Breaking: Bambu Lab has redefined the future of 3D printing and unveiled a first look at its magnificent new H2C printer today at Formnext, in Germany. I'm not being dramatic when I say that this machine could change everything – thanks to a brand new multi-material Vortek System, which performs super-fast colour and material changes using a combination of 7 hotends!!!
Considering 99% of some of the best 3D printers make do with just one hotend (nozzle), 7 seems unthinkable. Why so many? Why not. This Vortek System comprises an interchangeable hotend process, which means that zero purge (printer poop) is required when switching colours or printing with fewer than 7 filaments. Additionally, the H2C will allow for printing with up to 24 filaments simultaneously when combined with an AMS system.
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Anyone involved in 3D printing can attest that purging, material waste, and lengthy print times have been red flags in the industry since the rise of multicolour printing. So this innovation from Bambu Lab, while not a totally new concept, will eradicate some of these pain points, making the H2C a desirable tool for not just creatives but businesses and print farms worldwide.
I think Bambu Lab has set the benchmark of what 3D printing will look like in 2026 with the H2C, and we already have similar models from other brands – such as the Prusa XL and Kickstarter-backed Snapmaker U1 – with similar formats and design structures to cut back on waste, material usage, and time.
According to the company, the Bambu Lab H2C is an engineering masterpiece that doesn’t just print, but thinks, predicts, and reacts. Tool changes take only seconds, with virtually no user involvement, and it has onboard memory that records which filament was last used with each hotend for eliminating setup errors.
It's not just a simple 1-printer setup, either. Just like its siblings (the Bambu Lab H2D and H2S series), the H2C will be available in 6 versions: default, combo, equipped with a laser, laser combo, or equipped with an additional set of accessories (classed as the Ultimate Set) as standard or with an AMS combo.
Price and availability
But what about price? All we know for now is that US prices are still being finalised, and the only confirmed pricing is for EUR at the time of writing.
- H2C AMS Combo = €2,249
- H2C AMS Combo + Ultimate Set = €2,749
- H2C Laser Full Combo (10W laser) = €2,799
- H2C Laser Full Combo (40W laser) = €3,349
- H2C Laser Full Combo (10W laser) + Ultimate Set = €3,299
- H2C Laser Full Combo (40W laser) + Ultimate Set = €3,849
I'm told that sales for the Bambu Lab H2C are slightly delayed in the US, thanks to logistical issues, but are expected to hopefully start in early December – so watch this space. I'll update this article as soon as we know more.
