¶ Introduction
We have categorized the FAQ of A1 mini into product specifications, product features, and product usage-related. You can quickly navigate to the desired module using the sidebar on the left.
¶ Product specifications related
¶ What materials can the A1 mini Print?
The A1 mini can print most of the materials on the market that don't require an enclosure, such as PLA, PETG, TPU, and their support filament. It is not recommended to print filaments such as ABS, ASA, PC, PA, and PET that require higher bed and chamber temperatures.
¶ What is the max hotend/heat bed temperature?
The max hotend temperature is 300 ℃, and the max heatbed temperature is 80 ℃.
¶ What is the maximum print size of the A1 mini?
180 * 180 *180 mm. For more product specifications, please refer to this page.
¶ Is the nozzle stainless steel or hardened steel?
The printer comes pre-installed with a 0.4mm stainless steel nozzle. Our official store will sell extra nozzles, including a 0.2mm stainless steel nozzle and hardened steel nozzles in 0.4mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm diameters. If you require them, you can purchase them from the official store.
¶ How quiet is the A1 mini when printing?
In silent mode, the operating noise of the A1 mini is around 48 dB.
¶ What is the power draw of the A1 mini in printing and idle mode?
The A1 mini draws 6 W in idle mode and 57 W on average when printing. Much higher than that when printing and heating the bed and hotend from the ambient temperature.
¶ Product features related
¶ How can I level the bed?
Our printer supports the auto bed leveling feature. We suggest you check the heatbed leveling option before starting the print job. This way, the algorithm will quickly check five points to determine whether to level again or reuse the previous leveling data. There shouldn't be a need to level the heatbed manually.
¶ Is bed leveling necessary for every printing?
We recommend enabling the auto bed leveling option for every print job because magnetic build plates will likely not be placed in the same position with perfect precision after each print. Additionally, before the auto bed leveling, the printer will quickly test five points to determine whether it needs to level the bed again or reuse the previous leveling data.
¶ How does flow calibration work?
The hotend will sense the ripple of the extrusion force during purging at the nozzle wiper and calibrate the K value.
¶ What happens in a partial nozzle clog situation?
A partial nozzle clog may cause an incorrect K value. The good news is that future firmware updates will support manual flow dynamics calibration.
¶ Is dynamic flow calibration needed before every print?
In the following cases, you will need to do the calibration ( but it's highly recommended to just keep it on for every print) :
- If you introduce a new filament of different brands or models ;
- if the nozzle is worn out, as the friction in the nozzle will change;
- If you replace the nozzle, as there is tolerance in the manufacturing;
- If the filament is damp, moisture will change the viscosity of the filament.
- If the max volumetric speed or print temperature is changed in the filament setting.
¶ Does the AMS lite filament hub contain a hall effect sensor for each filament input?
No, the AMS lite filament hub is just a mechanical structure and does not include electronic components. It does not know which slot the current filament comes from. For the printer to know which slot the current material comes from, the printer itself will first check the position of the filament each time it loads or unloads the filament. For more detailed explanations, please refer to the AMS lite introduction.
¶ Product usage related
¶ Is CF filament OKAY to print using A1 mini?
The A1 mini printer has a 0.4mm stainless steel nozzle already mounted. To minimize excessive nozzle wear, using stainless steel nozzles for printing materials containing carbon fiber or glass fiber, such as PLA-CF/GF, PETG-CF/GF, etc., is not recommended. However, if you replace the nozzle with a hardened steel material, you can print with CF-based filaments on the A1 mini. If you wish to use A1 mini with the AMS lite, please also follow the AMS lite filament requirements.
¶ Can I use the AMS on the A1 mini?
No, AMS is incompatible with the A1 mini. If you want a multi-color print using A1 mini, you must use the AMS lite.
¶ What are the best locations to position the A1 mini and AMS lite?
The recommended distance between A1 mini and AMS lite is 50mm as shown in the diagram.
¶ Can you use multiple AMS lite units with the A1 mini for up to 16 color prints?
The A1 mini can only support one AMS lite, which means it can print with a maximum of 4 colors.
¶ The A1 mini supports a maximum of one AMS lite, so why is an extra 4-pin connector available?
This is an interface reserved for future product expansions and/or additional functionalities.
¶ How should the PTFE tubes be oriented for the least resistance?
Insert 580mm PTFE tubes (shorter one) into slots 1 and 2 and 700mm PTFE tubes(longer one) into slots 3 and 4. At the same time, the other ends of slots 1 and 2 PTFE need to be inserted into the two slots on the left side of the filament hub, while 3 and 4 need to be inserted into the two slots on the right side of the filament hub. (Viewing the printer from the front to the back.)
