This month, the 3D printing community has seen the announcement of four different tool-changing FDM printers. First was Snapmaker’s U1, a machine we received for review while still in beta testing. Then slipping under the radar was newcomer AtomForm with a 12-nozzle system and a desire to keep things low-key while it tested the waters. This week, Bambu Lab and Prusa Research made surprise announcements of their own.
Prusa Research didn’t invent the tool changer, but it certainly ignited a desire in the 3D printing community for a more efficient solution to color FDM printing. Announced in 2021, the Prusa XL is a beast of a machine that costs over $4,500 when fully loaded with all five tool heads and an enclosure. That’s quite a stretch for the hobby market, so the XL remained an elite machine for a more professional crowd.
It took several years, but Snapmaker countered Prusa with an “affordable” tool changer, priced as low as priced as $649 for eager early birds armed with a special rebate. Launched last week, the U1 took Kickstarter by storm, with over 14,000 people backing the Kickstarter to date, pledging over $13 million for a desktop-sized tool changer.
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Bambu Lab, either emboldened by Snapmaker’s success or bothered by possible competition from newcomer Atomform, rushed an announcement of its own tool changer-like machine, the H2C. The announcement was oddly timed, just one hour after the launch of the Bambu Lab H2S, the company’s largest Core XY machine with a single nozzle.