Replacement gear sets and first stage feeder funnel for the Bambu first stage feeder assembly.
This includes gears:
And this includes a first stage funnel, split into 3 parts to make the print easier. My hope is that we as a community can customize the feeder funnels by plugging on a different funnel onto the main body and arrive at a more reliable design than Bambu.
It's best to print each gear one at a time to avoid retractions. You will probably have a better quality print with a 0.2mm nozzle, but you can't print abrasive filaments with that.
Since this gear seems to have a lot of sheer stresses, print this with nylon carbon fiber, like PA-CF or PAHT-CF from Bambu. And since it's pretty tiny, I printed with the finest layer height, 0.08mm with 100% infill. Also include supports and print with the smallest hub facing down on the build plate. The two sides are different on this gear. If you have the front of the feeder facing you, the left side of the gear has a 2.5mm hub. You can also see 3 bumps on the yellow gear, indicating the left side. The right side has a 2.0mm hub, so you have to look very closely to spot the difference.
The worm gear is a difficult print because it's so tiny and tall. It might be better to print it with 0.2mm nozzle and a non-abrasive filament like ASA. I printed mine with a 0.4mm nozzle and a 0.08mm layer height. The bore was off-center and the threads needed a lot of cleanup work. The gear mesh in operation is also quite noisy.
After printing the gear, disassemble the AMS and pull the bad feeder out. Then follow Bambu's guide to disassemble the top cover.
To remove the shaft with the cluster of gears:
Working backwards, install the new gear:
It should look like what I have in the second photo. Reassemble everything else and test!
Printer:
Bambu X1C
Rafts:
No
Supports:
Yes
Resolution:
0.08mm
Infill:
100%
Filament:
I wanted to get up and running quickly, so I disassembled the feeder and measured the helical gear:
Using these numbers, I just plugged the necessary stuff into FreeCAD gears workbench, added some hubs, then drilled a pocket for the bore.
The feeder funnel is a complex object and a little bit difficult to print. The top and bottom is easier. Just print them with the largest flat surface on the build plate.
For the middle section, orient with the side facing down, and choose the side with the shortest cylinder. If you're facing the “front” side of the feeder if it were installed in the AMS, this is the left side. See the bambu_feeder_rebuild_kit.3mf for a better description.
Print the middle and bottom in PLA with a 0.2mm nozzle. You can attempt a 0.4mm nozzle, but I don't think it's going to work. For the top funnel, you can get away with a 0.4mm nozzle and an abrasive filament.
Take the 3 pieces of the body and glue them together with epoxy, then clamp tight to dry.
Use a small Dremel bit to clean out all of the small pockets. Use a drill bit to ream out the filament tunnel. If you have a 2mm bit that would be perfect. If you only have Imperial bits, start smaller and test fit a piece of filament through the funnel and feel for anything that catches.
Plop the filament sensor thing into the slot, flat side up.
Screw the PCB onto the funnel feeder and test. Use a digital multimeter to probe pads TP7 and TP8 on the bottom of the board. These are connected to the filament runout switch. Slide a piece of filament in and out and confirm that the circuit closes with filament IN, and opens when filament is OUT. (This might require an extra set of hands)
Install the PTFE fitting and the clip from the original feeder.
Install the roller bearing and install the feeder funnel into the housing.
Reassemble the rest of the first stage feeder, and bench test it with 6VDC. If you stick a piece of filament in the funnel and apply voltage in the correct direction, the motor should feed the filament through and spit it out the PTFE fitting. This test is a must if you printed gears too. It saves yourself a lot of time disassembling the AMS.
If everything seemed to go well, reinstall the feeder into the AMS and try out some prints!
Category: 3D Printer Parts
The author marked this model as their own original creation. Imported from Thingiverse.