¶ What is the recommended ambient temperature for the A1 mini printer?
The recommended ambient temperature of the A1 mini printer is 10-30 degrees Celsius.
¶ What different Plates are available for the A1 mini?
The A1 mini supports both textured PEI plate and smooth PEI plate. A textured PEI plate is included as an accessory when you unbox the printer. If you wish to obtain a smooth PEI plate, you can purchase it from our official online store.
¶ What materials can be printed on a textured PEI plate?
The textured PEI plate can print various materials, such as PLA, PETG, and TPU, without glue. After printing, please wait for the build plate to cool down completely before removing the printed model. It is advised to clean the build plate with warm water and regular soap to maintain optimal adhesion.
¶ What materials can be printed on a smooth PEI plate?
The smooth PEI plate has a flat surface and can print PLA/PETG/TPU. This printing surface is particularly suitable for printing PLA without glue. However, printing PETG and TPU requires the application of glue(liquid or solid).
¶ Can we replace the smooth PEI build plate sticker like the X1 and P1 series?
No, the smooth PEI build plate sticker is not replaceable.
¶ Can the A1 mini print without a microSD card & use only Bambu Studio/Handy?
No, the A1 mini does not have built-in memory, so you must insert a micro SD card to send a print. The printer comes pre-installed with a 32 GB Micro SD card.
¶ What is the maximum size and format microSD card the A1 mini can use?
The A1 mini supports a micro SD card of up to 2TB if formatted using the printer option. Please refer to this page for more information about micro SD card-related FAQs. （will be added）
¶ What does the white LED on the printer body above the screen indicate?
A flashing white LED indicates that there are AI assistant messages that need to be looked at; a solid white light means that the system status is normal.
¶ How to modify the printing speed of the A1 mini?
You can set the print speed in Bambu Studio when slicing on the speed page. While printing, you can change the speed mode (Silent, Standard, Sport, Turbo) on the printer, Bambu Handy or Bambu Studio. It's important to note that Sport and Turbo require higher hotend temperatures for best results, and we recommend setting a higher speed in the slicer.
¶ How does the printer react to a filament runout?
The A1 mini utilizes a filament hall sensor to determine if the filament has run out. The A1mini supports filament runout detection and can resume printing after filament replacement. When used with AMS lite, the A1mini can be configured to use a backup filament as a substitute after the current filament runs out.
¶ How does the printer react to Power Loss?
After powering on the printer again, you can choose to resume printing after power loss, allowing the printer to continue and complete the previously interrupted print job.
¶ Can you turn off all the A1 mini speaker sounds?
Yes, you can turn off the sound in the printer settings.
¶ Is pause at a certain layer height available?
Yes, pause at a certain layer height is available and can be done in Bambu Studio.
¶ Is a spool holder included when a customer didn't buy the combo with AMS?
The accessories include a spool holder, which needs to be installed by the user upon unboxing.
¶ What is the flow rate when printing TPU?
We have a printing guide for TPU, and you can find more information in this document. Additionally, we recommend you refer to our filament guide to obtain more information on filament settings parameters.
¶ Where is the best place to position the purge tower?
Near the purge wiper - Left side (Thus avoiding waste or scaps getting onto the bed or z-axis and saving the toolhead's travel time during filament changes.)
¶ Is it OK to enclose the A1 mini?
We don't recommend enclosing the A1 mini.
¶ What is the firmware upgrade process?
Firmware upgrades will be published occasionally to add more features and patches to the software running on the machine. The printer will check for any available updates in the cloud and display a pop-up notification if there are.
¶ Does the A1 mini have Auto-recovery from a step loss?
Yes, the A1 mini supports auto-recovery from a step loss; you can enable this feature on the print options page.
¶ Is there a proper tool to remove the tubes from the tool head?
If you find removing the PTFE tube from the tool head inconvenient, you can print this model to assist with the operation.
¶ How to turn off the sound effect before and after printing?
The sound effect can be turned off in 'Main menu - Settings - Print options'
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¶ How to install the blade for the heatbed scraper?
Please refer to our installation video for instructions.
¶ End Notes
We hope that the detailed guide we shared with you was helpful and informative.
We want to ensure that you can perform it safely and effectively. If you have any concerns or questions regarding the process described in this article, we encourage you to reach out to our friendly customer service team before starting the operation. Our team is always ready to help you and answer any questions you may have.
Click here to open a new ticket in our Support Page.
We will do our best to respond promptly and provide you with the assistance you need.