From Bambu Lab:
We hope you are as excited as we are about the H2S announcement.
The H2S is close to the product many of you have been waiting for over the past three years. In a sense, it is a larger X1C.
However, we faced a difficult dilemma with this launch: should we tell you now that another product in the H2 series, the H2C, will be released by the end of the year?
Announcing it now would undoubtedly impact sales of the H2D and H2S, affecting the company's revenue. Since the H2C hasn't arrived at our warehouses yet, news of a new model might cause some to hesitate before buying.
On the other hand, if we say nothing about the H2C, some might regret buying the H2D or H2S later on.
It was a truly difficult choice.
In the end, we decided to reveal the existence of the H2C and share the story behind its creation.
Let's return to the original question: Why do 3D printers produce "poop"?
The reason is simple: it is necessary to purge the molten filament remaining in the nozzle.
Using a single nozzle to print with multiple colors is like painting with only one brush.
If you don't clean the brush every time you change colors, the previous paint will mix into the new one.
3D printing is the same; you must clean the nozzle before switching filaments.
So, what if you could skip that cumbersome cleaning process?
When painting, you could prepare a separate brush for each color.
But what corresponds to the "brush" of a printer? Is it the entire gantry, the toolhead, the hotend, or just the nozzle? Each has its own pros and cons, which is exactly why this development race is so interesting.
Color contamination happens at the nozzle, but the nozzle doesn't move on its own.
A nozzle requires a movement mechanism, filament feeding, heating, and temperature detection, all of which must be connected to the printer.
Disconnecting and reconnecting these every time a nozzle is changed is a major challenge in terms of reliability.
The larger the part being replaced as a whole, the easier it is to ensure connection reliability, but that increases space and cost.
If you make the replaced part smaller, you can keep it cheap and compact, but ensuring reliability becomes difficult.
Ultimately, you must find a balance between reliability, cost, and occupied space.
Let’s briefly look at the main options.
Method A: Switch the entire gantry. It’s simple, and you don’t have to worry about connection reliability.
The downside is that you need a complete gantry for each nozzle, making it large and expensive. Commercial IDEX systems use this method and are usually limited to two nozzles.
Method B: Share the movement mechanism and switch only the toolhead.
This saves cost and space, but requires a mechanical connection mechanism between the gantry and the toolhead.
Since the toolhead itself is still large, you cannot equip many of them.
This is the "tool changer" method adopted by E3D, Prusa, and later, Snapmaker products.
Method C: Replace only the hotend. You can share the movement mechanism, extruder, and cooling system, further reducing space and cost.
However, the problem of connecting all the power and signal lines required for heating and temperature detection remains.
While spring-pin connectors might work in demos, it's another matter to guarantee reliability over millions of cycles.
Method D: The simplest idea. If you trust the heat conduction at the contact surface, you can perform heating and temperature measurement from the toolhead side, like the A1 nozzle.
You only swap the nozzle and heatsink. However, maintaining consistent heat conduction even when swapping thousands of times more frequently than the A1 is a challenge.
We could continue with methods E, F, and so on, but let's stop here.
In 2023, we determined that if we could solve the wiring connection issue, Method C offered the best balance of reliability and occupied space.
The key? Eliminating contact connectors and going wireless.
Using induction heating allows the nozzle to be heated wirelessly. However, heating alone is not enough; you also need to measure the temperature.
Therefore, we designed a unique, compact circuit for the hotend that receives power, measures temperature, and communicates wirelessly with the toolhead.
The concept might not sound novel on its own. But finishing it into something robust, reliable, and compliant with certifications requires significant design work and expertise.
Through this integrated design, we combined the hotend into four parts: the nozzle, heatbreak, thermistor, and a small PCB.
The whole unit is just 10g and measures 20 × 15 × 56 mm.
While wireless heating and communication solved the major hurdles, precise nozzle positioning was another challenge.
It’s not enough just to switch them out; every printer we ship needs to land in the correct position with micrometer precision every single time.
Otherwise, the print will have defects or blemishes.
To achieve this, you need a highly repeatable mechanism, a fast and precise measurement system, or both.
Then there is the software. You need embedded firmware, slicer integration, a user interface, and more.
Users tend to underestimate the importance of software, but honestly, we were the same way at first.
That is why, even though the hardware design was locked in months ago, it wasn't ready to ship yet.
Faced with a pile of finished printers waiting for the software to be completed, asking oneself, "Should I release it now, or wait a little longer?"—that is the reality of product development.
Still, after three years of development, we finally have confidence. We are getting ready to launch the H2C by the end of 2025.
Finally, I would like to answer a question that many of you are likely concerned about.
Can I upgrade the H2D to an H2C?
Yes, it is possible. However, it requires a certain level of technical skill, patience, a willingness to carefully follow instructions, and several hours of work.
It is certainly more complex than replacing a clogged nozzle, so we do not recommend it for beginners.
Can I upgrade the H2S to an H2C?
Theoretically, it is possible. However, we published this blog so that you wouldn't have to spend your time or budget doing so.
👉 For more information on Bambu Lab products, please check our product page!
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