Bambu Lab Expands the A-Series Lineup with the New A2L 3D Printer

Bambu Lab has been releasing new 3D printer models at a blistering pace lately and, apparently, they aren’t slowing down, because they just announced a new addition the A-series lineup: the A2L. What does the Bambu Lab A2L offer and should you care? Let’s find out!

The lineage

The other two models in Bambu Lab’s A-series are the A1 and the A1 Mini. The A1 is a fairly conventional bed-slinger, while the A1 Mini is a compact cantilever design. Both have proven to be great choices for beginners, as they’re very affordable and reliable, while also exhibiting strong performance and multi-color printing via the AMS Lite.

The new A2L fits neatly into the lineup and you can see how by breaking down the model name: it is in the A-series, it is a second-generation model, and it is large.

The A2L’s expanded build volume is the most obvious upgrade, compared to the A1. The A2L has a build volume of 330×320×325 mm, while the A1 has an industry standard 256×256×256 mm. That might not sound like much in any one dimension, but the square-cube law is powerful and the result is more than double the volume.

There are many other upgrades and I’ll touch on the three that I find the most intriguing:

Servo extruder motor

Almost all consumer-oriented 3D printers have had open-loop motion systems actuated by stepper motors. The A2L is a different, because it has a closed-loop servo motor for the extruder. In theory, that should help the printer better maintain the desired extrusion rate, as it can tell if the motor doesn’t turn as much as expected — or if it turns too much, somehow.

In practice, I’m not entirely convinced it will really make a big difference. Closed-loop servos can be a big improvement for motion in the X and Y axes, and I wish Bambu Lab had used them there. For the extruder, the benefits will likely be minor. That said, it is still an improvement and it could result in very consistent extrusion.

Frame dampening

This is a technique borrowed from the machine tool industry and I was pleasantly surprised to see it here.

Machines, including 3D printers, vibrate and shake a lot as they operate. Frame rigidity helps with that through brute force, but resonance can still build up and cause artifacts. Software-based compensation techniques make a huge difference, but dampening takes things a step further.

Basically, Bambu Lab put some sand-like material into enclosed pockets at key points on the frame. That absorbs vibrations and prevents resonance. It should reduce unwanted printing artifacts, like ghosting.

Cutting tool

One feature of the Bambu Lab H2D that I feel is underrated is the cutting tool. It basically turns the printer into something like a Cricut craft cutting machine, but with the benefit of an overhead camera for alignment.

Now, the A2L will have access to the same cutting tool on its modular toolhead. The only catch is that there isn’t a built-in “bird’s eye” camera, so you’ll need to use your phone to capture an image of the bed for doing the alignment.

I think the cutting tool is a great addition to an affordable 3D printer like this, because it means that hobbyists won’t need to purchase a separate Cricut or Silhouette.

AMS compatibility

Let’s move on to one final topic before wrapping things up: the AMS.

The Bambu Lab A2L will be compatible with AMS Lite. If you’re upgrading from an A1 or A1 Mini, you’ll be able to keep using your AMS Lite. Or you can buy the A2L Combo that comes with an AMS Lite.

But Bambu Lab says that the A2L will also be compatible with the “2nd-Gen AMS” and I think that phrasing is interesting. Is that just another way of saying the AMS 2 Pro? The A2L is definitely compatible with that. The phrasing, however, makes me think that we’ll be seeing some other AMS 2 model (AMS 2 Lite?) soon.

Conclusion

The Bambu Lab A2L costs $469 and the A2L Combo costs $569.

That’d definitely more expensive than the A1 and A1 Mini. But the improvements will make the higher price easily justifiable to many.

However, there is one confounding factor to consider: the P1S is $399 and the P1S AMS Combo is $549.

For close to the same amount of money, you can get a larger and more modern unenclosed 3D printer, or a smaller and slightly outdated enclosed 3D printer. How do you decide?

I think it comes down to the materials you want to print. If you’re happy with materials that don’t need an enclosure, like PLA, then the A2L is clearly a better choice. But if you want to print materials like ASA, the P1S’s enclosure essentially a requirement.