretty much the entire printer can be build afresh from the spare parts purchasable online via Bambu Lab’s online store. Once again, the Bambu wiki page will be your best friend.
If all you are printing are dental models, the X1-C is actually a reasonable choice – there are largely no harmful chemicals involved, no washing, no curing. Great if you don’t actually need your models in a timely fashion. It will take around one hour to print 2 full arch models with a 0.4 nozzle at 0.16mm layer height and 15% gyroid infil pattern.
Figure 6: Multicolour prints – fancy but there’s a lot of waste due to purging of filament in between colour changes
One of the coolest things about the X1-C is its ability to run multicolour prints with the AMS unit – this allows swapping of colours of the same filament within the same print. This means you can print some pretty awesome stuff. However, it comes at an astronomical cost and large multicolour prints burn through a tonne of material. That’s the price of being cool! You can run up to 3 AMS units per X1-C with the help of the AMS hub – this leads to a mighty 12 colours maximum per one print! Crazy!
Figure 7: Can your printer print other printers? I think not!
The biggest gripes with the FDM experience has got to be the ongoing maintenance of the unit and the inevitable replacement of all the parts. It’s not terribly hard, but it’s going to take time to do, and dentists tend to be very impatient! Nozzle switching will take the longest 5 -10 minutes in your lifetime and often support is limited to what you can see on YouTube or on user Facebook groups. the set lifetime each tray has – if you, let’s say, purchase a 1L tray, after printing 1L worth of resin on it, the unit will block you from using the tray, even if it is still functioning perfectly fine. Annoying. For new users, I’d recommend sticking to 1L trays until you get the hang of the workflow.
Figure 8: 3D printed Power Ranger Red cat helmet. Visor was Keysplint Hard (clear) printed on the Asiga Max UV using an UltraGLOSS tray. This printer goes HARD.
Conclusion:
The Bambu Lab X1-C complements what dental 3D printers cannot do effectively – all the weird, wonderful and fun stuff – toys, organisers, working parts, etc. I can’t say it’s the easiest printer I’ve come across, but I guess with FDM, the journey is part of the fun. It’s a fantastic unit that’s safe to introduce to your kids as you won’t be handling harsh chemicals like uncured resin or IPA.
3 points why you should get it:
- Straightforward use compared to other consumer-level FDM printers
- Fast relative to similar printers in the market
- Materials are generally safer to handle vs 3d printable resins and the chemicals associated with that workflow
3 points why you shouldn’t get it:
- Limited dental applications
- Learning curve is still steep
- Software doesn’t “baby” you like many other dental 3D printer slicers