Bambu Lab announces H2C with Vortek hotend system that eliminates multicolor poop

Bambu Lab, one of the leading 3D printer manufacturers, just launched the latest addition to its H2 series, the H2S. This came only a couple weeks after it silently launched the H2D Pro, an upgraded version of the H2D. Now, the company has announced another H2 series printer but this one comes with what could be a gamechanger for multicolor 3D printing.

The newly announced 3D printer is called the H2C and it comes with what the company is calling its Vortek hotend change system. As explained in the Bambu Lab blog, this system is capable of swapping hotends to change colors while printing. This solution theoretically eliminates what is referred to as “poop,” which is the filament that the hotend needs to extrude and waste before it can start printing with a new color. This would save filament and reduce print times for a more efficient workflow.

The video shared by Bambu Lab shows the thought process and decision making that went behind the Vortek hotend change system. Rather than having multiple toolheads like the Prusa XL or the upcoming Snapmaker U1, or having multiple nozzles in one toolhead, Bambu Lab decided to go with a hotend swap mechanism. These swappable hotends don’t have any cables or pogo pins that could potentially wear out with time, but instead use a chip for wirelessly communicating with the printer and induction heating to heat the nozzle.

“Our solution was to design a custom microcircuit on the hotend that receives power, measures temperature, and communicates wirelessly with the toolhead,” the blog explains. Bambu Lab claims the nozzle can reach the right temperature in just eight seconds and the chip provides information of the temperature, filament type, and color.

The H2C will be ready to ship by end of 2025. What’s great is that those who already own the H2D or have ordered the H2S will be able to upgrade their printers to an H2C with some DIY skills. Bambu Lab will share instruction on how to do so.