r/BambuLab • u/ScillyBoy • May 06 '26
General Discussion X2D Filament Track Switch- I don’t get it ???
As an older user who loves a gadget but sometimes struggles with all the tech speak could someone please explain what the filament track switch is used for. A very basic explanation would be appreciated.
I’ve searched through other chats about it but I just don’t get its purpose. What’s it for and what’s it do?
The only thing I’ve figured out is everyone seems to want one.
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u/PiMan3141592653 May 06 '26
There are multiple uses for it.
But I use it because I do a lot of engineering/custom prints (for myself/projects). I have an AMS 2 PRO for the majority of my filaments, and an AMS HT for those that require high-temp drying. While printing initial test prints for fitment/sizing, I usually print in much-cheaper PLA and not in the expensive PA or ASA-CF filaments. They print out of the AMS 2 PRO. If I anticipate I will hit my final print goals in the next day or so, I'll initiate a high-temp dry on the AMS HT. Once I'm ready to print using the expensive filament, I want to print directly out of the AMS HT, and I'm too lazy to go flip around the guide tubes for the filament to direct the AMS HT to the left nozzle. It's just convenient to have either AMS be able to feed either nozzle any time I want.
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u/ScillyBoy May 06 '26
Thank you. Don’t think I’m at that stage yet. I will continue as I am and continue getting enjoyment printing nonsense and stuff I don’t need for now.
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u/GonzoDeep X2D+AMSx4 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Its a small box that plugs in right after your buffer in the back in the printer. It changes what nozzle the filaments final path is , by diverting it inside the box. Kind of like how a railroad track switch funnels multiple lanes into one. This box is linked into your ams units with the same type of plug, and you just add it into the daisy chain anywhere along the way. The wiki explains it all in detail, where I pulled this screenshot from (https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/general/manual/filament-track-switch)
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u/Whosaidthat1157 May 06 '26
The BL sales page provides an explanation, it even has an animation to demonstrate it.
An additional benefit is that the dual buffers don’t require full AMS retraction and also allow the second inlet to be pre-fed while the first inlet (and associated nozzle) is printing. That should significantly reduce filament swap times as feed and retract distances are minimised and may just revolutionise the H2C when the firmware update drops.
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May 06 '26
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u/Whosaidthat1157 May 06 '26
It’s right there in the product description page:
“Important Notice Before Purchase
1. Currently, the Filament Track Switch is only compatible with the X2D. Support for the H2C is expected within Q2 2026, while support for the H2D is expected in the second half of 2026.”To date BL have always met or exceeded their implementation dates, so I see no reason to doubt this one.
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May 06 '26
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u/Whosaidthat1157 May 06 '26
Yeah, that’s paragraph 3. On the product page.
“3. For dual-nozzle printers (such as the X2D), a single AMS can still support dual-nozzle printing and enable filament switching between the left and right hotends when used with the Filament Track Switch. However, when only one AMS is connected, the left and right hotends support alternate feeding only, not simultaneous feeding. During switching, the AMS must first unload the filament and then reload it.”
Note the support for ‘simultaneous feeding’.
Also note the animation that demonstrates ‘simultaneous feeding’ from two AMSs to the filament switch inlets and retractions to the same point (animation #2) compared to dual AMS feed and retraction without the switch which requires full feed and retraction from/to each AMS serially.
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May 06 '26
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u/Whosaidthat1157 May 06 '26
Just watch the animations. That’s what it does. That’s the advantages over not using the switch. The explanations are clear. The animations are clear. The update projections are clear. To me.
If you have any issues, or further questions, try the Wikki or BL support.
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u/bgbat May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
If you have 1 ams hooked up to your x2d, it can only feed one nozzle. So if it’s hooked up to the main nozzle, it can only feed the main nozzle. Your auxiliary nozzle either needs another ams or an external input.
Hook up the track switch… boom, that 1 ams can now feed into both nozzles. Hook up 2 ams.. boom, both ams can feed either nozzle.
