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Bambu Lab A1 Mini

Year Released:
2023
Build Volume:
180 x 180 x 180 mm (~7.25 x 7.25 x 7.25 in)
Price Range:
$275 - 300

About the Bambu Lab A1 Mini

The Bambu Lab A1 Mini, released in the fall of 2023, marks an exciting addition to Bambu Lab’s lineup of 3D printers. With its unique design and a host of performance-driven features, the A1 Mini stands out as an affordable and efficient option for those venturing into the world of 3D printing.


Key Features of the Bambu Lab A1 Mini

Compact Design and Build Volume

The A1 Mini features an unusual cantilever design, breaking away from the traditional 3D printer aesthetics and motion system design. Despite its compact size, the A1 Mini offers a respectable build volume of 180 x 180 x 180 mm (7.1” x 7.1” x 7.1”), providing ample space for a variety of printing projects. However, this is notably smaller than the 220 x 220 x 250 mm (8.6” x 8.6” x 9.8”) build volume found on many other affordable 3D printers.

High Print Speed and Quality

Consistent with Bambu Lab’s reputation for fast printers, the A1 Mini features a maximum print speed of 500 mm/s. While its maximum acceleration of 10,000 mm/s² can’t quite match the speed of the Bambu P1S or X1C, it still delivers impressive print speeds that don’t compromise on quality. The A1 Mini’s firmware features, such as vibration compensation and pressure advance, play a key role in maintaining high-quality prints even at these speeds.

The Bambu Lab A1 Mini maintains high-quality prints at impressive speeds.

Direct Drive Extruder and Advanced Hotend

The A1 Mini is equipped with a direct drive extruder and an all-metal hotend that can reach temperatures up to 300°C, enabling it to print a wide range of filament types, including flexible materials.

Filament Compatibility

The A1 Mini supports many standard filament types like PLA, PETG, TPU, and PVA. Its heat bed can reach a maximum temperature of 80°C, which is lower than many other printers but still sufficient for printing with most standard materials. While the printer is not enclosed, limiting its effectiveness with materials like ABS and ASA, it excels with more common filament types such as PLA and PETG.

Bed Surface

The A1 Mini comes equipped with a flexible textured PEI build plate, offering excellent first-layer adhesion and ease of print removal. Textured PEI is one of our favorite build surfaces, and doesn’t require any glue, hairspray, or other substances to aid in adhesion.

Connectivity and Software Ecosystem

The A1 Mini includes WiFi support, allowing users to remotely monitor and control their prints through the Bambu Studio computer application or the Bambu Handy smartphone app. The Bambu Studio app also includes integrated slicing software, although third-party slicers can be used if preferred.

Additional Sensors

The A1 Mini stands out with its innovative filament tangle sensor, designed to pause prints if the spool gets tangled. This adds a layer of reliability uncommon in this price range. Additionally, it includes a flow sensor in the nozzle to allow it to automatically calibrate the filament flow rate, a key setting for maximizing print quality. These sensors are not found on most other 3D printers, and give the A1 Mini unique capabilities for preventing failures and improving printed models.

The A1 Mini features a user-friendly graphical touchscreen interface.

Graphical Touchscreen Controller

The A1 Mini includes an integrated graphical touchscreen controller, which is intuitive and user-friendly. This makes printer interaction and monitoring simple.

Multi-Material System (AMS Lite)

The A1 Mini is compatible with Bambu’s AMS Lite system, an affordable and capable multi-material add-on that supports up to four filament spools. This system enhances the A1 Mini’s versatility, allowing for multi-color and multi-material printing.

The AMS Lite add-on allows the A1 Mini to print with multiple colors and materials, making it possibly the most affordable 3D printer to support these features.

Summary

The A1 Mini’s compact size, coupled with its powerful features, makes it an ideal printer for those with limited space who do not want to compromise on functionality and quality. Its design and features make it a strong entry point into 3D printing or an excellent addition for experienced users seeking a reliable, compact printer.

For more details and purchasing options, visit the Bambu Lab website: Bambu Lab A1 Mini.

