The Bamboo Lab A1 has proven to be an extremely popular 3D printer, but the launch hasn’t been smooth. After receiving reports of strange behavior from the heatbed and reports of a device catching fire, the company has removed the printer from sale and issued a warning to all users.
Owners of the Bambu Lab A1 have received an email asking them to “stop using the A1 for the time being.” The company also has a blog post about a “A1 heated bed cable recall” and explains the problems users have had with their A1 3D printer.
This came in on my ticket this morning. pic.twitter.com/KfzrEkzXTH
— OMGFrankie (@ZioFrancoD) February 2, 2024
What’s wrong with the Bambu Lab A1?
Bambu has confirmed that “a very small proportion of A1 printers” have damaged heatbed cables. These cables were damaged either during shipping, during installation or after installation. If a large force is applied to the cable root, it may become bent and damaged.
Damage to this cable may result in unstable readings and heating issues on the A1’s heated print surface. If the damage is severe enough, heat can build up in that area of the cable, causing the cable to burn and scorch. Bambu Lab has published images showing what a damaged cable can look like.A1 Heatbed Cable Callback” blog post.
What about A1 mini?
No, Bambu Lab’s A1 Mini 3D Printer uses a completely different design and does not suffer from this issue. A1 Mini 3D printers are safe to use.
(Bambu Lab’s A1 is currently not available for purchase)
Is the A1 safe to use?
Bambu Lab has urged its users to stop using their A1 3D printers and check whether their devices have any damaged cables. If you have an A1 whose cable is not damaged, you can use your printer safely. In this case, you will need to contact Bambu support to get a new 3D printer or replacement cable.
We strongly recommend that customers with proven cable damage do not operate their A1 devices until necessary repairs or replacements have been carried out. If you are willing to replace the cable yourself, we will send you a redesigned replacement heatbed assembly in the following 2 weeks (saving you the hassle of wiring the heatbed) and receive compensation for your time spent replacing the heatbed invested in the module. If you don’t want to replace the bed yourself, we completely understand and will replace the entire printer for you.
Does Bambu Lab have a solution for existing A1 3D printers?
To protect existing (undamaged) A1 3D printers from future damage, Bambu Lab plans to supply cable protectors to users. This protection protects the A1 heatbed cable from stress and possible future damage. Future A1 3D printers will feature a redesigned heated bed cable or pre-installed cable protector. If you don’t want to wait for a cable protector, you can 3D print one. A1 users can Download a bamboo protector model here and print it yourself.
You can take part in the discussion Safety warning for Bambu Lab’s A1 3C printer on the OC3D forums.