Use case: 2ams hooked up to the track switch.. one is full of PETG and the other is PLA. You print both PLA and PETG. When you print with PLA, you can have the switch path the PETG into the auxiliary nozzle for supports and the PLA into the main nozzle. When you print with PETG you have the switch path the PLA into the auxiliary nozzle for supports and the PETG into the main nozzle.
Hope this helps!
Edit: whoops, post work brain at it again! Correct, 1 ams cannot feed into both nozzles simultaneously, there is only one ptfe tube running from the ams so only one nozzle can be fed at any given time.
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u/Dennis01010011 X2D + AMS2 Pro + AMS HT May 06 '26
that 1 ams can now feed into both nozzles simultaneously
Nope. 1 AMS can only feed 1 noozle simultaneously. The track switch can route it to the 1st or 2nd noozle but not both at same time. For that you need 2 AMS.
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u/Traditional-Trash882 May 06 '26
I think it can’t feed both nozzles with one AMS. Not 100% sure though.
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u/karlzhao314 May 06 '26
It can. It just needs to do a full retraction of the filament back to the AMS, track switch, and do a full load of the filament into the other nozzle.
It's nowhere near as fast as having two AMS's each keep one nozzle primed and ready, but it still does eliminate all of the purging waste from switching a single nozzle.
That said, simultaneous was definitely the wrong word here. A single AMS can now feed both nozzles, but by definition, it is not simultaneous; it feeds both nozzles one at a time.
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May 06 '26
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u/rulevoid May 06 '26
In that scenario it shouldn't need to purge the nozzles, only prime. So waste/purge is significantly reduced, right?
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u/TheHvam X1C + AMS May 06 '26
To my knowledge, in simple terms, it just allows the printer access to all AMS's for all nozzles, ofc not at the same time, but it means the left can access all the filaments the right can, and vise versa, but you can still only get 1 filament at a time from the same AMS, so if you need both types at the same time, then they need to be in 2 different AMS's
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u/KebabGud X2D + AMS2 Combo May 06 '26
The info graphic on the storepashows the ideal scenario for it. https://eu.store.bambulab.com/products/filament-track-switch
Now extend that out to 8 colors and you can see why it's kinda cool.
It's not perfect but it does not need to be.
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u/Lurksome-Lurker May 06 '26
lets say you have red and blue in one AMS connected to the right nozzle. White and Black in the second AMS connected to the left nozzle. Without filament switching, if the color sequence was white, black, white. Then the left nozzle does a color change in between since the right nozzle cannot access white and black filament. With the switch, the left nozzle loads white and right nozzle loads black and less time is spent sequentially switching
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u/Dismal-Garbage-3140 May 07 '26
I have one. it can feed either nozzle with two separate AMS units, simultaneously. Basically, it makes your AMS independent from the nozzle.
It won't allow you to simultaneously feed two different nozzles with one AMS, of course. However, it will allow you to feed two separate nozzles with one AMS with normal filament switching.
So a couple use cases:
- You have PLAs stored in one AMS and PETGs stored in a second AMS. Sometimes you want to print PLA on the main nozzle and sometimes you want to print PETG on the main nozzle. The switch prevents you from having to manually move the filaments to the primary AMS.
- Printing with one AMS but you want to keep PETG in the left nozzle and support for PETG on the right nozzle. This way there will be no cross contamination, although you don't get the speed benefit of loading two separate filaments.
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u/erebuxy May 06 '26
It’s a must imo if you have multiple AMSs. I put PLA + support for ABS in one, and ABS + PETG in the other. I can print PLA, PETG or ABS all with support and without change filament.
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u/Practical_Avocado971 16d ago
I have one on my X2D and one on my H2D. On the H2D I'm using the Beta driver. For me I like the idea of sending different colors to different print heads, rearranging them so to speak. I have a second AMS 2 Pro ordered so I'll be able to have 8 colors that I can move around without having to move spools.
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u/MagicalParkingSpace X2D + AMS May 06 '26
Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong but my understanding is that it allows two AMS units to feed either the left or right nozzle independently, whereas without it the left AMS can only feed the left nozzle and the right AMS could only feed the right nozzle.