Brand Summary: Bambu Lab

Bambu Lab, founded by ex-DJI engineers in Shenzhen, has made waves in the 3D printing industry with its focus on speed, innovation, and user-friendliness. While it began its journey through a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising $7 million in a month, the brand has since had its share of growing pains, including shipping issues and firmware bugs. The company's commitment to creating intuitive, precalibrated 3D printers like the X1-Carbon and P1P is commendable, but some users have found limitations with the proprietary components and software. Despite these challenges, Bambu Lab boasts a large community of dedicated users across various platforms and continues to evolve in its offerings and customer service.

Learn more about Bambu Lab.

Pros

  • Modern mainboard features
  • Auto bed leveling
  • Large online community
  • Premium components
  • Fully assembled
  • Direct drive extruder
  • PEI build surface has good balance of adhesion and part removal
  • Wireless printing
  • Linear rail motion system
  • All-metal hot end
  • Dual gear extruder

Cons

  • Limited build volume

Compatible Accessories and Upgrades

  • Bambu AMS Lite

    The Bambu Lab AMS (Automatic Material System) Lite upgrades the A1 series Bambu labs 3D printers with multi-color and multi-material printing capabilities. It features automatic filament backup and improved spool compatibility, making it easy to maintain and use. Additionally, it supports RFID filament synchronization.

  • Bigtreetech Panda Touch

    The Panda Touch is a touchscreen controller for Bambu Lab 3D printers made by Bigtreetech, who produces a line of accessories for Bambu Lab's machines. It provides a larger and more functional user interface than the built-in screen on most Bambu 3D printers, and offers additional capabilities for wireless monitoring and print farm management.

More on the Bambu Lab A1 Mini

Printer Comparisons

The articles below provide in depth comparisons of the Bambu Lab A1 Mini to other similar printers on the market.

Bambu Lab A1 Mini Vs. Ender 3 V3 KE

Opie Cain
Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
180 x 180 x 180
MSRP:
$299

Vs

Creality Ender 3 V3 KE
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
220 x 220 x 240
MSRP:
$279

Bambu Lab A1 Mini and AnkerMake M5C

Opie Cain
AnkerMake M5C
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
220 x 220 x 250
MSRP:
$399

Vs

Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
180 x 180 x 180
MSRP:
$299

Bambu’s Bedslingers: the Bambu Lab A1 Compared to the Bambu Lab A1 mini

Mark Lanctot
Bambu Lab A1
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
256 x 256 x 256
MSRP:
$399

Vs

Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
180 x 180 x 180
MSRP:
$299

Clash of the Cantilevers: the Bambu Lab A1 mini vs

Prusa MINI+
Released:
2020
Build Volume (mm):
180 x 180 x 180
MSRP:
$429

Vs

Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
180 x 180 x 180
MSRP:
$299

Comparing the Bambu Lab P1P vs the Bambu Lab A1 Mini

Daniel English
Bambu Lab P1P
Released:
2022
Build Volume (mm):
256 x 256 x 256
MSRP:
$599

Vs

Bambu Lab A1 Mini
Released:
2023
Build Volume (mm):
180 x 180 x 180
MSRP:
$299

You can compare the Bambu Lab A1 Mini to other 3D printers using our Compare tool.

Details & Specifications

General

Manufacturer
Bambu Lab
Year Released
2023
Technology
FDM
Scale Model:
Build Volume
180 x 180 x 180 mm
Bed Material
Bambu Proprietary Flexible
Nominal Maximum Speed
500

Extruder & Hot-end

Extruder Type
Direct Drive
Extruder Construction
-
Hot-end Construction
All-Metal
Cooling Fan
-

Physical Characteristics

Physical size
347 x 315 x 365 mm
Kinematics
-
Chassis
Cantilever

Usability

Auto Leveling
Strain Based
Assembly Time
Fully Assembled
User Interface
Full Color Touch Screen
Built In WiFi Support
Yes
Other Features
High speed printing

Electronics

Base Voltage
24 V
Quiet Motor Drivers
-

Where to Buy

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