Bambu Lab has announced its most advanced 3D printer, the nine-nozzle H3C, which can mix colours and materials and is designed to keep filament dry during printing. Priced at $2,499, the printer uses the company's Swaptek system to swap in any of the other eight print heads in six seconds, with all nine tools able to preheat independently in a rack at the front of the machine.
The H3C stores nine rolls of filament in an ostensibly airtight auto-loading container called the AMS 3H. Two of the slots have built-in dryers that can reach 85 degrees Celsius and keep drying filament while the printer runs. Users can mix colours using Bambu's PLA Palette cyan, magenta, yellow and white filament, or combine flexible and rigid materials in a single print. Test prints included a rainbow bird feather, a hard wristwatch housing with an integrated flexible band, and a breathable wearable shoe that did not quite fit.
The printer represents the latest step in home 3D printing, following earlier advances in speed that cut print times from hours to minutes. While other tool-changing printers already exist, the reviewer said wet filament is one of the biggest remaining causes of print failures.
The Verge's Sean Hollister tested the H3C and reported that prints came out well despite early software quirks. The printer required each print to be started twice because its toolhead camera was not initializing properly. A false-positive print failure detection cost half a day of printing, and the beta software became confused when mixing colours. Hollister was told the software issue would be fixed by launch, and Bambu provided troubleshooting steps for the camera.
Flexible TPU filaments must be loaded manually, and slot six can cause a jam if loaded with flexible material. Nozzle repairs cannot be done quickly without tools, and the new system involves minor disassembly; it also cannot use previous-generation toolless H, P and A series swappable nozzles. Hollister said he was unsure about leaving filament in the toolheads between prints, where it might attract moisture. Certification filing leaks suggest Bambu is preparing a smaller seven-tool P3C printer. The company also plans to let its existing dual-nozzle H2D, H2C and X2D printers use two different nozzle sizes by next spring.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The H3C brings multi-material and multi-colour printing to home 3D printers in a more accessible form, reducing waste and the need to plan each project's filament colours in advance.
- Its integrated filament drying removes a major source of print failures that hobbyists have struggled with.
- The technology points toward a future where consumer 3D printers work like inkjet printers, with materials and colours ready on demand.
Background
Home 3D printing has evolved rapidly in recent years, with printers becoming fast enough to produce parts in minutes rather than hours. Bambu Lab has established itself as a major player in the consumer 3D printer market with models including the H2D, H2C and X2D dual-nozzle printers.
What to Watch
- A smaller seven-tool P3C model has appeared in certification filings, suggesting a more affordable tool-changer may be on the way.
- Bambu's plan to add dual-nozzle capability to existing H2D, H2C and X2D printers by next spring.
- Whether the pre-launch software issues identified in testing are resolved before the H3C reaches customers.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedBambu Lab announced the nine-nozzle H3C 3D printer.The Verge: “Today, Bambu Lab is announcing its most advanced 3D printer yet, the $2,499 H3C”
- SupportedThe H3C costs $2,499.The Verge: “Today, Bambu Lab is announcing its most advanced 3D printer yet, the $2,499 H3C”
- Partly supportedThe H3C swaps materials and colours in seconds.The Verge: “Bambu’s new “Swaptek” system lets the printer swap in any of the eight other nozzles in six seconds flat.”
- SupportedThe H3C is Bambu Lab’s most advanced 3D printer.The Verge: “Today, Bambu Lab is announcing its most advanced 3D printer yet, the $2,499 H3C”
- SupportedThe H3C has nine tools in a front rack that can preheat independently.The Verge: “All nine tools are stored in a rack at the front of the printer, where they can independently preheat to the correct temperature right before they’re needed.”
- SupportedThe AMS 3H stores nine filament rolls in an ostensibly airtight auto-loading container.The Verge: “The H3C theoretically changes that by storing its nine rolls in an ostensibly airtight auto-loading container called the AMS 3H.”
- SupportedTwo AMS 3H slots have dryers that reach 85°C and keep drying filament while printing.The Verge: “Two of those nine slots even have built-in dryers that can hit 85 degrees Celsius and keep on drying your filament while you print”
- SupportedEarlier home 3D-printer advances cut the time to produce parts from hours to minutes.The Verge: “home 3D printers had evolved for speed, producing parts in minutes that used to take hours or days.”
- SupportedWet filament is one of the biggest remaining causes of print failures.The Verge: “Wet filament is one of the biggest remaining causes of print failures.”
- Not in the sourcesThe Verge’s Sean Hollister tested the H3C.The Verge: “I haven’t tried the H3C for long enough to tell you if it’s ready to buy, and I’ve definitely run into some quirks in my first couple weeks of testing.”
- SupportedThe reviewer had to start every print twice because the toolhead camera was not initializing properly.The Verge: “I’ve had to start every single print twice because the printer complains that its “toolhead camera” isn’t initializing properly”
- SupportedCertification-filing leaks show Bambu is preparing a smaller seven-tool P3C.The Verge: “Certification filing leaks show that the company’s already prepping a smaller “P3C” with seven tools and seven rolls of filament storage instead of nine.”
