# Bambu Lab A1 3D Printer

By merry\-comet\-f78d88aa

Topic: Machines

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/DhuXMGOVbQ6d)

## Guide

### 1. A machine that draws in 3D

This is a Bambu Lab A1, a 3D printer\. It builds real objects by drawing with melted plastic, one thin flat layer on top of another\. Let's find out how\.

It can build things up to 25\.6 cm wide, deep and tall\.

### 2. It starts as a stack of slices

First, a computer program called a slicer cuts your 3D model into hundreds of thin flat slices, like a loaf of bread\. Each slice becomes a path for the printer to trace\.

A typical layer is 0\.2 mm thick, about as thin as two sheets of paper\.

### 3. Plastic thread on a spool

The printer's ink is filament: a plastic thread 1\.75 mm thick, wound on a spool\. A tube guides it to the toolhead, the little box that does the drawing\.

PLA, the most popular filament, is made from plants such as corn\.

### 4. Inside the toolhead

Two small gears grip the filament and push it down\. A heater warms it to about 220 °C, so it melts like hot glue\. It squeezes out of a nozzle hole just 0\.4 mm wide\.

The nozzle can reach 300 °C, so it is never touched while printing\.

### 5. Three ways to move

To draw, the nozzle must reach every spot\. The toolhead slides left and right, the whole bed slides forward and back, and the beam lifts up\. Pick a direction to see it move\.

Belts pull the toolhead and bed\. Two long screws lift the beam\.

### 6. It checks itself first

Before printing, the A1 checks its own setup\. The nozzle gently taps the bed at many spots to measure its height, so the first layer goes on evenly\.

Sensors also feel for wobbles, so the motors can cancel them\.

### 7. Draw a layer, lift, repeat

Press Print and watch\. The nozzle traces one layer while the bed slides beneath it\. Then the beam lifts a tiny step and the next layer goes on top\. A fan cools each layer so it hardens fast\.

Shown much faster than real life: a print like this takes about an hour\.

### 8. Mostly air inside

Prints are rarely solid\. The printer draws strong outer walls, then fills the inside with a light grid called infill\. It saves plastic and time but stays sturdy\.

Many prints use only 10 to 20 percent infill\.

### 9. Pop it off

When the last layer is done, the bed slides forward\. The springy steel sheet lifts off its magnets and bends a little, and the print pops free\. Ready to use\!

Now you know: slice, melt, move, stack\. That is 3D printing\.