The 3D printing world is constantly evolving, and over the years we have seen many new additions to the world of filament and 3D printers. Flexible build surfaces, automatic bed levelling, and high speed are some of the most recent improvements. But we are in awe of the current trend – multicolour 3D printing with multicolour filaments! Recently, filament-changing systems have become the focus of many brands. In this post we will be looking at the rise of multicolour filament, filament-changing systems, and a quick dive into some of the 3D printers that support them.
Multicolour Filament
Multicolour filament is usually PLA based filament that is made from fusing different colours along the length of a single filament roll. Many 3D filament brands have released rainbow rolls for Makers to create unique and vibrant prints that blend, shift, or twist multiple colours in interesting ways. There are currently two popular ways of making multicolour filament. The first method involves combining segments of different colour filaments together to form a full roll. You can have a nearly endless number of colours in a single roll. The other popular method for creating multicolour filaments is to join the same colours along the entire length of the roll. This is achieved by splitting the diameter of the filament in half or into thirds and creating a continuous multicolour strand that runs the entire length of the roll.
If you are interested in seeing some examples of multicolour filaments, then be sure to check out the Mystic, Magic, Candy, and Rainbow filaments on our website.
Create fun and vibrant models without needing to manually change your filament to a new colour. You can even make your own custom colour combinations using devices such as the SunLu FC01 Filament Connector, which allows you to join strands of filament together. Devices such as the FC01 provide a great use for those last few strands of filament on your nearly empty spools. The only downside of multicolour filament is that you don’t have control over what colour certain parts of your model will be. This is where filament-changing systems come in.
Filament Changing Systems
Filament-changing systems are the latest addition to the world of 3D printing that was brought into the spotlight by the new brand on the block, Bambu Lab, with their Automatic Material System (AMS).
The AMS is an airtight filament enclosure that can hold up to 4 filament spools, with each spool having a dedicated filament runout sensor and feeder motor. By itself the AMS does not appear to be anything special, but it truly shines when you combine it with a compatible Bambu Lab 3D printer. Together, the Bambu Lab system and your slicer can run automatic filament swapping during prints with a purge system that makes the colour transition on each print seamless. You can also connect up to 4 AMS devices to one printer for up to 16 different colour options during one print.
Creality has followed up with their own version called the Creality Filament System (CFS), which has a very similar design to the AMS. The CFS can also hold up to 4 filament spools and features 4 filament runout sensors and 4 feeder motors. Currently only the K2 Plus and Hi 3D printers support the CFS with plans to make the K1 range compatible in the future. Multiple CFS devices can be linked for up to 16 different colour options. These filament systems mean that filament swapping is basically automatic, with the only manual part being the initial adding and removing of the spools you wish to use for each project. This makes the joy of multicolour 3D printing far less daunting and frustrating for Makers new to 3D printing.
Compatible 3D Printers
(Left to right. Bambu Lab A1 with AMS Lite, Bambu Lab X1C with AMS, Creality K2 Plus with CFS)
The great thing about multicolour filament is that it is so widely compatible with 3D printers. PLA and PLA+ are very beginner-friendly, so you don’t need a specific 3D printer to be able to enjoy the wonders of multicolour filaments.
Filament-changing systems are currently more limited to compatible 3D printers. This is due to the requirements of these systems to cut and purge material from their nozzle, making automatic filament swapping possible. Currently the AMS is compatible with the Bambu Lab X1 and P1 series of 3D printers, while the AMS Lite is compatible with the A1 series. This means all current Bambu Lab printers can benefit from an AMS system.
The Creality CFS is much newer, and there are fewer printers compatible with it. Creality is also lacking a device like the AMS Lite. Currently only the K2 Plus and Hi 3D printers are compatible with the CFS, but Creality has said they plan to make the K1 range compatible in the future.
We hope you found this look at multicolour 3D printing interesting. If you enjoyed this post, then check out our other blog posts. We have a growing collection of guides and project posts up right now. To keep up to date on everything DIYElectronics related such as new products, projects, and Maker news, check out our social media, Facebook, and Instagram. Have a look at our website or browse our promotions category to see this month’s specials.
Graphic Designer | Photographer | Gamer and Twitch streamer.
I have a passion for design and a love of art. I am always eager to learn new things, be it 3D modeling/3D printing, copywriting or even cooking. Pretty chill guy who is always down for a braai with family and friends.
