Almost a tool changer
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
The Bambu Lab H2C solves the plastic waste problem with a massive feat of overengineering, called the Vortek Hotend Changer. It swaps color twice as fast as other Bambu Lab printers, but not quite at the blinding speed of a full tool changer. Like its H2 siblings, this is a premium “manufacturing hub” 3D printer with a large build volume and the ability to be fitted with a laser and cutter. It’s a beautiful machine that’s easy to use.
$2,399 at Bambu Lab $2,399 at Bambu Lab $2,399.99 at Best Buy Check Amazon
Pros
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Vortek hotend changer saves material
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Larger build volume
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Enclosure for high-temperature printing
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Prints PLA with the door closed
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Perfect auto bed leveling
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Backwards compatible with current AMS
Cons
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Expensive
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Handles TPU strangely
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Proprietary replacement parts
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All the extras are a lot extra
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The Bambu Lab H2C is the latest machine to tackle the frustrating problem of filament waste when printing in multicolor. The new Vortek system eliminates waste in a novel way, by assigning each color (or material) its own nozzle/hotend. However, it is not quite what we expect in a true tool changer, as each nozzle still shares one tool head and one AMS in the standard configuration. This does the job of eliminating nearly all the wasted filament left behind when your printer switches color, but it is not as quick at making those swaps as the Snapmaker U1 or the Prusa Research XL.
But we can’t overlook that when compared to other Bambu Lab AMS printers, the H2C is twice as fast. Not spending time purging seriously speeds up the process. In our testing, the H2C took a nearly 24-hour, five-color print from the H2D and slashed the print time down to less than 12 hours.
Normally, when a Bambu Lab 3D printer (with an AMS) needs to swap colors, it will cut the filament off inside the tool head, retract what it can back onto the spool, then push the old color out the nozzle in the form of “poop.” For several years, this spoiled filament has been brushed aside as the cost of doing color 3D printing. The amount of poop produced can be toned down, but not avoided. The only serious solution to the filament waste problem is tool changers, which give each spool of filament its own dedicated tool head. Since the filament doesn’t need to be removed from the nozzle, the only waste is a smallish amount needed to prime the flow. The Snapmaker U1 and the Prusa XL are true tool changers, which give each spool its own tool head with nozzle and extruder for color swaps that take seconds.
The Vortek can hold six nozzles, two more than needed for a standard setup. The “extra” nozzles can be dedicated to a high-temperature filament, which avoids clogs that can happen if you don’t sufficiently clean the nozzle between jobs. Or they can be different sizes, waiting for that time you really need a .2 or .8 nozzle.